ABSTRACT
The endemic weakness of the Ethiopian empire emanated from the fact that throughout the Solomonic period it remained in a mediaeval-feudal state. Its semitised ‘core’, moreover, was not fully united and its rapid expansion contributed to its heterogeneous character. The contradictory interests of the central authority and the military-feudal system of government were the cause of an endless struggle for power between the two. These struggles were polarised by attempts of strong emperors to introduce administrative and military reforms which would undermine the power and jurisdiction of the regional nobility and warlords.
