... was born in 1892, the son of Ras Makonnen Woldemikael Gudessa, who was Governor of the Ethiopian province of Harar. Ras Makonnen claimed descent from the royal family of the Amhara people (an ethnic group traditionally inhabiting the northern and central highlands of Ethiopia) through his mother.
According to Wikipedia, the title 'Ras' is equivalent to 'Duke', but is often translated as 'Prince'.
Ethiopian custom is that a person's given name is followed by that of his (or, presumably, her) father, and occasionally that of his paternal grandfather also. Thus Tafari was known as Tafari Makonnen, and sometimes Tafari Makonnen Woldemikael. (His grandfather's given name was Wolde Mikael.)
In 1916, Tafari's cousin Askala Maryam was appointed Empress of Ethiopia, with the regnal name Zewditu; but for political reasons she wasn't allowed to exercise power, and Tafari was appointed regent. He succeeded her as emperor on her death in 1930, taking the regnal name Haile Selassie. This was his Ge'ez name; Ge'ez is the language used in the liturgy of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and Ras Tafari had been given this name at his baptism. It translates as 'Power of the Trinity'.
Haile Selassie's full title in office was "By the Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, King of Kings of Ethiopia, Elect of God". This title reflects Ethiopian dynastic traditions, which hold that all monarchs must trace their lineage to Menelik I, who is traditionally believed to have been the son of King Solomon and Makeda, the Queen of Sheba.
Unlike his predecessor Zewditu, Haile Selassie was a moderniser, believing that Ethiopia needed to open itself to the world in order to survive. His internationalist views led to Ethiopia becoming a charter member of the League of Nations, and his political thought and experience in promoting multilateralism and collective security have proved seminal and enduring. But his regime was criticized by some as autocratic and illiberal; he was also criticised for his suppression of rebellions among the landed aristocracy, which consistently opposed his reforms, as well as what some critics perceived to be Ethiopia's failure to modernize rapidly enough.
Ethiopia was invaded by Fascist Italy in 1935, and occupied by Italy from 1936 to 1941. Haile Selassie appealed to the League of Nations in 1935, delivering an address that made him a worldwide figure, and Time magazine made him its Man of the Year for 1935. Italy faced continued resistance from Ethiopia's mainly rural population, but Haile Selassie fled into exile in London; Mussolini was able to proclaim the Empire of Ethiopia, and the League of Nations recognised the Italian King Vittorio Emanuele III (Victor Emmanuel III) as Emperor.
Following Italy's entry into World War II, British Empire forces combined with armed resistance soldiers to restore the sovereignty of Ethiopia in 1941. An Italian guerrilla campaign continued until 1943, but the United Kingdom recognised Ethiopia's full sovereignty in December 1944.
Opinion within Ethiopia turned against Haile Selassie I following the worldwide oil crisis of 1973. He was deposed in September 1974 by a military coup, and his death was announced in August 1975. The cause of death was officially given as respiratory failure following prostate surgery, but many believe to this day that he was assassinated.
The Rastafarian movement developed in Jamaica in the 1930s, originally among black Christian clergymen. Rastafarians point to Haile Selassie's perceived descent from King Solomon, which means he belongs to the House of David. Many of them refer to him as Jah, regarding him as an incarnation of Jehovah (the God of the Hebrew Bible). Some see Haile Selassie as the Messiah predicted in the Old Testament, or the second coming of Jesus.
For his part, Haile Selassie described himself as a devout Christian. He insisted that he was a man, mortal like other men, and that he would be superseded by the next generation of men.
© Haydn Thompson 2017