During the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the Christian highland kingdom in Ethiopia faced political instability and attempts at consolidation. King Minas (r. 1559-63) shifted the political center from the Shewan highlands to Lake Tana due to Oromo expansion and Ottoman Turkish incursions. The Ottomans occupied Massawa and Debarwa, and the coastal regions remained under their control for 300 years. Internal conflicts included rebellions by warlords such as Hamelmal and Fasilo, and after King Sertse Dingil’s death in 1597, civil wars among Ya`eqob, Ze Dingil, and Susinyos ensued. Susinyos eventually gained power with Oromo support, but his introduction of Catholicism caused religious controversies. Despite these challenges, the kingdom consolidated power from Dembiya, developed trade, and urbanized. King Susinyos established capitals in Gorgora, Denqez, and Yibaba, setting the stage for Gondar to become the permanent capital around 1636.