fbpx
Wikipedia

Ethiopian Empire

The Ethiopian Empire (Ge'ez: መንግሥተ ኢትዮጵያ, romanized: Mängəstä Ityop'p'ya, lit.'Government of Ethiopia'), also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia, or just simply known as Ethiopia (/ˌθiˈpiə/; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ ʾĪtyōṗṗyā, listen , Oromo: Itoophiyaa, Somali: Itoobiya, Afar: Itiyoophiyaa),[14] was an empire that historically spanned the geographical area of present-day Ethiopia and Eritrea from the establishment of the Solomonic dynasty by Yekuno Amlak approximately in 1270 until the 1974 coup d'etat of Emperor Haile Selassie by the Derg. By 1896, the Empire incorporated other regions such as Hararghe, Gurage and Wolayita,[15] and saw its largest expansion with the federation of Eritrea in 1952. Throughout much of its existence, it was surrounded by hostile forces in the African Horn; however, it managed to develop and preserve a kingdom based on its ancient form of Christianity.[16]

Ethiopian Empire
መንግሥተ ኢትዮጵያ (Ge'ez)
Mängəstä Ityop'p'ya
1270–1974
1936–1941: Government-in-exile
Motto: ኢትዮጵያ ታበፅዕ እደዊሃ ሃበ እግዚአብሐር
Ityopia tabetsih edewiha habe Igziabiher (English: "Ethiopia Stretches Her Hands unto God")
("Ethiopia Stretches Her Hands unto God") (Psalm 68:31)
Anthem: 
"ኢትዮጵያ ሆይ ደስ ይበልሽ"
(English: "Ethiopia, Be happy")
The Ethiopian Empire boundaries in 1952
The location of the Ethiopian Empire during the reign of Yohannes IV (dark orange) compared with modern day Ethiopia (orange)
CapitalNumerous[note 1] (1270–1635)
Gondar (1635–1855)
Magdala (1855–1868)
Mekelle (1871–1889)
Addis Ababa (1889–1974)
Common languagesAmharic (dynastic, official, court)[2][3]
Ge’ez (liturgical language, literature)
many others
Religion
Demonym(s)Endonym: Ethiopian Exonym: Abyssinian
GovernmentAbsolute monarchy (1270–1931)[4]
Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1931–1974)
Emperor 
• 1270–1285 (first)
Yekuno Amlak[5]
• 1930–1974 (last)
Haile Selassie
Prime Minister 
• 1909–1927 (first)
Habte Giyorgis
• 1974 (last)
Mikael Imru
LegislatureNone (rule by decree)
(until 1931)
Parliament
(1931–1974)[6]
Senate
(1931–1974)
Chamber of Deputies
(1931–1974)
Historical eraMiddle Ages to Cold War
1270
1314–1344
1529–1543
1632–1769
1769–1855
1878–1904
1895–1896
16 July 1931
3 October 1935
5 May 1941
• Coup d'état by the Derg
12 September 1974
21 March 1975[7][8][9][10]
Currency

Founded in 1270 by the Solomonic Dynasty nobleman Yekuno Amlak, who claimed to descend from the last Aksumite king and ultimately the Biblical Menelik I and the Queen of Sheba, it replaced the Agaw kingdom of the Zagwe. While initially a rather small and politically unstable entity, the Empire managed to expand significantly under the crusades of Amda Seyon I (1314–1344) and Yeshaq I (1414–1429), temporarily becoming the dominant force of the African Horn.[17] Yeshaq's reign was however challenged by Sultan Jamal ad-Din II which led to Yeshaq's death.[18] Under the rule of Zara Yaqob (1434–1468), the Hadiya Sultanate was invaded by Ethiopia and the captured Hadiya princess Eleni converted to Christianity leading to her marriage to Zara Yacob.[19][20] Muslims in the region as well as Adal Sultanate rejected the marriage alliance and repeatedly invaded Ethiopia, finally succeeding under Imam Mahfuz.[21] Mahfuz's ambush and defeat by Emperor Lebna Dengel brought about the early 16th-century Jihad of the Adalite Imam Ahmed Gran, who was only defeated in 1543 with the help of the Portuguese.[22] Greatly weakened, much of the Empire's southern territory and vassals were lost due to the Oromo migrations. In the north, in what is now Eritrea, Ethiopia managed to repulse Ottoman invasion attempts, although losing its access to the Red Sea to them.[23]

Reacting to these challenges, in the 1630s Emperor Fasilides founded the new capital of Gondar, marking the start of a new golden age known as the Gondarine period. It saw relative peace, the successful integration of the Oromo and a flourishing of culture. With the deaths of Emperor Iyasu II (1755) and Iyoas I (1769) the realm eventually entered a period of decentralization, known as the "Era of the Princes." Regional warlords fought for power, with the Emperor being a mere puppet.

Emperor Tewodros II (r. 1855–1868) put an end to that state, reunified the Empire and led it into the modern period before dying during the British Expedition to Abyssinia. His successor Yohannes IV engaged primarily in war and successfully fought the Egyptians and Mahdists before dying against the latter in 1889. Emperor Menelik II, now residing in Addis Ababa, subjugated many peoples and kingdoms in what is now western, southern, and eastern Ethiopia, like Kaffa, Welayta, Aussa, and the Oromos. Thus, by 1898 Ethiopia expanded into its modern territorial boundaries. In the north, he was confronted with an expanding Italy. Decisively defeating it at the Battle of Adwa in 1896 using imported modern weapons, Menelik ensured Ethiopia's independence and confined Italy to Eritrea.

Later, after the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, Mussolini's Italian Empire occupied Ethiopia and established the Italian East Africa, merging it with neighboring Eritrea and Italian Somaliland colony to the south-east. After World War II, the Italians were driven out of Ethiopia with the help of the British army. The Emperor returned from exile and the country was one of the founding members of the United Nations, and in 1962 annexed Eritrea. However, the 1973 Wollo famine and domestic discontent led to the fall of the Empire in 1974.[citation needed]

By 1974, Ethiopia was one of only three countries in the world to have the title of Emperor for its head of state, together with Japan and Iran. It was the second-to-last country in Africa to use the title of Emperor, as after it came the short-lived Central African Empire, which lasted between 1976 and 1979 under Emperor Bokassa I.[24]

History

Background

D'mt and Aksum

 
An Axumite jar spout
 
Kingdom of Axum at its full extent

Human occupation in Ethiopia began early, as evidenced by the findings[which?]. According to the Kebra Nagast, Menelik I founded the Ethiopian empire in the 10th century BC. In the 4th century, under King Ezana of Axum, the kingdom adopted Christianity as the state religion that evolved into the Orthodox Tewahedo (Ethiopian Orthodox and Eritrean Orthodox) denominational Church. It was thus one of the first Christian states.[25]

After the conquest of Aksum by Queen Gudit (or Yodit), a period began which some scholars refer to as the Ethiopian Dark Ages.[25] According to Ethiopian tradition, she ruled over the remains of the Aksumite Empire for 40 years before transmitting the crown to her descendants.[25] Gudit's origin has been extensively debated. Scholars debate whether she was a Jew, an Agaw, a Beja, and an enslaved servant of an Aksumite emperor who wanted to lead pagans against Christianity. Others argued that she was from the Sultanate of Showa and a daughter of the king of Lasta, situated in Bugna. The Italian scholar Carlo Conti Rossini described her as a Bani al-Hamwiyah, while another source pointed to the Sidama people in the area called Sasu, probably south of the Blue Nile, where Aksumite rulers also obtained caravans for commodities of gold and coin, which are thought the main motive for Gudit's raid.[26]

Makhzumi and Zagwe dynasties

The earliest Muslim state in Ethiopia, the Makhzumi dynasty with its capital in Wahal, Hararghe region succeeds Queen Yodit.[27] The Zagwe kingdom, another dynasty with its capital at Adafa, emerged not far from modern day Lalibela in the Lasta mountains.[28] The Zagwe continued the Orthodox Christianity of Aksum and constructed many rock-hewn churches such as the Church of Saint George in Lalibela. The dynasty would last until its overthrow by a new regime claiming descent from the old Aksumite kings.

Solomonic dynasty and Ifat Sultanate

 
Contemporary portrait of Yekuno Amlak, founder of the Ethiopian empire

An unholy alliance between Muslim and Christian states had occurred in this period.[29] In 1270, the Zagwe dynasty was overthrown by a rebel named Yekuno Amlak claiming lineage from the Aksumite kings and, hence, from Solomon. Yekuno Amlak successfully received massive aid from the Muslim Sultanate of Shewa against Zagwe.[30][28] The eponymously named Solomonic dynasty was founded and ruled by the Abyssinians, from whom Abyssinia gets its name. In 1279 the deposed Sultan of Shewa Dil Marrah successfully appealed to Yekuno Amlak to restore his rule, however it wouldn't last long, because its renegade province Ifat would eventually invade it and create the Ifat Sultanate.[31][32] During the Ifat Sultanate, Muslim relations with the Solomonic dynasty soured. In the 14th century Emperor Amda Seyon would invade Ifat and essentially dismantle it as a regional power.[33] Ifat's descendants would return to the Horn of Africa and launch a powerful regional state, the Adal Sultanate.[34]

Adal Sultanate invasion

In 1529, the Adal Sultanate's forces led by Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi invaded the Ethiopian Empire in what is known as the Ethiopian–Adal war. The Adal occupation lasted fourteen years. During the conflict, the Adal Sultanate employed cannons provided by the Ottoman Empire. In the aftermath of the war, Adal annexed Ethiopia, uniting it with territories in what is now Somalia. In 1543, with the help of the Portuguese Empire, the Solomonic dynasty was restored.

 
Abyssinian King Yagbea-Sion and his forces (left) battling the Sultan of Adal and his troops (Le Livre des Merveilles, 15th century)

Early modern period

In 1543, Emperor Gelawdewos beat Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi armies and Ahmad himself was killed at the Battle of Wayna Daga, close to Wegera. This victory allowed the empire to reconquer progressively the Ethiopian Highlands.[35] In 1559 Gelawdewos was killed attempting to invade Adal Sultanate at the Battle of Fatagar, and his severed head was paraded in Adal's capital Harar.[36]

 
Dawit II of Ethiopia (Lebna Dengel), Emperor of Ethiopia (nəgusä Nagast) and member of the Solomonic dynasty

The Ottoman Empire made another attempt at conquering Ethiopia, from 1557, establishing Habesh Eyalet, the province of Abyssinia, by conquering Massawa, the Empire's main port and seizing Suakin from the allied Funj Sultanate in what is now Sudan. In 1573 Sultanate of Harar attempted to invade Ethiopia again however Sarsa Dengel successfully defended the Ethiopian frontier.[37]

The Ottomans were checked by Emperor Sarsa Dengel's victory and sacking of Arqiqo in 1589, thus containing them on a narrow coastline strip. The Afar Sultanate maintained the remaining Ethiopian port on the Red Sea, at Baylul.[38]

Oromo migrations through the same period, occurred with the movement of a large pastoral population from the southeastern provinces of the Empire. A contemporary account was recorded by the monk Abba Bahrey, from the Gamo region. Subsequently, the empire organization changed progressively, with faraway provinces taking more independence. A remote province such as Bale is last recorded paying tribute to the imperial throne during Yaqob reign (1590-1607).[39]

The reign of Iyasu the Great (1682-1706) was a major period of consolidation. It also saw the dispatching of embassies to Louis XIV's France and to Dutch India. The Early Modern period was one of intense cultural and artistic creation. Notable philosophers from that area are Zera Yacob and Walda Heywat. The city of Gondar became the capital in 1636, with several fortified castles built in the town and in its surrounding areas. After the death of Iyasu I the empire fell into a period of political turmoil.

Zemene Mesafint

 
Emperor Tewodros II's rise to the throne marked the end of the Zemene Mesafint.

From 1769 to 1855, the Ethiopian empire passed through a period known as the Princes Era (in Amharic: Zemene Mesafint). This was a period of Ethiopian history with numerous conflicts between the various Ras (equivalent to the English dukes) and the Emperor, who had only limited power and only dominated the area around the contemporary capital of Gondar. Both the development of society and culture stagnated in this period. Religious conflict, both within the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and between them and the Muslims were often used as a pretext for mutual strife. The Princes Era ended with the reign of Emperor Tewodros II.

Modern era

In 1868, following the imprisonment of several missionaries and representatives of the British government, the British engaged in the punitive Expedition to Abyssinia. This campaign was a success for Britain and the Ethiopian Emperor committed suicide.

From 1874 to 1876, the Empire expanded into Eritrea, under Yohannes IV King of Tembien, whose forces led by Ras Alula won the Ethiopian-Egyptian War, decisively beating the Egyptian forces at the Battle of Gundet, in Hamasien. In 1887 Menelik king of Shewa invaded the Emirate of Harar after his victory at the Battle of Chelenqo.[40]

The 1880s were marked by the Scramble for Africa. Italy, seeking a colonial presence in Africa, was awarded Eritrea by Britain which led to the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1887–1889 and the scramble for Eritrea's coastal regions between King Yohannes IV of Tembien and Italy. After the death of Emperor Yohannes IV, Italy signed a treaty with Shewa (an autonomous kingdom within the empire), creating the protectorate of Abyssinia.

 
Menelik II observes the Battle of Adwa against the Italian army in 1896. Le Petit Journal, 1898.

Due to significant differences between the Italian and Amharic translations of the treaty, Italy believed they had subsumed Ethiopia as a protectorate, while Menelik II of Shewa repudiated the protectorate status in 1893. Insulted, Italy declared war on Ethiopia in 1895. The First Italo-Ethiopian War resulted in the 1896 Battle of Adwa, in which Italy was decisively defeated, as the Ethiopians were numerically superior, better equipped and supported by Russia and France. As a result, the Treaty of Addis Ababa was signed in October, which strictly delineated the borders of Eritrea and forced Italy to recognize the independence of Ethiopia.

Beginning in the 1890s, under the reign of the Emperor Menelik II, the empire's forces set off from the central province of Shoa to incorporate through conquest inhabited lands to the west, east and south of its realm.[41] The territories that were annexed included those of the western Oromo (non-Shoan Oromo), Sidama, Gurage, Wolayta,[42] and Dizi.[43] Among the imperial troops was Ras Gobena's Shewan Oromo militia. Many of the lands that they annexed had never been under the empire's rule, with the newly incorporated territories resulting in the modern borders of Ethiopia.[44]

Delegations from the United Kingdom and France – European powers whose colonial possessions lay next to Ethiopia – soon arrived in the Ethiopian capital to negotiate their own treaties with this newly-proven power.

Italian invasion and World War II

 
The Emperor's palace, 1934

In 1935 Italian soldiers, commanded by Marshal Emilio De Bono, invaded Ethiopia in what is known as the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. The war lasted seven months before an Italian victory was declared. The Ethiopian Empire was incorporated into the Italian colony of Italian East Africa. The invasion was condemned by the League of Nations, though not much was done to end the hostility.

During the conflict, both Ethiopian and Italian troops committed war crimes. Ethiopian troops are known to have made use of Dum-Dum bullets (in violation of the Hague Conventions) and mutilated captured soldiers (often with castration).[45] Italian troops used sulfur mustard in chemical warfare, ignoring the Geneva Protocol that it had signed seven years earlier. The Italian military dropped mustard gas in bombs, sprayed it from airplanes and spread it in powdered form on the ground. 150,000 chemical casualties were reported, mostly from mustard gas. In the aftermath of the war Italy annexed Ethiopia, uniting it with Italy's other colonies in eastern Africa to form the new colony of Italian East Africa, and Victor Emmanuel III of Italy adopted the title "Emperor of Abyssinia".

On 10 June 1940, Italy declared war on the United Kingdom and France, as France was in the process of being conquered by Nazi Germany at the time and Benito Mussolini wished to expand Italy's colonial holdings. The Italian conquest of British Somaliland in August 1940 was successful, but the war turned against Italy afterward. Haile Selassie returned to Ethiopia from England to help rally the resistance. The British began their own invasion in January 1941 with the help of Ethiopian freedom fighters, and the last organized Italian resistance in Italian East Africa surrendered in November 1941, ending Italian rule.

Annexation of Eritrea

At the request of Emperor Haile Selassie and the auspices of the newly formed United Nations led by Britain and the United States, the British Military Administration in Eritrea was federated with Ethiopia in 1952 by UN Resolution 390 (A). After fierce resistance, and the start of an armed rebellion in Eritrea, the Emperor decided to end the federation in 1962 and annexed Eritrea into a province of Ethiopia. The Eritrean war for independence caused a string of events that led to the end of the empire in 1974 and the toppling of the Derg government in 1991, resulting in the independence of Eritrea by the Eritrean People's Liberation Front.

Fall of monarchy

 
Haile Selassie was the last Emperor of the Ethiopian Empire.

The government's failure to adequately respond to the 1973 Wollo famine, the growing discontent of urban interest groups, and high fuel prices due to the 1973 oil crisis led to a revolt in February 1974 by the army and civilian populace. In June, a group of military officers formed the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army also known as the Derg to maintain law and order due to the powerlessness of the civilian government following the widespread mutiny.

In July, Emperor Haile Selassie gave the Derg key concessions to arrest military and government officials at every level. Soon both former Prime Ministers Tsehafi Taezaz Aklilu Habte-Wold and Endelkachew Makonnen, along with most of their cabinets, most regional governors, many senior military officers and officials of the Imperial court were imprisoned. In August, after a proposed constitution creating a constitutional monarchy was presented to the Emperor, the Derg began a program of dismantling the imperial government to forestall further developments in that direction. The Derg deposed and imprisoned the Emperor on 12 September 1974 and chose Lieutenant General Aman Andom, a popular military leader and a Sandhurst graduate, to be acting head of state. This was pending the return of Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen from medical treatment in Europe when he would assume the throne as a constitutional monarch. However, General Aman Andom quarrelled with the radical elements in the Derg over the issue of a new military offensive in Eritrea and their proposal to execute the high officials of Selassie's former government. After eliminating units loyal to him: the Engineers, the Imperial Bodyguard and the Air Force, the Derg removed General Aman from power and executed him on 23 November 1974, along with some of his supporters and 60 officials of the previous Imperial government.[46]

Brigadier General Tafari Benti became the new chairman of the Derg and the head of state. The monarchy was formally abolished in March 1975, and Marxism-Leninism was proclaimed the new ideology of the state. Emperor Haile Selassie died under mysterious circumstances on 27 August 1975 while his personal physician was absent. It is commonly believed that Mengistu Haile Mariam killed him, either by ordering it done or by his own hand although the former is more possible.[47]

Society

According to Bahrey,[48] there were ten social groups in the feudal Ethiopia of his time, i.e. at the end of the 16th century. These social groups consisted of the monks; the debtera; lay officials (including judges); men at arms giving personal protection to the wives of dignitaries and to princesses; the shimaglle, who were the lords and hereditary landowners; their farm labourers or serfs; traders; artisans; wandering singers; and the soldiers, who were called chewa. According to modern thinking, some of these categories are not true classes. But at least the shimaglle, the serfs, the chewa, the artisans and the traders constitute definite classes. Power was vested in the Emperor and those aristocrats he appointed to execute his power, and the power enforcing instrument consisted of a class of soldiers, the chewa.[49]

Military

From the reign of Amde Tseyon, Chewa regiments, or legions, formed the backbone of the Empire military forces. The Ge’ez term for these regiments is ṣewa (ጼዋ) while the Amharic term is č̣äwa (ጨዋ). The normal size of a regiment was several thousand men.[50] Each regiment was allocated a fief (Gult), to ensure its upkeep ensured by the land revenue.[51]

In 1445, following the Battle of Gomit, the chronicles record that Emperor Zara Yaqob started garrisoning the provinces with Chewa regiments.

Name of regiment[52] Region Translation
Bäṣär waǧät Serae, Dawaro, Menz, Gamo Enemy of the waǧät
Ǧan amora Dobe’a, Tselemt, Gedem Eagle of the majesty
č̣äwa Bale Bale
č̣äwa Maya Bahir Negash
Bäṣur amora Gamo Spear of the eagle
Bäṣär šotäl Damot Spear of the foe

Major divisions of the military were :

  • Regiments at the court, under high court officials
  • Regiments in the provinces, under regional Rases or other officials
  • Regiments in border regions, or more autonomous provinces, such as Hadiya, Bahir Negash, Bale, under azmač who were military officials appointed by the king.[53]

One of the Chewa regiments, known as the Abe Lahm in Geez, or the Weregenu, in Oromo, lasted, and participated to the Battle of Adwa, only to be phased out in the 1920s.[54]

The modern army was created under Ras Tafari Makonnen, in 1917, with the formation of the Kebur Zabagna, the imperial guard.

Economy

 
Bank of Abyssinia in 1934

The economy consisted of centuries old barter system with "primitive money" and currency of various kinds until 20th century in the framework of feudal system.[55][56] Peasants worked to produce and fixated their activities to taxation, marketing infrastructure and agrarian production.[57][58]

In 1905, Menelik II established the first bank, Bank of Abyssinia following concession from British occupied National Bank of Egypt in December 1904, that used to monopolize all government public funds, loans, print banknotes, mint coins and other privileges.[59] It expanded branches to Harar, Dire Dawa, Gore and Dembidolo and agencies in Gambela and transit office in Djibouti.[60] In 1932, it was renamed as "Bank of Ethiopia" following paid compensation by Emperor Haile Selassie. To promote industrial and manufacturing expansion, Haile Selassie, with assistance of National Economic Council, embarked development plan encompassing three Five-Years Master Plan from 1957 to 1974.[61][62][63] Between 1960 and 1970, Ethiopia enjoyed an annual 4.4% growth rate in per capita and growth domestic product (GDP). There was an increase of manufacturing growth rate from 1.9% in 1960/61 to 4.4% in 1973/74, with wholesale, retail trade, transportation, and communication sectors increased from 9.5% to 15.6%.[64]

Government

As feudalism became the central tenet in the Ethiopian Empire, it developed into an authoritarian system with institutionalized social inequality. As land became the prime commodity, its acquisition became the main driving force behind imperialism, especially from the reign of Menelik II onwards.[65]

As part of Emperor Haile Selassie's modernization efforts, the traditional monarchical regime was reformed through the introduction of the 1931 and 1955 constitutions, which introduced an unitary parliamentary system with two legislative bodies: the Chamber of Senate (Yeheggue Mewossegna Meker Beth) and Chamber of Deputies (Yeheggue Memeriya Meker Beth).[66][67] Under the 1956 constitution Article 56, no one can be simultaneously a member of both chambers, who meet at the beginning or ending of each session.[68]

In the parliamentary structure, the Chamber of Deputies consisted of 250 members elected every four years, whereas the Senate consisted of one-half of the Deputies (125) and were appointed by the Emperor in every six years.[69]

See also

References

  1. ^ The old tradition of the Ethiopian emperors was travelling around their possessions, living off the produce of peasants, and dwelling in tents. Despite this several Ethiopian rulers had attempted to establish fixed capitals such as Tegulet, Debre Berhan and Barara.[1]
  1. ^ Pankhurst, Richard (2009). "Barara, the Royal City of 15th and Early 16th Century (Ethiopia). Medieval and Other Early Settlements Between Wechecha Range and Mt Yerer". Annales d'Éthiopie. 24 (1): 209–249. doi:10.3406/ethio.2009.1394.
  2. ^ The Southern Marches of Imperial Ethiopia: Essays in History and Social Anthropology, Donham Donald Donham, Lecturer in Social Anthropology Wendy James, Dr, PhD, Former Senior Lecturer in Mathematics Christopher Clapham, Patrick Manning CUP Archive, Sep 4, 1986, p. 11, https://books.google.com/books?id=dvk8AAAAIAAJ&q=Lisane+amharic#v=snippet&q=Lisane%20amharic&f=false 28 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia, Paul B. Henze, November 18th 2008, p. 78, https://books.google.com/books?id=3VYBDgAAQBAJ&q=Lisane#v=snippet&q=Lisane&f=false 28 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Nathaniel T. Kenney (1965). "Ethiopian Adventure". National Geographic. 127: 555.
  5. ^ Negash, Tekeste (2006). "The Zagwe Period and the Zenith of Urban Culture in Ethiopia, Ca. 930-1270 Ad". Africa: Rivista Trimestrale di Studi e Documentazione dell'istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente. 61 (1): 120–137. JSTOR 40761842.
  6. ^ Constitution of Ethiopia, 4 November 1955, Article 76 (source: Constitutions of Nations: Volume I, Africa by Amos Jenkins Peaslee)
  7. ^ "Ethiopia Ends 3,000 Year Monarchy". Milwaukee Sentinel. 22 March 1975. p. 3.
  8. ^ "Ethiopia ends old monarchy". The Day. 22 March 1975. p. 7.
  9. ^ Henc van Maarseveen; Ger van der Tang (1978). Written Constitutions: A Computerized Comparative Study. Brill. p. 47.
  10. ^ "Ethiopia". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 1987.
  11. ^ The Royal Chronicle of his reign is translated in part by Richard K. P. Pankhurst, The Ethiopian Royal Chronicles (Addis Ababa: Oxford University Press, 1967).
  12. ^ Markessini, Joan (2012). Around the World of Orthodox Christianity - Five Hundred Million Strong: The Unifying Aesthetic Beauty. Dorrance Publishing. ISBN 9781434914866.
  13. ^ Morgan, Giles (2017). St George: The patron saint of England. Oldcastle Books. ISBN 978-1843449676.
  14. ^ E. A. Wallis Budge (1 August 2014). A History of Ethiopia: Volume I: Nubia and Abyssinia. Routledge. p. 7. ISBN 9781317649151.
  15. ^ International Crisis Group, "Ethnic Federalism and its Discontents". Issue 153 of ICG Africa report (4 September 2009) p. 2.
  16. ^ Hathaway, Jane (30 August 2018). The Chief Eunuch of the Ottoman Harem: From African Slave to Power-Broker. Cambridge University Press. p. 26. ISBN 9781107108295.
  17. ^ Barsbay. Encyclopedia Aethiopica.
  18. ^ Burton, Richard. Ethiopian Borderlands. p. 58.
  19. ^ Erlikh, Hagai (2000). The Nile Histories, Cultures, Myths. Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 41. ISBN 9781555876722.
  20. ^ Hassen, Mohammed. Oromo of Ethiopia with special emphasis on the Gibe region (PDF). University of London. p. 22.
  21. ^ The Cambridge History of Africa, Volume 3. Cambridge University Press. 1975. p. 167. ISBN 9780521209816.
  22. ^ "Adal". Encyclopædia Britannica.
  23. ^ Pankhurst, History, p. 70; Özbaran, 87
  24. ^ Lentz, Harris M. (1994), Heads of States and Governments: A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Over 2,300 Leaders, 1945 through 1992, Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, ISBN 0-89950-926-6, OCLC 30075961
  25. ^ a b c Adekumobi (2007), p. 10
  26. ^ Henze, Paul B. (2000). Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia. Hurst & Company. ISBN 978-1-85065-393-6.
  27. ^ Braukhaper, Ulrich (2002). Islamic History and Culture in Southern Ethiopia: Collected Essays. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 21. ISBN 9783825856717. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  28. ^ a b Pankhurst (2001), p. 45
  29. ^ Levine, Donald. Greater Ethiopia. University of Chicago Press. p. 73.
  30. ^ Oromo of Ethiopia with special emphasis on the Gibe region (PDF). University of London. p. 4.
  31. ^ Selassie, Sergew Hable (1972). Ancient and Medieval Ethiopian History to 1270. p. 290.
  32. ^ Nehemia Levtzion, Randall Pouwels The History of Islam in Africa - Google Books" Ohio University Press, 2000. p. 228.
  33. ^ UNESCO General History of Africa. University of California Press. 3 November 1992. p. 283. ISBN 9780520066984.
  34. ^ Mohammed, Abdul Kader (2013). The Saho of Eritrea: Ethnic Identity and National Consciousness. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 170. ISBN 9783643903327.
  35. ^ Richard Pankhurst, The Ethiopian Borderlands (Trenton: Red Sea Press, 1997), pp. 241f.
  36. ^ Akyeampong, Emmanuel (2 February 2012). Dictionary of African Biography. Oup USA. Vol. 1–6. p. 451. ISBN 9780195382075.
  37. ^ Pankhurst, Richard (1997). The Ethiopian Borderlands: Essays in Regional History from Ancient Times to the End of the 18th Century. The Red Sea Press. p. 375. ISBN 9780932415196.
  38. ^ Richard Pankhurst, The Ethiopian Borderlands: Essays in Regional History from Ancient Times to The End of the 18th Century Asmara: Red Sea Press, Inc., 1997. p. 390
  39. ^ Braukämper, Islamic History and Culture in Southern Ethiopia: Collected Essays (Hamburg: Lit Verlag, 2002), p. 82
  40. ^ CAULK, RICHARD (1971). "The Occupation of Harar: January 1887". Journal of Ethiopian Studies. 9 (2): 1–20. JSTOR 41967469.
  41. ^ John Young (1998). "Regionalism and Democracy in Ethiopia". Third World Quarterly. 19 (2): 192. doi:10.1080/01436599814415. JSTOR 3993156.
  42. ^ International Crisis Group, "Ethnic Federalism and its Discontents". Issue 153 of ICG Africa report (4 September 2009) p. 2.
  43. ^ Haberland, Eike (1983). "An Amharic Manuscript on the Mythical History of the Adi kyaz (Dizi, South-West Ethiopia)". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 46 (2): 240. doi:10.1017/S0041977X00078836. S2CID 162587450. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  44. ^ Edward C. Keefer (1973). "Great Britain and Ethiopia 1897–1910: Competition for Empire". International Journal of African Studies. 6 (3): 470. doi:10.2307/216612. JSTOR 216612.
  45. ^ Antonicelli 1975, p. 79.
  46. ^ Reuters (24 November 1974). "Ethiopia Executes 60 Former Officials, Including 2 Premiers and Military Chief". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  47. ^ Bulcha, Mekuria (1997). "The Politics of Linguistic Homogenization in Ethiopia and the Conflict over the Status of "Afaan Oromoo"". African Affairs. 96 (384): 325–352. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a007852. ISSN 0001-9909. JSTOR 723182.
  48. ^ Bahrey. (1954). History of the Galla. In C.F. Beckingham and G.B.W. Huntingford
  49. ^ Transitional government of Ethiopia, National Conservation Strategy, 1994, http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/720181468749078939/pdf/multi-page.pdf 28 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine
  50. ^ Mordechai ABIR, Ethiopia and the Red Sea, p.51 https://books.google.com/books?id=7fArBgAAQBAJ&lpg=PA153&dq=chewa%20ehiopia&pg=PA49#v=onepage&q&f=false 28 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  51. ^ Mordechai ABIR, Ethiopia and the Red Sea, p.49 https://books.google.com/books?id=7fArBgAAQBAJ&lpg=PA153&dq=chewa%20ehiopia&pg=PA49#v=onepage&q&f=false 28 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  52. ^ Deresse Ayenachew, Evolution and Organisation of the Ç̌äwa Military Regiments in Medieval Ethiopia, Annales d'Ethiopie, p.93, https://www.persee.fr/docAsPDF/ethio_0066-2127_2014_num_29_1_1559.pdf
  53. ^ Deresse Ayenachew, Evolution and Organisation of the Ç̌äwa Military Regiments in Medieval Ethiopia, Annales d'Ethiopie, p.88, https://www.persee.fr/docAsPDF/ethio_0066-2127_2014_num_29_1_1559.pdf
  54. ^ Tsehai Berhane-Selassie, Ethiopian Warriorhood, Boydell & Brewer, p.104)
  55. ^ "The Rise of Feudalism in Ethiopia". Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  56. ^ Ellis, Gene (1979). "Feudalism in Ethiopia: A Further Comment on Paradigms and Their Use". Northeast African Studies. 1 (3): 91–97. ISSN 0740-9133. JSTOR 43660024.
  57. ^ Cohen, John M. (1974). "Ethiopia: A Survey on the Existence of a Feudal Peasantry". The Journal of Modern African Studies. 12 (4): 665–672. doi:10.1017/S0022278X00014312. ISSN 0022-278X. JSTOR 159996. S2CID 154715719.
  58. ^ Cohen, John M. (1974). "Peasants and Feudalism in Africa: The Case of Ethiopia". Canadian Journal of African Studies. 8 (1): 155–157. doi:10.2307/483880. ISSN 0008-3968. JSTOR 483880.
  59. ^ Schaefer, Charles (1992). "The Politics of Banking: The Bank of Abyssinia, 1905-1931". The International Journal of African Historical Studies. 25 (2): 361–389. doi:10.2307/219391. ISSN 0361-7882. JSTOR 219391.
  60. ^ Teklemedhin, Fasil Alemayehu and Merhatbeb. "The Birth and Development of Banking Services in Ethiopia". www.abyssinialaw.com. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  61. ^ "Haile Selassie I University - Five Year Plan 1967 - 1971" (PDF). 4 July 2022.
  62. ^ "An Overview of Ethiopia's Planning Experience" (PDF). 4 July 2022.
  63. ^ "Development plans - Ethiopia". African Studies Centre Leiden. 7 August 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  64. ^ "Industry and Industrialization in Ethiopia: Policy Dynamics and Spatial Distributions" (PDF). 4 July 2022.
  65. ^ "The Rise of Feudalism in Ethiopia". Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  66. ^ Lewis, William H. (1956). "The Ethiopian Empire: Progress and Problems". Middle East Journal. 10 (3): 257–268. ISSN 0026-3141. JSTOR 4322824.
  67. ^ "1931 Constitution of Ethiopia" (PDF). 17 September 2022.
  68. ^ "Revised Constitution of the Empire of Ethiopia" (PDF). 22 September 2022.
  69. ^ "ETHIOPIA" (PDF). 22 September 2022.

Bibliography

  • Adejumobi, Saheed A. (2007). The History of Ethiopia. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-32273-0.
  • Pankhurst, Richard (2001). The Ethiopians: A History. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 299 Pages. ISBN 978-0-631-22493-8.
  • Shillington, Kevin (2004). Encyclopedia of African History, Vol. 1. London: Routledge. pp. 1912 Pages. ISBN 978-1-57958-245-6.

Further reading

  • Salvadore, Matteo (2016). The African Prester John and the Birth of Ethiopian-European Relations, 1402-1555. Routledge. ISBN 978-1472418913.

External links

ethiopian, empire, abyssinia, redirects, here, other, uses, abyssinia, disambiguation, መንግሥተ, ኢትዮጵያ, romanized, mängəstä, ityop, government, ethiopia, also, formerly, known, exonym, abyssinia, just, simply, known, ethiopia, amharic, tigrinya, ኢትዮጵያ, ʾĪtyōṗṗyā,. Abyssinia redirects here For other uses see Abyssinia disambiguation The Ethiopian Empire Ge ez መንግሥተ ኢትዮጵያ romanized Mangesta Ityop p ya lit Government of Ethiopia also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia or just simply known as Ethiopia ˌ iː 8 i ˈ oʊ p i e Amharic and Tigrinya ኢትዮጵያ ʾityōṗṗya listen help info Oromo Itoophiyaa Somali Itoobiya Afar Itiyoophiyaa 14 was an empire that historically spanned the geographical area of present day Ethiopia and Eritrea from the establishment of the Solomonic dynasty by Yekuno Amlak approximately in 1270 until the 1974 coup d etat of Emperor Haile Selassie by the Derg By 1896 the Empire incorporated other regions such as Hararghe Gurage and Wolayita 15 and saw its largest expansion with the federation of Eritrea in 1952 Throughout much of its existence it was surrounded by hostile forces in the African Horn however it managed to develop and preserve a kingdom based on its ancient form of Christianity 16 Ethiopian Empireመንግሥተ ኢትዮጵያ Ge ez Mangesta Ityop p ya1270 19741936 1941 Government in exileFlag c 1870s 1974 Coat of armsMotto ኢትዮጵያ ታበፅዕ እደዊሃ ሃበ እግዚአብሐር Ityopia tabetsih edewiha habe Igziabiher English Ethiopia Stretches Her Hands unto God Ethiopia Stretches Her Hands unto God Psalm 68 31 Anthem ኢትዮጵያ ሆይ ደስ ይበልሽ English Ethiopia Be happy source source track track track The Ethiopian Empire boundaries in 1952The location of the Ethiopian Empire during the reign of Yohannes IV dark orange compared with modern day Ethiopia orange CapitalNumerous note 1 1270 1635 Gondar 1635 1855 Magdala 1855 1868 Mekelle 1871 1889 Addis Ababa 1889 1974 Common languagesAmharic dynastic official court 2 3 Ge ez liturgical language literature many othersReligionState religions Christianity Orthodox Tewahedo Church 1270 1622 and 1632 1974 Catholic Church 1622 1632 Unofficial P ent ay EvangelicalismSunni IslamJudaismTraditional African religionsDemonym s Endonym Ethiopian Exonym AbyssinianGovernmentAbsolute monarchy 1270 1931 4 Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy 1931 1974 Emperor 1270 1285 first Yekuno Amlak 5 1930 1974 last Haile SelassiePrime Minister 1909 1927 first Habte Giyorgis 1974 last Mikael ImruLegislatureNone rule by decree until 1931 Parliament 1931 1974 6 Upper houseSenate 1931 1974 Lower houseChamber of Deputies 1931 1974 Predecessor states Dʿmt Sultanate of Aussa Ethiopian Eritrean federation Kingdom of Aksum Zagwe dynastyLand of PuntSultanate of Showa Kingdom of Tankish Sharkha Kingdom of Qita a Kingdom of Nagash Kingdom of Jarin Sultanate of Dawaro Kingdom of BazinSultanate of DahlakKingdom of Belgin Sultanate of Bale Sultanate of Arababni Sultanate of Ifat Sultanate of Harar Ajuran Sultanate Adal Sultanate Kingdom of Garo Kingdom of Wolaita Kingdom of Kaffa Kingdom of Janjero EnnareaKingdom of Limmu EnnareaKingdom of GommaEmirate of HararKingdom of JimmaKingdom of GummaKingdom of DamotKingdom of SemienHistorical eraMiddle Ages to Cold War Ascension of Yekuno Amlak1270 Conquests of Amda Seyon I1314 1344 Ethiopian Adal War1529 1543 Gondarine period1632 1769 Zemene Mesafint1769 1855 Menelik s Expansions1878 1904 First Italo Ethiopian War1895 1896 Constitution adopted16 July 1931 Second Italo Ethiopian War annexed into Italian East Africa 3 October 1935 Sovereignty restored5 May 1941 Coup d etat by the Derg12 September 1974 Monarchy abolished21 March 1975 7 8 9 10 CurrencySalt blocks Amoleh Dinar 11 Maria Theresa thaler c 18th 19th century Ethiopian birr thaler or dollar from 1894 Preceded by Succeeded byZagwe dynastySultanate of IfatKingdom of KaffaKingdom of JimmaEmirate of Harar DergFounded in 1270 by the Solomonic Dynasty nobleman Yekuno Amlak who claimed to descend from the last Aksumite king and ultimately the Biblical Menelik I and the Queen of Sheba it replaced the Agaw kingdom of the Zagwe While initially a rather small and politically unstable entity the Empire managed to expand significantly under the crusades of Amda Seyon I 1314 1344 and Yeshaq I 1414 1429 temporarily becoming the dominant force of the African Horn 17 Yeshaq s reign was however challenged by Sultan Jamal ad Din II which led to Yeshaq s death 18 Under the rule of Zara Yaqob 1434 1468 the Hadiya Sultanate was invaded by Ethiopia and the captured Hadiya princess Eleni converted to Christianity leading to her marriage to Zara Yacob 19 20 Muslims in the region as well as Adal Sultanate rejected the marriage alliance and repeatedly invaded Ethiopia finally succeeding under Imam Mahfuz 21 Mahfuz s ambush and defeat by Emperor Lebna Dengel brought about the early 16th century Jihad of the Adalite Imam Ahmed Gran who was only defeated in 1543 with the help of the Portuguese 22 Greatly weakened much of the Empire s southern territory and vassals were lost due to the Oromo migrations In the north in what is now Eritrea Ethiopia managed to repulse Ottoman invasion attempts although losing its access to the Red Sea to them 23 Reacting to these challenges in the 1630s Emperor Fasilides founded the new capital of Gondar marking the start of a new golden age known as the Gondarine period It saw relative peace the successful integration of the Oromo and a flourishing of culture With the deaths of Emperor Iyasu II 1755 and Iyoas I 1769 the realm eventually entered a period of decentralization known as the Era of the Princes Regional warlords fought for power with the Emperor being a mere puppet Emperor Tewodros II r 1855 1868 put an end to that state reunified the Empire and led it into the modern period before dying during the British Expedition to Abyssinia His successor Yohannes IV engaged primarily in war and successfully fought the Egyptians and Mahdists before dying against the latter in 1889 Emperor Menelik II now residing in Addis Ababa subjugated many peoples and kingdoms in what is now western southern and eastern Ethiopia like Kaffa Welayta Aussa and the Oromos Thus by 1898 Ethiopia expanded into its modern territorial boundaries In the north he was confronted with an expanding Italy Decisively defeating it at the Battle of Adwa in 1896 using imported modern weapons Menelik ensured Ethiopia s independence and confined Italy to Eritrea Later after the Second Italo Ethiopian War Mussolini s Italian Empire occupied Ethiopia and established the Italian East Africa merging it with neighboring Eritrea and Italian Somaliland colony to the south east After World War II the Italians were driven out of Ethiopia with the help of the British army The Emperor returned from exile and the country was one of the founding members of the United Nations and in 1962 annexed Eritrea However the 1973 Wollo famine and domestic discontent led to the fall of the Empire in 1974 citation needed By 1974 Ethiopia was one of only three countries in the world to have the title of Emperor for its head of state together with Japan and Iran It was the second to last country in Africa to use the title of Emperor as after it came the short lived Central African Empire which lasted between 1976 and 1979 under Emperor Bokassa I 24 Contents 1 History 1 1 Background 1 1 1 D mt and Aksum 1 1 2 Makhzumi and Zagwe dynasties 1 2 Solomonic dynasty and Ifat Sultanate 1 3 Adal Sultanate invasion 1 4 Early modern period 1 5 Zemene Mesafint 1 6 Modern era 1 7 Italian invasion and World War II 1 8 Annexation of Eritrea 1 9 Fall of monarchy 2 Society 3 Military 4 Economy 5 Government 6 See also 7 References 8 Bibliography 9 Further reading 10 External linksHistory EditMain article Timeline of the Ethiopian Empire Background Edit D mt and Aksum Edit Main articles Dʿmt and Kingdom of Aksum An Axumite jar spout Kingdom of Axum at its full extent Human occupation in Ethiopia began early as evidenced by the findings which According to the Kebra Nagast Menelik I founded the Ethiopian empire in the 10th century BC In the 4th century under King Ezana of Axum the kingdom adopted Christianity as the state religion that evolved into the Orthodox Tewahedo Ethiopian Orthodox and Eritrean Orthodox denominational Church It was thus one of the first Christian states 25 After the conquest of Aksum by Queen Gudit or Yodit a period began which some scholars refer to as the Ethiopian Dark Ages 25 According to Ethiopian tradition she ruled over the remains of the Aksumite Empire for 40 years before transmitting the crown to her descendants 25 Gudit s origin has been extensively debated Scholars debate whether she was a Jew an Agaw a Beja and an enslaved servant of an Aksumite emperor who wanted to lead pagans against Christianity Others argued that she was from the Sultanate of Showa and a daughter of the king of Lasta situated in Bugna The Italian scholar Carlo Conti Rossini described her as a Bani al Hamwiyah while another source pointed to the Sidama people in the area called Sasu probably south of the Blue Nile where Aksumite rulers also obtained caravans for commodities of gold and coin which are thought the main motive for Gudit s raid 26 Makhzumi and Zagwe dynasties Edit Main articles Sultanate of Showa and Zagwe dynasty The earliest Muslim state in Ethiopia the Makhzumi dynasty with its capital in Wahal Hararghe region succeeds Queen Yodit 27 The Zagwe kingdom another dynasty with its capital at Adafa emerged not far from modern day Lalibela in the Lasta mountains 28 The Zagwe continued the Orthodox Christianity of Aksum and constructed many rock hewn churches such as the Church of Saint George in Lalibela The dynasty would last until its overthrow by a new regime claiming descent from the old Aksumite kings Solomonic dynasty and Ifat Sultanate Edit Main articles Solomonic dynasty and Ifat Sultanate Contemporary portrait of Yekuno Amlak founder of the Ethiopian empire An unholy alliance between Muslim and Christian states had occurred in this period 29 In 1270 the Zagwe dynasty was overthrown by a rebel named Yekuno Amlak claiming lineage from the Aksumite kings and hence from Solomon Yekuno Amlak successfully received massive aid from the Muslim Sultanate of Shewa against Zagwe 30 28 The eponymously named Solomonic dynasty was founded and ruled by the Abyssinians from whom Abyssinia gets its name In 1279 the deposed Sultan of Shewa Dil Marrah successfully appealed to Yekuno Amlak to restore his rule however it wouldn t last long because its renegade province Ifat would eventually invade it and create the Ifat Sultanate 31 32 During the Ifat Sultanate Muslim relations with the Solomonic dynasty soured In the 14th century Emperor Amda Seyon would invade Ifat and essentially dismantle it as a regional power 33 Ifat s descendants would return to the Horn of Africa and launch a powerful regional state the Adal Sultanate 34 Adal Sultanate invasion Edit Further information Ethiopian Adal war In 1529 the Adal Sultanate s forces led by Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al Ghazi invaded the Ethiopian Empire in what is known as the Ethiopian Adal war The Adal occupation lasted fourteen years During the conflict the Adal Sultanate employed cannons provided by the Ottoman Empire In the aftermath of the war Adal annexed Ethiopia uniting it with territories in what is now Somalia In 1543 with the help of the Portuguese Empire the Solomonic dynasty was restored Abyssinian King Yagbea Sion and his forces left battling the Sultan of Adal and his troops Le Livre des Merveilles 15th century Early modern period Edit Further information Ottoman conquest of Habesh Oromo migrations and Gondarine period In 1543 Emperor Gelawdewos beat Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al Ghazi armies and Ahmad himself was killed at the Battle of Wayna Daga close to Wegera This victory allowed the empire to reconquer progressively the Ethiopian Highlands 35 In 1559 Gelawdewos was killed attempting to invade Adal Sultanate at the Battle of Fatagar and his severed head was paraded in Adal s capital Harar 36 Dawit II of Ethiopia Lebna Dengel Emperor of Ethiopia negusa Nagast and member of the Solomonic dynasty The Ottoman Empire made another attempt at conquering Ethiopia from 1557 establishing Habesh Eyalet the province of Abyssinia by conquering Massawa the Empire s main port and seizing Suakin from the allied Funj Sultanate in what is now Sudan In 1573 Sultanate of Harar attempted to invade Ethiopia again however Sarsa Dengel successfully defended the Ethiopian frontier 37 The Ottomans were checked by Emperor Sarsa Dengel s victory and sacking of Arqiqo in 1589 thus containing them on a narrow coastline strip The Afar Sultanate maintained the remaining Ethiopian port on the Red Sea at Baylul 38 Oromo migrations through the same period occurred with the movement of a large pastoral population from the southeastern provinces of the Empire A contemporary account was recorded by the monk Abba Bahrey from the Gamo region Subsequently the empire organization changed progressively with faraway provinces taking more independence A remote province such as Bale is last recorded paying tribute to the imperial throne during Yaqob reign 1590 1607 39 The Fasil Ghebbi in Gonder The reign of Iyasu the Great 1682 1706 was a major period of consolidation It also saw the dispatching of embassies to Louis XIV s France and to Dutch India The Early Modern period was one of intense cultural and artistic creation Notable philosophers from that area are Zera Yacob and Walda Heywat The city of Gondar became the capital in 1636 with several fortified castles built in the town and in its surrounding areas After the death of Iyasu I the empire fell into a period of political turmoil Zemene Mesafint Edit Main article Zemene Mesafint Emperor Tewodros II s rise to the throne marked the end of the Zemene Mesafint From 1769 to 1855 the Ethiopian empire passed through a period known as the Princes Era in Amharic Zemene Mesafint This was a period of Ethiopian history with numerous conflicts between the various Ras equivalent to the English dukes and the Emperor who had only limited power and only dominated the area around the contemporary capital of Gondar Both the development of society and culture stagnated in this period Religious conflict both within the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and between them and the Muslims were often used as a pretext for mutual strife The Princes Era ended with the reign of Emperor Tewodros II Modern era Edit In 1868 following the imprisonment of several missionaries and representatives of the British government the British engaged in the punitive Expedition to Abyssinia This campaign was a success for Britain and the Ethiopian Emperor committed suicide From 1874 to 1876 the Empire expanded into Eritrea under Yohannes IV King of Tembien whose forces led by Ras Alula won the Ethiopian Egyptian War decisively beating the Egyptian forces at the Battle of Gundet in Hamasien In 1887 Menelik king of Shewa invaded the Emirate of Harar after his victory at the Battle of Chelenqo 40 The 1880s were marked by the Scramble for Africa Italy seeking a colonial presence in Africa was awarded Eritrea by Britain which led to the Italo Ethiopian War of 1887 1889 and the scramble for Eritrea s coastal regions between King Yohannes IV of Tembien and Italy After the death of Emperor Yohannes IV Italy signed a treaty with Shewa an autonomous kingdom within the empire creating the protectorate of Abyssinia Menelik II observes the Battle of Adwa against the Italian army in 1896 Le Petit Journal 1898 Due to significant differences between the Italian and Amharic translations of the treaty Italy believed they had subsumed Ethiopia as a protectorate while Menelik II of Shewa repudiated the protectorate status in 1893 Insulted Italy declared war on Ethiopia in 1895 The First Italo Ethiopian War resulted in the 1896 Battle of Adwa in which Italy was decisively defeated as the Ethiopians were numerically superior better equipped and supported by Russia and France As a result the Treaty of Addis Ababa was signed in October which strictly delineated the borders of Eritrea and forced Italy to recognize the independence of Ethiopia Beginning in the 1890s under the reign of the Emperor Menelik II the empire s forces set off from the central province of Shoa to incorporate through conquest inhabited lands to the west east and south of its realm 41 The territories that were annexed included those of the western Oromo non Shoan Oromo Sidama Gurage Wolayta 42 and Dizi 43 Among the imperial troops was Ras Gobena s Shewan Oromo militia Many of the lands that they annexed had never been under the empire s rule with the newly incorporated territories resulting in the modern borders of Ethiopia 44 Delegations from the United Kingdom and France European powers whose colonial possessions lay next to Ethiopia soon arrived in the Ethiopian capital to negotiate their own treaties with this newly proven power Italian invasion and World War II Edit Further information Second Italo Ethiopian War and East African Campaign World War II The Emperor s palace 1934 In 1935 Italian soldiers commanded by Marshal Emilio De Bono invaded Ethiopia in what is known as the Second Italo Ethiopian War The war lasted seven months before an Italian victory was declared The Ethiopian Empire was incorporated into the Italian colony of Italian East Africa The invasion was condemned by the League of Nations though not much was done to end the hostility During the conflict both Ethiopian and Italian troops committed war crimes Ethiopian troops are known to have made use of Dum Dum bullets in violation of the Hague Conventions and mutilated captured soldiers often with castration 45 Italian troops used sulfur mustard in chemical warfare ignoring the Geneva Protocol that it had signed seven years earlier The Italian military dropped mustard gas in bombs sprayed it from airplanes and spread it in powdered form on the ground 150 000 chemical casualties were reported mostly from mustard gas In the aftermath of the war Italy annexed Ethiopia uniting it with Italy s other colonies in eastern Africa to form the new colony of Italian East Africa and Victor Emmanuel III of Italy adopted the title Emperor of Abyssinia On 10 June 1940 Italy declared war on the United Kingdom and France as France was in the process of being conquered by Nazi Germany at the time and Benito Mussolini wished to expand Italy s colonial holdings The Italian conquest of British Somaliland in August 1940 was successful but the war turned against Italy afterward Haile Selassie returned to Ethiopia from England to help rally the resistance The British began their own invasion in January 1941 with the help of Ethiopian freedom fighters and the last organized Italian resistance in Italian East Africa surrendered in November 1941 ending Italian rule Annexation of Eritrea Edit At the request of Emperor Haile Selassie and the auspices of the newly formed United Nations led by Britain and the United States the British Military Administration in Eritrea was federated with Ethiopia in 1952 by UN Resolution 390 A After fierce resistance and the start of an armed rebellion in Eritrea the Emperor decided to end the federation in 1962 and annexed Eritrea into a province of Ethiopia The Eritrean war for independence caused a string of events that led to the end of the empire in 1974 and the toppling of the Derg government in 1991 resulting in the independence of Eritrea by the Eritrean People s Liberation Front Fall of monarchy Edit Main article Ethiopian Revolution Haile Selassie was the last Emperor of the Ethiopian Empire The government s failure to adequately respond to the 1973 Wollo famine the growing discontent of urban interest groups and high fuel prices due to the 1973 oil crisis led to a revolt in February 1974 by the army and civilian populace In June a group of military officers formed the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces Police and Territorial Army also known as the Derg to maintain law and order due to the powerlessness of the civilian government following the widespread mutiny In July Emperor Haile Selassie gave the Derg key concessions to arrest military and government officials at every level Soon both former Prime Ministers Tsehafi Taezaz Aklilu Habte Wold and Endelkachew Makonnen along with most of their cabinets most regional governors many senior military officers and officials of the Imperial court were imprisoned In August after a proposed constitution creating a constitutional monarchy was presented to the Emperor the Derg began a program of dismantling the imperial government to forestall further developments in that direction The Derg deposed and imprisoned the Emperor on 12 September 1974 and chose Lieutenant General Aman Andom a popular military leader and a Sandhurst graduate to be acting head of state This was pending the return of Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen from medical treatment in Europe when he would assume the throne as a constitutional monarch However General Aman Andom quarrelled with the radical elements in the Derg over the issue of a new military offensive in Eritrea and their proposal to execute the high officials of Selassie s former government After eliminating units loyal to him the Engineers the Imperial Bodyguard and the Air Force the Derg removed General Aman from power and executed him on 23 November 1974 along with some of his supporters and 60 officials of the previous Imperial government 46 Brigadier General Tafari Benti became the new chairman of the Derg and the head of state The monarchy was formally abolished in March 1975 and Marxism Leninism was proclaimed the new ideology of the state Emperor Haile Selassie died under mysterious circumstances on 27 August 1975 while his personal physician was absent It is commonly believed that Mengistu Haile Mariam killed him either by ordering it done or by his own hand although the former is more possible 47 Society EditAccording to Bahrey 48 there were ten social groups in the feudal Ethiopia of his time i e at the end of the 16th century These social groups consisted of the monks the debtera lay officials including judges men at arms giving personal protection to the wives of dignitaries and to princesses the shimaglle who were the lords and hereditary landowners their farm labourers or serfs traders artisans wandering singers and the soldiers who were called chewa According to modern thinking some of these categories are not true classes But at least the shimaglle the serfs the chewa the artisans and the traders constitute definite classes Power was vested in the Emperor and those aristocrats he appointed to execute his power and the power enforcing instrument consisted of a class of soldiers the chewa 49 Military EditMain articles Army of the Ethiopian Empire and Military history of Ethiopia Ethiopian Imperial Army in 1935 From the reign of Amde Tseyon Chewa regiments or legions formed the backbone of the Empire military forces The Ge ez term for these regiments is ṣewa ጼዋ while the Amharic term is c awa ጨዋ The normal size of a regiment was several thousand men 50 Each regiment was allocated a fief Gult to ensure its upkeep ensured by the land revenue 51 In 1445 following the Battle of Gomit the chronicles record that Emperor Zara Yaqob started garrisoning the provinces with Chewa regiments Name of regiment 52 Region TranslationBaṣar waǧat Serae Dawaro Menz Gamo Enemy of the waǧatǦan amora Dobe a Tselemt Gedem Eagle of the majestyc awa Bale Balec awa Maya Bahir NegashBaṣur amora Gamo Spear of the eagleBaṣar sotal Damot Spear of the foeMajor divisions of the military were Regiments at the court under high court officials Regiments in the provinces under regional Rases or other officials Regiments in border regions or more autonomous provinces such as Hadiya Bahir Negash Bale under azmac who were military officials appointed by the king 53 One of the Chewa regiments known as the Abe Lahm in Geez or the Weregenu in Oromo lasted and participated to the Battle of Adwa only to be phased out in the 1920s 54 The modern army was created under Ras Tafari Makonnen in 1917 with the formation of the Kebur Zabagna the imperial guard Economy EditMain article Economy of the Ethiopian Empire Bank of Abyssinia in 1934 The economy consisted of centuries old barter system with primitive money and currency of various kinds until 20th century in the framework of feudal system 55 56 Peasants worked to produce and fixated their activities to taxation marketing infrastructure and agrarian production 57 58 In 1905 Menelik II established the first bank Bank of Abyssinia following concession from British occupied National Bank of Egypt in December 1904 that used to monopolize all government public funds loans print banknotes mint coins and other privileges 59 It expanded branches to Harar Dire Dawa Gore and Dembidolo and agencies in Gambela and transit office in Djibouti 60 In 1932 it was renamed as Bank of Ethiopia following paid compensation by Emperor Haile Selassie To promote industrial and manufacturing expansion Haile Selassie with assistance of National Economic Council embarked development plan encompassing three Five Years Master Plan from 1957 to 1974 61 62 63 Between 1960 and 1970 Ethiopia enjoyed an annual 4 4 growth rate in per capita and growth domestic product GDP There was an increase of manufacturing growth rate from 1 9 in 1960 61 to 4 4 in 1973 74 with wholesale retail trade transportation and communication sectors increased from 9 5 to 15 6 64 Government EditMain article Government of the Ethiopian Empire As feudalism became the central tenet in the Ethiopian Empire it developed into an authoritarian system with institutionalized social inequality As land became the prime commodity its acquisition became the main driving force behind imperialism especially from the reign of Menelik II onwards 65 As part of Emperor Haile Selassie s modernization efforts the traditional monarchical regime was reformed through the introduction of the 1931 and 1955 constitutions which introduced an unitary parliamentary system with two legislative bodies the Chamber of Senate Yeheggue Mewossegna Meker Beth and Chamber of Deputies Yeheggue Memeriya Meker Beth 66 67 Under the 1956 constitution Article 56 no one can be simultaneously a member of both chambers who meet at the beginning or ending of each session 68 In the parliamentary structure the Chamber of Deputies consisted of 250 members elected every four years whereas the Senate consisted of one half of the Deputies 125 and were appointed by the Emperor in every six years 69 See also EditArmy of the Ethiopian Empire Crown Council of Ethiopia East African Campaign World War II 1941 Ethiopian Civil War 1974 1991 First Italo Ethiopian War 1895 1896 History of Ethiopia Ethiopian historiography Italian East Africa 1936 1941 Italian guerrilla war in Ethiopia 1941 1943 List of Emperors of Ethiopia Second Italo Ethiopian War 1935 1936 Sultanate of Ifat Sultanate of Showa Zemene Mesafint 1755 1855 References Edit The old tradition of the Ethiopian emperors was travelling around their possessions living off the produce of peasants and dwelling in tents Despite this several Ethiopian rulers had attempted to establish fixed capitals such as Tegulet Debre Berhan and Barara 1 Pankhurst Richard 2009 Barara the Royal City of 15th and Early 16th Century Ethiopia Medieval and Other Early Settlements Between Wechecha Range and Mt Yerer Annales d Ethiopie 24 1 209 249 doi 10 3406 ethio 2009 1394 The Southern Marches of Imperial Ethiopia Essays in History and Social Anthropology Donham Donald Donham Lecturer in Social Anthropology Wendy James Dr PhD Former Senior Lecturer in Mathematics Christopher Clapham Patrick Manning CUP Archive Sep 4 1986 p 11 https books google com books id dvk8AAAAIAAJ amp q Lisane amharic v snippet amp q Lisane 20amharic amp f false Archived 28 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine Layers of Time A History of Ethiopia Paul B Henze November 18th 2008 p 78 https books google com books id 3VYBDgAAQBAJ amp q Lisane v snippet amp q Lisane amp f false Archived 28 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine Nathaniel T Kenney 1965 Ethiopian Adventure National Geographic 127 555 Negash Tekeste 2006 The Zagwe Period and the Zenith of Urban Culture in Ethiopia Ca 930 1270 Ad Africa Rivista Trimestrale di Studi e Documentazione dell istituto Italiano per l Africa e l Oriente 61 1 120 137 JSTOR 40761842 Constitution of Ethiopia 4 November 1955 Article 76 source Constitutions of Nations Volume I Africa by Amos Jenkins Peaslee Ethiopia Ends 3 000 Year Monarchy Milwaukee Sentinel 22 March 1975 p 3 Ethiopia ends old monarchy The Day 22 March 1975 p 7 Henc van Maarseveen Ger van der Tang 1978 Written Constitutions A Computerized Comparative Study Brill p 47 Ethiopia The World Factbook Central Intelligence Agency 1987 The Royal Chronicle of his reign is translated in part by Richard K P Pankhurst The Ethiopian Royal Chronicles Addis Ababa Oxford University Press 1967 Markessini Joan 2012 Around the World of Orthodox Christianity Five Hundred Million Strong The Unifying Aesthetic Beauty Dorrance Publishing ISBN 9781434914866 Morgan Giles 2017 St George The patron saint of England Oldcastle Books ISBN 978 1843449676 E A Wallis Budge 1 August 2014 A History of Ethiopia Volume I Nubia and Abyssinia Routledge p 7 ISBN 9781317649151 International Crisis Group Ethnic Federalism and its Discontents Issue 153 of ICG Africa report 4 September 2009 p 2 Hathaway Jane 30 August 2018 The Chief Eunuch of the Ottoman Harem From African Slave to Power Broker Cambridge University Press p 26 ISBN 9781107108295 Barsbay Encyclopedia Aethiopica Burton Richard Ethiopian Borderlands p 58 Erlikh Hagai 2000 The Nile Histories Cultures Myths Lynne Rienner Publishers p 41 ISBN 9781555876722 Hassen Mohammed Oromo of Ethiopia with special emphasis on the Gibe region PDF University of London p 22 The Cambridge History of Africa Volume 3 Cambridge University Press 1975 p 167 ISBN 9780521209816 Adal Encyclopaedia Britannica Pankhurst History p 70 Ozbaran 87 Lentz Harris M 1994 Heads of States and Governments A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Over 2 300 Leaders 1945 through 1992 Jefferson North Carolina McFarland amp Company ISBN 0 89950 926 6 OCLC 30075961 a b c Adekumobi 2007 p 10harvp error no target CITEREFAdekumobi2007 help Henze Paul B 2000 Layers of Time A History of Ethiopia Hurst amp Company ISBN 978 1 85065 393 6 Braukhaper Ulrich 2002 Islamic History and Culture in Southern Ethiopia Collected Essays LIT Verlag Munster p 21 ISBN 9783825856717 Retrieved 12 March 2017 a b Pankhurst 2001 p 45 Levine Donald Greater Ethiopia University of Chicago Press p 73 Oromo of Ethiopia with special emphasis on the Gibe region PDF University of London p 4 Selassie Sergew Hable 1972 Ancient and Medieval Ethiopian History to 1270 p 290 Nehemia Levtzion Randall Pouwels The History of Islam in Africa Google Books Ohio University Press 2000 p 228 UNESCO General History of Africa University of California Press 3 November 1992 p 283 ISBN 9780520066984 Mohammed Abdul Kader 2013 The Saho of Eritrea Ethnic Identity and National Consciousness LIT Verlag Munster p 170 ISBN 9783643903327 Richard Pankhurst The Ethiopian Borderlands Trenton Red Sea Press 1997 pp 241f Akyeampong Emmanuel 2 February 2012 Dictionary of African Biography Oup USA Vol 1 6 p 451 ISBN 9780195382075 Pankhurst Richard 1997 The Ethiopian Borderlands Essays in Regional History from Ancient Times to the End of the 18th Century The Red Sea Press p 375 ISBN 9780932415196 Richard Pankhurst The Ethiopian Borderlands Essays in Regional History from Ancient Times to The End of the 18th Century Asmara Red Sea Press Inc 1997 p 390 Braukamper Islamic History and Culture in Southern Ethiopia Collected Essays Hamburg Lit Verlag 2002 p 82 CAULK RICHARD 1971 The Occupation of Harar January 1887 Journal of Ethiopian Studies 9 2 1 20 JSTOR 41967469 John Young 1998 Regionalism and Democracy in Ethiopia Third World Quarterly 19 2 192 doi 10 1080 01436599814415 JSTOR 3993156 International Crisis Group Ethnic Federalism and its Discontents Issue 153 of ICG Africa report 4 September 2009 p 2 Haberland Eike 1983 An Amharic Manuscript on the Mythical History of the Adi kyaz Dizi South West Ethiopia Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 46 2 240 doi 10 1017 S0041977X00078836 S2CID 162587450 Retrieved 18 December 2017 Edward C Keefer 1973 Great Britain and Ethiopia 1897 1910 Competition for Empire International Journal of African Studies 6 3 470 doi 10 2307 216612 JSTOR 216612 Antonicelli 1975 p 79 sfn error no target CITEREFAntonicelli1975 help Reuters 24 November 1974 Ethiopia Executes 60 Former Officials Including 2 Premiers and Military Chief The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved 8 August 2021 Bulcha Mekuria 1997 The Politics of Linguistic Homogenization in Ethiopia and the Conflict over the Status of Afaan Oromoo African Affairs 96 384 325 352 doi 10 1093 oxfordjournals afraf a007852 ISSN 0001 9909 JSTOR 723182 Bahrey 1954 History of the Galla In C F Beckingham and G B W Huntingford Transitional government of Ethiopia National Conservation Strategy 1994 http documents worldbank org curated en 720181468749078939 pdf multi page pdf Archived 28 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine Mordechai ABIR Ethiopia and the Red Sea p 51 https books google com books id 7fArBgAAQBAJ amp lpg PA153 amp dq chewa 20ehiopia amp pg PA49 v onepage amp q amp f false Archived 28 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine Mordechai ABIR Ethiopia and the Red Sea p 49 https books google com books id 7fArBgAAQBAJ amp lpg PA153 amp dq chewa 20ehiopia amp pg PA49 v onepage amp q amp f false Archived 28 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine Deresse Ayenachew Evolution and Organisation of the C awa Military Regiments in Medieval Ethiopia Annales d Ethiopie p 93 https www persee fr docAsPDF ethio 0066 2127 2014 num 29 1 1559 pdf Deresse Ayenachew Evolution and Organisation of the C awa Military Regiments in Medieval Ethiopia Annales d Ethiopie p 88 https www persee fr docAsPDF ethio 0066 2127 2014 num 29 1 1559 pdf Tsehai Berhane Selassie Ethiopian Warriorhood Boydell amp Brewer p 104 The Rise of Feudalism in Ethiopia Retrieved 4 July 2022 Ellis Gene 1979 Feudalism in Ethiopia A Further Comment on Paradigms and Their Use Northeast African Studies 1 3 91 97 ISSN 0740 9133 JSTOR 43660024 Cohen John M 1974 Ethiopia A Survey on the Existence of a Feudal Peasantry The Journal of Modern African Studies 12 4 665 672 doi 10 1017 S0022278X00014312 ISSN 0022 278X JSTOR 159996 S2CID 154715719 Cohen John M 1974 Peasants and Feudalism in Africa The Case of Ethiopia Canadian Journal of African Studies 8 1 155 157 doi 10 2307 483880 ISSN 0008 3968 JSTOR 483880 Schaefer Charles 1992 The Politics of Banking The Bank of Abyssinia 1905 1931 The International Journal of African Historical Studies 25 2 361 389 doi 10 2307 219391 ISSN 0361 7882 JSTOR 219391 Teklemedhin Fasil Alemayehu and Merhatbeb The Birth and Development of Banking Services in Ethiopia www abyssinialaw com Retrieved 6 July 2022 Haile Selassie I University Five Year Plan 1967 1971 PDF 4 July 2022 An Overview of Ethiopia s Planning Experience PDF 4 July 2022 Development plans Ethiopia African Studies Centre Leiden 7 August 2012 Retrieved 4 July 2022 Industry and Industrialization in Ethiopia Policy Dynamics and Spatial Distributions PDF 4 July 2022 The Rise of Feudalism in Ethiopia Retrieved 17 September 2022 Lewis William H 1956 The Ethiopian Empire Progress and Problems Middle East Journal 10 3 257 268 ISSN 0026 3141 JSTOR 4322824 1931 Constitution of Ethiopia PDF 17 September 2022 Revised Constitution of the Empire of Ethiopia PDF 22 September 2022 ETHIOPIA PDF 22 September 2022 Bibliography EditAdejumobi Saheed A 2007 The History of Ethiopia Westport Greenwood Publishing Group ISBN 978 0 313 32273 0 Pankhurst Richard 2001 The Ethiopians A History Oxford Blackwell Publishing pp 299 Pages ISBN 978 0 631 22493 8 Shillington Kevin 2004 Encyclopedia of African History Vol 1 London Routledge pp 1912 Pages ISBN 978 1 57958 245 6 Further reading EditSalvadore Matteo 2016 The African Prester John and the Birth of Ethiopian European Relations 1402 1555 Routledge ISBN 978 1472418913 External links Edit Texts on Wikisource Abyssinia Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol I 9th ed 1878 Abyssinia Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 1 11th ed 1911 Ethiopia Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 9 11th ed 1911 Abyssinia Encyclopaedia Britannica 12th ed 1922 Abyssinia Collier s New Encyclopedia 1921 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ethiopian Empire amp oldid 1132106769, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.