Haile Selassie: King of Kings, Conquering Lion, and Rastafari Messiah
pplpod · pplpod
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Show Notes
On this episode of pplpod, we dive into the complex life of Haile Selassie I, the last Emperor of Ethiopia and a defining figure of modern African history. Born Tafari Makonnen, he ascended the throne in 1930, adopting the regnal name "Power of the Trinity" and the title "Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah". We examine his role as a global anti-fascist icon who warned the League of Nations against Italian aggression, his years of exile in Bath, England, and his triumphant return to liberate his country during World War II.
Beyond the geopolitics, we discuss Selassie’s dual legacy: a modernizer who abolished slavery and founded the Organisation of African Unity, yet an autocrat whose reign ended in a military coup amidst famine and civil unrest. We also explore the fascinating religious dimension of his life, where he is revered as God incarnate by the Rastafari movement, a belief he neither confirmed nor denied during his lifetime. Finally, we cover the tragic circumstances of his deposition by the Derg regime and his assassination in 1975.