ABSTRACT
A soldier of fortune for whom the end justified the means, when he came to power Susinyos was determined to reform the whole framework of Ethiopia's monarchy and society. Paradoxically he was guided by the wish to re-establish the emperor's authority, stability and law and order in the country. Described as a scholar with a keen mind and a superior intellect, despising the Ethiopian ecclesiastics for their hypocrisy, shallowness and narrowminded-ness, Susinyos considered them a cause of the stagnation of Ethiopia and its decline. Nor could he forgive them the fact that they allied themselves with the nobility, whom he hated, against the Solomonic monarch. On the other hand, he was fascinated by Western power and material culture, but unlike his predecessors he also admired its spiritual qualities. After coming to power, therefore, he became attracted to the Jesuits, their knowledge and teachings and way of life.
