British Expedition to Abyssinia British Expedition to Abyssinia The British Expedition to Abyssinia was a rescue mission and punitive expedition carried out in 1868 by the armed forces of the British Empire against the Ethiopian Empire. Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia, then often referred to by the anglicized name Theodore, imprisoned several missionaries and two representatives of the British government in an attempt to get the attention of the British government, which had decided against his requests for military assistance. The punitive expedition launched by the British in response required the transportation of a sizable military force hundreds of miles across mountainous terrain lacking
Migration to Abyssinia taken place in a number of smaller groups rather than two large parties, while the appearance of the two lists reflected the controversies surrounding assignment of priority on official registers during the reign of the second caliph Umar. Events that took place after the emigration are reported by Ibn Ishaq. When the Quraysh learned that Muhammad's companions could safely practice their religion in Abyssinia, they decided to send an embassy to the Negus to demand return of the fugitives. They selected two envoys, ‘Amr ibn al-‘As and Abdullah bin Rabiah, and gave them gifts for the king and his generals.