In 1450, Emperor Jara Fekadu began centralizing power into his hands to gain greater control over the empire, and keep the ras' of Ethiopia from gaining to much power and toppling him. He ordered the expansion of the empire to the north toward the Red Sea to re-establish Ethiopia's lost naval might when it was known as the Aksumite Empire. In 1452, the emperor ordered the invasion of Adal, taking 750 sq km of land within the first few months. In the process, Jara Fekadu made the tactical decision to send his most rebellious ras' into combat to die in the fighting, thus coming up with the perfect way to gain more power for himself. In 1454, Ethiopia captured Harer, and gained 900 km of lands for themselves in the process. Numerous castles were constructed in the north that same year to dete