What caused the Age of the Princes in Ethiopia?

The Age of the Princes, or Zamana Masafent (1769–1855), was caused by the collapse of the central Ethiopian kingdom due to deep-seated ethnic, regional, and religious factionalism.1

Following a period of cultural productivity under the sponsorship of Empress Mentewwab, these internal divisions undermined the stability of the state. By 1769, the central authority of the monarchy had disintegrated, leading to a period of feudal fragmentation where power shifted from the central court to various regional princes. These leaders vied for control through constant warfare, which devastated the countryside and increased the oppression of the farming population as armies frequently plundered harvests. This era of instability persisted until Kassa Hailu, later crowned Emperor Tewodros II, defeated the regional lords and consolidated power to establish the modern Ethiopian state.1