View source for GDRT

{{short description|200–230 C.E ruler of the Kingdom of Aksum}}
{{See also|GDRT (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = GDRT
| image        = 
| caption      = 
| image_size   = 
| succession   = [[List of kings of Axum|King of Axum]]
| reign        = {{Circa}}200 – 230
| predecessor  = 
| successor    = [[ʽDBH]]
| issue        = [[BYGT]]
}}
'''GDRT''' (also '''GDR''', vocalized by historians as '''Gadarat''') was a [[List of kings of Aksum|king]] of the [[Kingdom of Aksum]] (c. 200), known for being the first king to involve Aksum in South Arabian affairs. He is known primarily from inscriptions in [[South Arabia]] that mention him and his son '''BYGT''' (also vocalized as "Beyga" or "Beygat"). GDRT has been equated with the anonymous king of the [[Monumentum Adulitanum]] located off the coast of Zula in the ancient settlement of [[Adulis]] located in modern day [[Eritrea]], which would date his reign c. 200 &ndash; c. 230. However, the two rulers are sometimes thought to be distinct.<ref>Identification with the king of Monumentum Adulitanum: Alexander Sima, "GDR(T)", in Siegbert Uhlig, ed., ''[[Encyclopaedia Aethiopica]]: D-Ha'' (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2005), p.719.</ref> Further, the French scholar Christian Robin, studying the inscriptions at [[al-Mis`al]] in Yemen, has shown that GDRT and his successor [[`DBH]] lived in the earlier half of the 3rd century.<ref>Cited in S. C. Munro-Hay, ''Excavations at Aksum: an account of research at the ancient Ethiopian capital directed in 1972-4 by the late Dr Neville Chittick'' (London: British Institute in East Africa, 1989), p. 23</ref> GDRT is also 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]]/Addi-Galamo in northern [[Ethiopia]].<ref>Munro-Hay, Stuart. ''Aksum: an African Civilization of Late Antiquity'' (Edinburgh: University Press, 1991), p. 75</ref>

==Aksumite inscription==

The inscriptions of GDR represent the oldest surviving royal inscriptions in the [[Ge'ez alphabet]].<ref name="Encyc718">Sima "GDR(T)," p.718.</ref> 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,<ref>Rodolfo Fattovich, "Addi Galamo", in Siegbert von Uhlig, ed., ''[[Encyclopaedia Aethiopica]]: A-C'' (Wiesbaden:Harrassowitz Verlag, 2003), p.76; Stuart Munro-Hay, ''Aksum''. pp. 48–50.</ref> 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 western side of the [[Red Sea]]:

:{{Transliteration|mis|gdr / [[Emperor of Ethiopia|ngśy]] / ʾksm / tbʿl / mzlt / lʾrg / wllmq}}<ref name="Encyc718"/>

The Addi Galamo inscription was written on a [[sceptre]] or "boomerang-like object";<ref name="Encyc719">Sima, "GDR(T)," p.719.</ref> the [[Linguistics|linguist]] A.J. Drewes therefore interprets {{Transliteration|mis|mzlt}} as meaning a sceptre or royal emblem. The  inscription's meaning is uncertain, but if {{Transliteration|mis|mzlt}} is taken to mean a sceptre, and {{Transliteration|mis|ʾrg}} and {{Transliteration|mis|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."<ref name="Encyc719"/> 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.<ref>As cited by Stuart Munro-Hay, ''Aksum''. p. 67.</ref>

== South Arabian involvement==
[[Image:GDRTHornR2.png|right|The [[Horn of Africa]] and [[South Arabia]] at the end of GDRT's reign, after the loss of [[Zafar, Yemen|Zafar]].|250px|thumb]]
GDRT is first mentioned in South Arabian inscriptions as an ally of [[`Alhan Nahfan]], king of [[Sabaeans|Saba]], in an inscription at [[Mahram Bilqis|Maḥram Bilqīs]], at [[Ma'rib]] in Yemen, the temple of the [[moon]] god [[Almaqah]] /Ilmuqah.<ref>Munro-Hay, ''Aksum'', pp. 71–2</ref> According to [[Stuart Munro-Hay]], the inscription reads
{{blockquote|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.<ref name="A72">Munro-Hay, Stuart. ''Aksum''. p. 72</ref>}}

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."<ref name="Encyc719"/> Both interpret "Zararan" or "Zrrn" as the name of the palace in Aksum at the time, parallel to "Sahlen," the palace of [[Sabaʾ|Saba]] in [[Marib]].<ref name="Encyc719"/><ref name="A72"/> This Sahlen-Saba parallel, along with the [[Dhu-Raydan]]-[[Himyar|Ḥimyar]] parallel, was often used by Aksumite [[Kings of Axum|kings]] in their inscriptions enumerating the territories under their control. A Ḥimyarite inscription confirms the [[Sabaeans|Sabaean]] text, mentioning that [[Kingdom of Aksum|Aksum]], [[Saba']], [[Hadramaut|Ḥaḑramawt]], and [[Qataban|Qatabān]] were all allied against Ḥimyar.<ref name="Encyc719"/>  `Alhan Nafhan's son [[Sha'r Awtar|Sha`ir Awtar]] or Sha`irum Awtar later abandoned the alliance with GDRT after he became king of Saba'.<ref name="A72"/> However, during the first part of [[Sha'r Awtar|Sha`ir Awtar's]] reign, the two powers seem to have joined in an alliance once again, this time against Ḥaḑramawt.<ref name="Encyc719"/> Saba's invasion of Ḥaḑramawt with Aksumite help culminated in the latter's defeat and the occupation of its capital, Shabwah, in 225. Sha`ir Awtar's attack represented a major shift in policy as, before the attack, the king of [[Hadhramaut|Ḥaḑramawt]], Il`azz Yalut, was married to his sister; he had even helped suppress a revolt against Il`azz Yalut.<ref name="A72" />

Although Saba' was previously allied with [[Kingdom of Aksum|Aksum]] against Ḥimyar, both Ḥimyarite and [[Sabaeans|Sabaean]] troops were used in the attack against Ḥaḑramawt. Immediately following the conquest of Hadramaut, Sha`ir Awtar allied with Ḥimyar against his former ally GDRT.<ref name="A72"/> 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.<ref name="Encyc719"/> Aksum lost a battle as a result of the Saba'-Ḥimyar alliance, allowing the South Arabian forces to expel GDRT's son BYGT and his forces from the [[Himyar|Ḥimyar]]ite capital [[Zafar, Yemen|Zafar]], which had previously been held by Aksum after the Aksum-Ḥaḑramawt-Qatabān-Saba' alliance.<ref name="A72"/> Despite this loss, Aksum still held territory in South Arabia, as evidenced by inscriptions of Luha`atht Yarhum (r. c. 230), which detail at least one known clash with ''[[Habesha|hbšt]]'' troops in Yemen after GDRT's reign.<ref name="A72"/> 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 3rd century was to be dominated by Aksum-Yemeni conflicts.<ref name="Encyc719"/><ref name="A72"/>

== Legacy ==

GDRT was most likely the first [[Kingdom of Aksum|Aksumite]] king to be involved in [[South Arabia]]n affairs, as well as the first known king to be mentioned in South Arabian inscriptions.<ref name="Encyc719"/> His reign resulted in the control of much of western [[Yemen]], such as the [[Tihama|Tihāmah]], [[Najran|Najrā]], [[Ma`afir]], [[Zafar, Yemen|Ẓafār]] (until c. 230), and parts of [[Hashid]] territory around [[Hamir, Yemen|Hamir]] in the northern [[Geography of Yemen|highlands]].<ref name="Encyc719"/> 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.<ref name="A72"/> His involvement would mark the beginning of centuries of Aksumite involvement in [[South Arabia]], culminating with the full-scale invasion of Yemen by [[Kaleb of Axum|King Kaleb]] in 520 (or 525), resulting in the establishment of an [[Kingdom of Aksum|Aksumite]] province covering all of South Arabia.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

GDRT's name may be preserved in Ethiopian tradition through the traditional [[Regnal lists of Ethiopia|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 language|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.<ref name="Encyc719"/> <!-- citation for paragraph - "the short chronicle" in encyc. - confusing; reword if you can --> 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.<ref>Wolfgang Hahn, "Coinage" in ''[[Encyclopaedia Aethiopica]]: A-C'', p.767.</ref>

== See also ==
*[[History of Eritrea]]
*[[History of Ethiopia]]
*[[Kingdom of Aksum]]
*[[List of kings of Axum]]
*[[History of Yemen]]
*[[Sabaeans]]
*[[Himyar]]
*[[Hadhramaut]]

== References ==
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{{Good article}}

[[Category:Kings of Axum]]
[[Category:3rd-century monarchs in Africa]]
[[Category:2nd-century monarchs in Africa]]