Marye of Yejju was a Ras of Begemder and Enderase of the Emperor of Ethiopia. He was the brother of his predecessor Ras Yimam. The missionary Samuel Gobat had a low opinion of Marye. He wrote in his journal, "A character worse is attributed to Mariam , cannot be well given to a prince. He does justice to none. Far from punishing a soldier for robbing or killing his companion, he publicly commends him, as a man of courage. It is said that he has ordered all of his soldiers, on enteringOubea's territories, to kill every human being they meet, without distinction of age or sex; threatening with death the soldier, known to have spared a single person in his power." However, Gobat's opinion may have been influenced by a raid Marye's men made on Gondar14 May1830, which he described immediately before this passage.
Life
During the rule of his father, Ras Yejju, Marye challenged his father's authority with an open rebellion; Marye was defeated in battle. After Gugsa's death Marye also challenged the succession of his own brother Yimam by rebelling. Marye had his capital in Debre Tabor, from 1828 to 1831. Upon Meru of Dembiya's death, he was given that warlord's territories in Dembiya, Wegera and Belessa to rule, but he had not held them for very long before Meru's relations came forward with their own claims; the immediate claimants included DejazmachWalde Tekle, who claimed the lands for himself, and Welette Tekle, who claimed them for her son Kinfu. The struggle over control of these territories continued long after Marye's death, eventually involving Empress Menen Liben Amede. Marye's finalmilitary campaign was against RasSabagadis of Agame, who had succeeded Wolda Selassie as the dominant warlord of Tigray. Supported by Wube Haile Maryam of Semien and Goshu of Gojjam, Marye led his army across the Takazze River and defeated Sebagadis at the Battle of Debre Abbay. However, Ras Marye was killed in the battle, and Sebagadis surrendered to Wube. Wube handed the defeated warlord to Ras Marye's Oromo troops, who killed their defeated foe, and ravaged Tigray in revenge for their leader's death.
