How was Eritrea’s central highland region governed under Ethiopian kingdoms?

Eritrea’s central highland region, historically known as the mereb melash ("land beyond the Mereb River"), served as the northern frontier for Ethiopian kingdoms, including those under the Zagwe and Solomonid dynasties.12

This region was governed by an official titled the bahr negash ("lord of the sea"). However, central crown control over the area was never firm and weakened further as the seat of Ethiopian power shifted southward to Gonder and Shewa. Consequently, the highlands eventually functioned as a vassal fiefdom under the lords of Tigray, who maintained a strained relationship with the dominant Amhara branch of the Ethiopian ruling family.12