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| - In 1450, Emperor Jara Fekadu began centralizing power into his hands to gain greater control over the empire, and keep the ras' of Ethiopia from gaining to much power and toppling him. He ordered the expansion of the empire to the north toward the Red Sea to re-establish Ethiopia's lost naval might when it was known as the Aksumite Empire. In 1452, the emperor ordered the invasion of Adal, taking 750 sq km of land within the first few months. In the process, Jara Fekadu made the tactical decision to send his most rebellious ras' into combat to die in the fighting, thus coming up with the perfect way to gain more power for himself. In 1454, Ethiopia captured Harer, and gained 900 km of lands for themselves in the process. Numerous castles were constructed in the north that same year to dete
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| abstract
| - In 1450, Emperor Jara Fekadu began centralizing power into his hands to gain greater control over the empire, and keep the ras' of Ethiopia from gaining to much power and toppling him. He ordered the expansion of the empire to the north toward the Red Sea to re-establish Ethiopia's lost naval might when it was known as the Aksumite Empire. In 1452, the emperor ordered the invasion of Adal, taking 750 sq km of land within the first few months. In the process, Jara Fekadu made the tactical decision to send his most rebellious ras' into combat to die in the fighting, thus coming up with the perfect way to gain more power for himself. In 1454, Ethiopia captured Harer, and gained 900 km of lands for themselves in the process. Numerous castles were constructed in the north that same year to deter a possible Mamluk invasion from the north. In 1456, Emperor Fekadu authorised the reconstruction of the port city of Massawa, and in the east, gained 1000 km of land. The capture of the Adal capital in 1457 was major blow to the sultanate, and the fleeing of the sultan himself the year before spelled certain doom for the surviving Adal forces. Fekadu ordered the colonization of Eritrea in 1458, with establishment of numerous settlement in the region. However, in the conquered regions of Adal, the emperor orders the mass culling Muslims in those lands, killing of thousands, and sending Imperial officials there to begin overseeing the cultural assimilation of the surviving inhabitants. The empire expands its road system that year, linking important cities such as Massawa to Asmara. In 1461, the Ethiopians battle against the Adal forces once again, this time bringing gunpowder weapons into fight, and slaughtering many of the Adal warriors. Fekadu I ordered the centralization of the economy to better control the spread of wealth, and increase the standard of living for his subjects. In 1462, the imperial armies pushed deeper into Adal, making gains there and spreading Christianity as they went. The Ethiopians set their sights on establishing a second port in Eritrea, and began a second colonization effort to do so. The emperor announces later that year Ethiopia would re-organize its system of trade, and most importantly, begin missionary work to spread the news of the One True Faith to the tribal lands that surrounded the empire. In 1464, the empire introduced cannon purchased from Europe into its armies, and continued the expansion of the road system and schooling in Ethiopia. The war with Adal went well that year, though in 1466, the royal court grew restless with the then 14-year long conflict, and demanded a swift end to the fighting. This resulted in the emperor's request to seek a peaceful end to the war, and begin preparations to marry his eldest daughter off the Adal sultan. That same year, the imperial road system and the education programs in the empire were established, allowing swift movement throughout Ethiopia, and the access of general education for the peasantry. In 1469, the Ethiopians officially ceased their offensive in Adal, and sought the establish Adal as a vassal of the empire. The nearly 20-year conflict was draining Ethiopia's coffers and manpower, and was interfering with the emperor's ability to modernize his nation. Colonization efforts in Eritrea, however, were continuing without halt, with the colonization of 1500 km of land, and establishment of dozens of towns and villages to feed the region's new inhabitants. That same year, the Ethiopians began work on building a navy for the empire, one which they had not had since the age of Axum. In 1471, the empire built a cannon foundry outside the capital city of Gondar, allowing it to produce artillery locally and cheaply. Also, Fekadu finally married his daughter off to the sultan of Adal once she had come of age. In 1473, the Emperor founded the University of Axum, and expanded the empire deeper into Eritrea. The empire continued to expand until 1475, when the Ethiopians amassed a huge army for their invasion of Adal. The Omanis threatened to invade Ethiopian, though the rest of the Caliphate couldn't decide what to do, allowing Ethiopia to establish a naval force the next year. In the last year of his reign, Emperor Fekadu I managed to establish an alliance with the Zulu, linking the two nations through trade.
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