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GDRT

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Ancient History,
Classical History and Mythology

   GDRT (also GDR, vocalized by historians as Gadarat) was a king of the
   Ethiopian Kingdom of Aksum (c. 200), known for being the first king to
   involve Axum in the affairs of what is now Yemen. He is known primarily
   from inscriptions in South Arabia that mention him and his son BYGT
   (also vocalized as "Beyga" or "Beygat"). GDRT is thought to be the same
   person as GDR, the name inscribed on a bronze wand or sceptre that was
   found in an area near Atsbi and Dar'a near Addi Galamo in northern
   Ethiopia. GDRT has been equated with the anonymous king of the
   Monumentum Adulitanum, which would date his reign c. 200 – c. 230;
   however, the two are usually thought to be distinct.

Aksumite inscription

   The inscriptions of GDR represent the oldest surviving royal
   inscriptions in the Ge'ez alphabet. The oldest of these was found at
   Addi Galamo in the regions of Atsbi and Dar'a in eastern Tigray Region
   in northern Ethiopia. The area is rich in pre-Aksumite artifacts, and
   inscriptions of a pre-Aksumite kingdom called Dʿmt have been found in
   the region. The inscription mentioning GDR is the only evidence of his
   existence from the Ethiopian side of the Red Sea:

          gdr / ngśy / ʾksm / tbʿl / mzlt / lʾrg / wllmq

   The Addi Galamo inscription was written on a sceptre or "boomerang-like
   object"; the linguist A.J. Drewes therefore interprets mzlt as meaning
   a sceptre or royal emblem. The inscription's meaning is uncertain, but
   if mzlt is taken to mean a sceptre, and ʾrg and lmq are taken to be
   place names (or sanctuaries), then, according to Alexander Sima, the
   text could mean "GDR, king of Aksum gave (this) sceptre into the
   possession of (the sanctuaries) ʾRG and LMQ." The South Arabian expert
   W.F. Albert Jamme, however, translates the inscription as "GDR king of
   Aksum occupied the passages of `RG and LMQ", or "Gedara, King of Axum
   is humbled before the [gods] Arg and Almouqah," (i.e. Almaqah or
   Ilmuqah), assuming that the ʾ in Ilmuqah was assimilated.

South Arabian involvement

   The Horn of Africa and South Arabia at the end of GDRT's reign, after
   the loss of Zafar.
   Enlarge
   The Horn of Africa and South Arabia at the end of GDRT's reign, after
   the loss of Zafar.

   GDRT is first mentioned in South Arabian inscriptions as an ally of
   `Alhan Nahfan, king of Saba, in an inscription at Mahram Bilqis, at
   Ma'rib in Yemen, the temple of the moon god Ilmuqah. According to
   Stuart Munro-Hay, the inscription reads

          they agreed together that their war and their peace should be in
          unison, against anyone that might rise up against them, and that
          in safety and in security there should be allied together Salhen
          and Zararan and `Alhan and Gadarat.

   Alexander Sima translates the text slightly differently, specifying
   that it was GDRT who "sent a diplomatic mission to [`Ahlan] in order to
   form an alliance." Both interpret "Zararan" or "Zrrn" as the name of
   the palace in Aksum at the time, parallel to "Sahlen," the capital of
   Saba in Marib. This Sahlen-Saba parallel, along with the Dhu-Raydan-
   Himyar parallel, was often used by Aksumite kings in their inscriptions
   enumerating the territories under their control. A Himyarite
   inscription confirms the Sabaean text, mentioning that Aksum, Saba',
   Hadramaut, and Qataban were all allied against Himyar. `Alhan Nafhan's
   son Sha`ir Awtar or Sha`irum Awtar later abandoned the alliance with
   GDRT after he became king of Saba. However, during the first part of
   Sha`ir Awtar's reign, the two powers seem to have joined in an alliance
   once again, this time against Hadramaut. Saba's invasion of Hadramaut
   with Aksumite help culminated in the latter's defeat and the occupation
   of its capital, Shabwa, in 225. Sha`ir Awtar's attack represented a
   major shift in policy as, before the attack, the king of Hadhramaut,
   Il`azz Yalut, was married to his sister; he had even helped suppress a
   revolt against Il`azz Yalut.

   Although Saba' was previously allied with Aksum against Himyar, both
   Himyarite and Sabaean troops were used in the attack against Hadramaut.
   Immediately following the conquest of Hadramaut, Sha`ir Awtar allied
   with Himyar against his former ally GDRT. A second Sabaean inscription
   from the sanctuary 'Awam in Marib during the reign of Sha`ir Awtar's
   successor, Luha`atht Yarhum, describes events in the latter part of his
   predecessor's reign. The inscription tells of a diplomatic mission sent
   by Sha`ir Awtar to GDRT, the results of which are unknown; however, the
   text later goes on to describe a war between Saba and Aksum in the
   southern highlands of Yemen, implying that the negotiations were
   futile. Aksum lost a battle as a result of the Saba'-Himyar alliance,
   allowing the South Arabian forces to expel GDRT's son BYGT and his
   forces from the Himyarite capital Zafar, which had previously been held
   by Aksum after the Aksum-Hadramaut-Qataban-Saba alliance. Despite this
   loss, Aksum still held territory in South Arabia, as evidenced by
   inscriptions of Luha`atht Yarhum (r. ca. 230), which detail at least
   one known clash with hbšt troops in Yemen after GDRT's reign. Peace may
   have been established after GDRT's death, but war and Aksumite
   involvement was renewed under his successors such as `DBH and GRMT, and
   the whole third century was to be dominated by Ethio-Yemeni conflicts.

Legacy

   GDRT was most likely the first Aksumite king to be involved in South
   Arabian affairs, as well as the first known king to be mentioned in
   South Arabian inscriptions. His reign resulted in the control of much
   of western Yemen, such as the Tihama, Najran, Ma`afir, Zafar (until c.
   230), and parts of Hashid territory around Hamir in the northern
   highlands. Furthermore, GDRT's military alliances and his conquests in
   Yemen and Saudi Arabia, the required formidable fleet for such feats,
   and the extension of Aksumite influence throughout Yemen and southern
   Saudi Arabia all reflect a new zenith in Aksumite power. His
   involvement would mark the beginning of centuries of Aksumite
   involvement in South Arabia, culminating with the full-scale invasion
   of Yemen by King Kaleb in 520 (or 525), resulting in the establishment
   of an Aksumite province covering all of South Arabia.

   GDRT's name may be preserved in Ethiopian tradition through the
   traditional king lists, as what seem to be variants of his name crop up
   in three of them. Gədur is listed as the third king in list C, Zegduru
   (ze meaning 'of' in Ge'ez) appears as the sixth in list E, and Zegdur
   appears as the third in list B, after the legendary Menelik I. Zegdur
   also is mentioned in at least one hagiography and short chronicle. The
   king lists were composed centuries after the fall of the Aksumite
   kingdom, however, and generally do not agree with archaeological
   records except when concerning famous kings.

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