Zera Yacob

Zara Yaqob (26 ga Agusta, 1468) ya kasance Sarkin Habasha, kuma memba ne na daular Solomonic wanda ya yi mulki a ƙarƙashin sunan sarauta Constantine I. An san shi saboda wallafe-wallafe na Ge'ez waɗanda suka bunƙasa a lokacin mulkinsa, yadda ya magance al'amuran Kiristoci na cikin gida da kuma yaƙe-yaƙe na waje da Musulmai, da kuma kafa Debre Birhan a matsayin babban birninsa. Ya yi mulki na tsawon shekaru 34 da watanni 2 (r. 1434-1468).

Masanin tarihi ɗan Biritaniya, Edward Ullendorff, ya bayyana cewa Zara Yaqob "ba tare da shakka ba shine babban mai mulkin da Habasha ta taɓa gani tun bayan Ezana, a lokacin daular Aksumite, kuma babu wani magajinsa a kan kursiyin—sai dai sarakuna Menelik II da Haile Selassie—da za a iya kwatanta shi da shi."

Asali
An haifi Zara Yaqob a Telq a lardin Fatagar. Ya fito daga mutanen Amhara. Shi ne ɗan autan Sarki Dawit I daga matarsa, Igzi Kebra. Mahaifiyarsa Igzi ta rasa ɗanta na farko, kuma saboda tana fama da rashin lafiya a lokacin cikin ta na biyu, ta yi addu'a sosai ga Budurwa Maryamu don Allah ya kiyaye sabon ɗan da za ta haifa. Daga baya ta haifi Zara Yaqob, wanda daga baya ya rubuta wannan a matsayin mu'ujiza a cikin Ta'ammara Maryam, ɗaya daga cikin tarihin Zara Yaqob da aka rubuta a harshen Amharic.

Paul B. Henze ya maimaita al'adar cewa kishin babban ɗan'uwansa, Sarki Tewodros I, ya tilasta wa masu riƙe da muƙaman sarauta su ɗauki Zara Yaqob zuwa Tigray inda aka tashe shi a ɓoye, kuma aka ba shi ilimi a Axum da kuma a gidan sufi na Debre Abbay. Duk da cewa ya yarda cewa wannan al'adar "yana da matuƙar muhimmanci wajen samar da tushen addini ga rayuwar Zara Yaqob", Taddesse Tamrat ya watsar da wannan labarin a matsayin "mai wuyar yarda a cikakkun bayanansa". Farfesan ya lura cewa Zara Yaqob ya rubuta a cikin Mashafa Berhan cewa "an sauko da shi daga gidan yarin sarauta na Dutsen Gishan ne kawai a daidai lokacin da zai hau kursiyin mulki. 
Bayan rasuwar Sarki Dawit, babban ɗan'uwansa Tewodros ya ba da umarnin a kulle Zara Yaqob a Amba Geshen (a wajajen 1414). Duk da haka, magoya bayan Zara Yaqob sun ci gaba da sanya shi a matsayin ɗan takara na dindindin don zama Sarki, wanda hakan ya taimaka saboda saurin maye gurbin 'yan'uwansa a kan mulki cikin shekaru 20 masu zuwa, wanda hakan ya bar shi a matsayin tsohon ɗan takara mai cancanta. David Buxton ya bayyana tasirin da keɓewar da aka tilasta masa ta yi a kan halayensa, "an hana shi duk wata hulɗa da talakawa ko rayuwa ta yau da kullun." Da aka jefa shi cikin matsayin jagoranci "ba tare da wani ƙwarewa a cikin al'amuran jaha ba, [Zara Yaqob] ya fuskanci mulki wanda ke cike da makirce-makirce da tawaye, coci wanda aka raba da rarrabuwar kawunan addini, da kuma abokan gaba na waje waɗanda ke ci gaba da barazanar mamayewa. 

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