Concept:Internal resistance from powerful provincial rulers blocked Theodore II's ambition to build a strongly unified Ethiopian state.
Explanation:Theodore II wanted to end feudal fragmentation by bringing every Ethiopian province under a single central authority.
His unification drive was chiefly opposed by regional lords and noblemen who enjoyed great autonomy in their domains.
These provincial leaders commanded their own armies, controlled local taxes, and feared losing power under a strong central government.
Their repeated revolts and defiance drained Theodore's military forces and shifted his attention away from broader national reforms.
Foreign colonizers and Sudanese invasions were not the major threats during his reign, nor were religious factions his primary opponents.
The stubborn resistance of these regional elites consumed his resources and ultimately contributed to his downfall in
1868.
Answer:C. Regional lords and noblemen who resisted central authority.