Ras Makonnen entrusted his relative, Fitorari, to raise Tafari. His relative had a son named "Amru" who was Tafari's age and later became his friend, companion, and one of his close aides. Tafari studied French from a Frenchman who managed the local hospital in Harar. Then he was sent to the Brothers' School and then to the Church School, where he learned Ge'ez and Amharic, and the Psalms of David from the priest "Abba". At the request of Menelik, Tafari left Harar for the first time in his life at the age of ten. He settled in Addis Ababa and after two years was given the title of Dejazmach and then Ras, and he accompanied his father and his other wife, Empress Taytu, in matters of rule and administration, and rose through the ranks of power. The city of Harar also had a future influence on him and represented, to a large extent, a miniature experience of his rule over all of Abyssinia. It was the capital of a conquered province recently added to the empire, and most of its inhabitants were Muslims who spoke languages other than Amharic. Harar generated a large income, all of which went to the Emperor's treasury in Addis Ababa, who oversaw the invasion campaigns of remote provinces to collect taxes. In Harar, Tafari inherited the rule of a minority from the class of rulers and army officers who had become independent and dominated the majority of the province's inhabitants. Makonnen died in 1906, leaving a will bequeathing the rule of his province to his son Tafari. His death was a blow to Menelik, and he had to resolve the issue of Harar's succession. Tafari was still fourteen years old, and Menelik admired Tafari's brother, Yelma, who was in his mid-twenties and had experience in his father's affairs and the administration of his province. Empress Taytu's intervention in his favor strengthened his chances, as Yelma was married to her niece. For Tafari, the sudden death of his father was added to a series of sorrows, and the conflicts and conspiracies he witnessed at that time surrounding the throne had an impact on his entire life and shaped his behavior throughout his reign. Some sources indicate that Tafari's ambition for power began at that time, and he sent a letter to Menelik requesting his father's succession in Harar. It was difficult for Menelik to respond to this request, as Harar was one of the most important provinces of the empire, and its governor had to be experienced in managing the affairs of its diverse population. He also had to be a capable military man and an experienced diplomat who understood the nature of the complex relationship in this region.