On 5 June 1770,
Ras Mikael Sehul was forced to evacuate the city with Emperor
Tekle Haymanot; they marched to
Tigray to suppress several revolts there.
Ras Goshu and
Wand Bewossen entered Gondar 10 June, where they attempted to convince Empress
Mentewab to join them but failed. After waiting several days for
Fasil to fulfill his promise to join them from his headquarters at
Bure in
Gojjam, on the 27th they left Gondar. By the beginning of August, the principal inhabitants of Gondar held a council to select a new Emperor, and
Ras Sanuda's nomination of Susenyos (born Wolde Giyorgis), then 24 years old, was accepted. He was the son of a noble woman who had lost her fortune and made her living by carrying jars of water, while it was rumored that he was the illegitimate son of the deceased ruler
Iyasu II. The Scottish traveller
James Bruce, who was living in the capital city of
Gondar at the time, described him as "a drunkard, a ruffian, and a profligate". Bruce had only one encounter with this ephemeral ruler. On the night of 5 December, in a drunken fit, Susenyos with some confederates left the Imperial palace and plundered several private homes, including the house Bruce was living in at the time. "Every thing that could be carried away was stolen or broken; among which was a reflecting telescope, a barometer, and thermometer; a great many papers and sketches of drawings, [were] first torn then burnt". The next day Bruce was summoned to the palace where he presented himself before Susenyos, who J.M. Reid, in his biography, pointedly notes the "sickening contrast" between the chamber when Bruce waited on Emperor Tekle Haymanot and the presence audience. The audience with Susenyos was a trying experience for Bruce. Susenyos complained that the Scotsman had paid him no attention and demanded gifts from Bruce. Bruce reports that he made a bold reply, at which point "an old man of noble appearance" came forward, whom Bruce identified as
Ras Sanuda, and lectured Susenyos on his behavior, reminding him Bruce "is a friend, not only to the king but to us all: the whole people love him." Susenyos' only response to his advisor was to joke, "You are very angry to-day, Baba." == Deposition==