Battle of Fatager
Date23 March 1559 (1559-03-23)
Location
Nech Sar, Fatagar, Ethiopian Empire[1]
Result

Adal victory

  • Nur ibn Mujahid conquers parts of Abyssinia and becomes Emir of Harar and leader of Adal.
Belligerents
Adal Sultanate Ethiopian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Nur ibn Mujahid Gelawdewos †
Strength
1,800 Cavalry[2]
500 Musketeers[3]
"Numerous" Large archers[4]
"Numerous" Spearmen[5]		 Total:1,550[6]
250 Cavalry[7]
100 Musketeers[8]
500 Archers[9]
700 Foot soldiers[10]
Casualties and losses
Minimal Heavy

The Battle of Fatagar (alternatively known as Nech Sar) was a reprisal war between the participants of the previous Adal Sultanate and Ethiopian Empire in the Ethiopian-Adal war. It was fought between the forces of the Sultanate of Harar led by Nur ibn Mujahid, and the Ethiopian Empire under Emperor Gelawdewos.[11] The Ethiopian Emperor was killed by Adal forces in this battle.[12][13]

Battle

In 1559, Nur invaded Fatagar to confront Gelawdewos with the Malassay comprising eighteen hundred horsemen, five hundred riflemen, numerous sword and bow-wielding troops. The Abyssinian forces were greatly outnumbered as Gelawdewos had sent an army to lay siege to Harar. However, the explorer Richard Francis Burton tells a slightly different account, adding that Gelawdewos had been supervising the restoration of Debre Werq when he received a message from Emir Nur challenging him to combat. When the Emperor met the Emir, a priest warned that the angel Gabriel had told him Gelawdewos would needlessly risk his life—which caused most of the Ethiopian army to flee.[14] According to Harari chronicle, Early in the battle Galawdéwos was shot, but continued struggling until encircled by numerous Harari cavalry, which gave him a death blow.[15]

References

  1. ↑ Pankhurst, Alula; Piguet, François (2009). Moving People in Ethiopia: Development, Displacement & the State. ISBN 9781847016133.
  2. ↑ Solomon, The Chronicle, p. 246, Chap. 84
  3. ↑ Solomon, The Chronicle, p. 246, Chap. 84
  4. ↑ Solomon, The Chronicle, p. 246, Chap. 84
  5. ↑ Solomon, The Chronicle, p. 246, Chap. 84
  6. ↑ Solomon , The Chronicle, p. 246, Chap. 84
  7. ↑ Solomon , The Chronicle, p. 246, Chap. 84
  8. ↑ Solomon, The Chronicle, p. 246, Chap. 84
  9. ↑ Solomon, The Chronicle, p. 246, Chap. 84
  10. ↑ Solomon, The Chronicle, p. 246, Chap. 84
  11. ↑ Shinn, David (2004). Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia. Scarecrow Press. p. 174. ISBN 9780810865662.
  12. ↑ Pankhurst, Richard (1997). The Ethiopian Borderlands. Red Sea Press. p. 246. ISBN 9780932415196.
  13. ↑ History of Harar and Hararis (PDF). Harar Tourism Bureau. p. 71.
  14. ↑ Richard Burton, First Footsteps in East Africa (New York: Praeger, 1966), pp. 183f
  15. ↑ Pankhurst, Richard (1997). The Ethiopian Borderlands. Red Sea Press. p. 246. ISBN 9780932415196.

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