Ras (title)

Ras (Amharic: ራስ, romanized: ras, lit. 'head' compare with Arabic Rais or Hebrew Rosh), is a royal title in the Ethiopian Semitic languages.^[1] It is one of the powerful non-imperial titles.

Historian Harold G. Marcus equates the Ras title to a duke;^{[citation needed]} others have compared it to "prince".^[2]

The combined title of Leul Ras (Amharic: ልዑል ራስ) was given to the heads of the cadet branches of the Imperial dynasty, such as the Princes of Gojjam, Tigray, Ras Tafari Makonnen and the Selalle sub-branch of the last reigning Shewan Branch, and meaning "Lord of Lords", the highest title of lord.

Historic Ras

• Ras Wolde Selassie (1736 - 1816)
• Ras Sabagadis Woldu (1780 – 1831)
• Ras Alula (1827 – 1897)
• Ras Gobana Dacche (1821 – 1889)
• Ras Mekonnen Wolde Mikael (1852-1906)
• Ras Mengesha Yohannes (1868-1906)
• Ras Araya Selassie Yohannes (1869/70-10 June 1888)
• Ras Sebhat Aregawi (1892-1914)
• Ras Gugsa Welle
• Ras Gugsa Araya Selassie
• Ras Kassa Haile Darge (1881 – 1956)
• Ras Tafari (the latter emperor Haile Selassie, 1892 – 1975)
• Ras Darge Sahle Selassie (1830 – 23 March 1900)
• Ras Abebe Aregai (1903– 1960)
• Ras Wubneh Tessema (1943-1974)

See also

• Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
• Negus

References

1. Haile Selassie, Western Education, and Political Revolution in Ethiopia. Cambria Press. ISBN 9781621969143.
2. E.g., Don Jaide, "An Etymology of the word Ras-Tafari – By Ras Naftali", Rasta Liveware, June 2, 2014; accessed 2019.06.24.