Sarsa Dengel

Sarsa Dengel ሠርጸ ድንግል
Negusa Nagast
"King of Abyssinia" (Sarsa Dengel) based on Portuguese descriptions to a Japanese Momoyama Nanban painter
Emperor of Ethiopia
Reign	1563–1597
Predecessor	Menas
Successor	Yaqob
Born	1550
Died	4 October 1597(1597-10-04) (aged 46–47) Damot
Issue	Yaqob
Regnal name Malak Sagad I
Dynasty	Solomonic dynasty
Father	Menas
Mother	Admas Mogasa
Religion	Ethiopian Orthodox

Sarsa Dengel (Ge'ez: ሠርጸ ድንግል śärṣä dəngəl; 1550 – 4 October 1597), also known as Sarsa the Great, was Emperor of Ethiopia, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty. His throne name was throne name Malak Sagad I (መለክ ሰገድ malak sagad).

Sarsa Dengel, the son of Emperor Menas and Empress Admas Mogasa, was elected king at the age of 14. As ruler, he faced several revolts and moved the empire's center from Shewa to Begemder. Sarsa Dengel fought against the Ottomans, defeating regional ruler Bahr Negus Yeshaq and Adal Sultan Muhammad V. He also repelled the Turkish invaders in Debarwa and Hirgigo. In addition, Sarsa Dengel led campaigns against the Oromo tribes who were migrating northward, successfully pushing them back. Despite his military successes, historians argue that his focus on northern campaigns instead of addressing the Oromo expansion in the south ultimately led to the decline of the Ethiopian Empire.