Emperor Lebna Dengel: Ethiopia's Boy King vs the Adal Invasion

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the reign of Lebna Dengel (Dawit II), the young emperor of Ethiopia who faced the devastating invasion of Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi, better known as Gragn Ahmed. They discuss Lebna Dengel's accession as a child in 1508, his early military campaigns against the Sultanate of Adal, the pivotal Battle of Shimbra Kure in 1529 where Gragn's forces used superior firearms, and the subsequent destruction of churches and monasteries across the highlands. The conversation also covers the Ethiopian emperor's desperate plea for Portuguese aid, the arrival of Cristóvão da Gama's expedition, and the shifting alliances with the Ottoman Empire and Portugal. Key figures include Queen Eleni, who negotiated the Portuguese alliance, and the Bahr Negus Yeshaq, a powerful provincial ruler. The episode highlights the dramatic turning point that reshaped the Horn of Africa and set the stage for later conflicts. #LebnaDengel #DawitII #GragnAhmed #AdalSultanate #BattleOfShimbraKure #EthiopianEmpire #PortugueseAid #CristóvãoDaGama #QueenEleni #BahrNegusYeshaq #OttomanEmpire #HornOfAfrica #16thCentury #ReligiousWar #Firearms #History #FexingoHistory #EastAfrica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo