Government of the Ethiopian Empire

Imperial government of Ethiopia

Absolute monarchy (1270–1931) Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1931–1974)
The Lion of Judah—emblem of the Ethiopian Empire
Formation	1270
Extinction	12 September 1974
Country	Ethiopia Eritrea
Legislative branch
Legislature	None (rule by decree) (until 1931) Parliament
Executive branch
Yekuno Amlak (first) (1270–1285)	Emperor
Haile Selassie (last) (1930–1974)	Emperor
Headquarters	National Palace, Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Empire (1930–1974) Menelik Palace, Addis Ababa (1889–1930) Yohannes IV Palace, Mekelle (1871–1889)[1] Amba Mariam, Wollo Province (1855–1871)[2] Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar (17th century – 1855) Remote residence (until 17th century)
Main organ	Chamber of Senate and Chamber of Deputies (1955–1974)[3]

Part of a series on the
History of Ethiopia
Early history Prehistory   Dʿmt 980 – 400 BC
Middle Ages Aksum 100 – 940 AD Zagwe dynasty 900–1270 Early Solomonic period 1270–1529 Amda Seyon's Expansions 1314–1344
Early modern history Ethiopian–Adal War 1527–1543 Oromo migrations 1543 – 17th cent. Habesh Eyalet 1557 – 17th cent. Gondarine period 1632–1769 Zemene Mesafint 1769–1855 Ottoman border conflict 1832–1848
Modern history Unification 1855–1913 Menelik's Invasions 1878–1904 First Italo–Ethiopian War 1895–1896 Modernization 1913–1974 World War I 1914–1918 Second Italo–Ethiopian War 1935–1936 Italian East Africa 1936–1941 World War II 1941 Italian guerrilla war 1941–1943 Federation with Eritrea 1952–1962 Eritrean Independence War 1961–1991 Ethiopian Civil War 1974–1991 Ogaden War 1977–1978
Recent history Eritrean–Ethiopian War 1998–2000 Eritrean border conflict 1998–2018 Police massacre 2005 War in Somalia 2006–2009 East Africa drought 2011–2012 Oromo protests 2014–2016 Ethiopian civil conflict 2018–present Tigray War 2020–2022
Topics Economic history Emperor Aristocracy Military Army of the Empire Expansion Currency Aksumite Famines
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The Government of the Ethiopian Empire^[4] was historically based on the framework of absolute monarchy with a feudal system, where religious legitimacy and the wealthier class were generally prone to priority. Societies were characterized by social inequality and opportunities for social mobility through military performance. There are famines, droughts and illegitimate land acquisition from peasants and landowners.

Under Emperor Menelik II, Ethiopia became a centralized state under a multiethnic empire with over 80 ethnic groups despite having Shewan Amhara dominance. Ethiopia was then modernized by Emperor Haile Selassie after his coronation in 1930, bringing two constitutions in 1931 and revisited in 1955 that was a unitary parliamentary system with the legislature divided into the Chamber of Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.