The Ethiopian-Adal War was a military conflict between the Portuguese-backed Christian Ethiopian Empire and the Ottoman-backed Muslim Adal Sultanate which occurred in Ethiopia from 1529 to 1543. From the 1520s Christian Ethiopia was threatened by Muslim forces led by the sultan of Adal, Ahmed Gran. In 1541, Portuguese soldiers led by Cristovao da Gama arrived to help their fellow Christians. In August 1542 Ahmed defeated the Ethiopians and Portuguese; Cristovao was beheaded. In February 1543 the Ethiopians and Portuguese encountered Ahmed Gran again at Lake Tana. Half of the Portuguese were killed, but Ahmed was shot dead. With this inspired leader gone, the threat to Ethiopia evaporated.
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Portuguese troops in Ethiopia