UNIT SIX

THE CHRISTIAN KINGDOM AND

PEOPLES AND STATES IN THE REST OF
ETHIOPIAN REGION AND THE HORN
(1543-1855)

By: Tilahun . Z
 Southern States

Kaffa
• Location – south of Gojeb river.

• Origin-14thC.

• The land is Kaffa and the people were kafficho.

• Matto and Minjo were the two dynasties that ruled Kaffa.

• It was an independent kingdom in southern Ethiopia .

• It also survived the Oromo pressure.

• Tato was the title of its rulers.

• The king was assisted by a council of seven Mikerecho. each of the advisors had
different roles and responsibilities;
 regional administration.

 Maintenance of law and order.

 Contd.

Religion
 Christianity was introduced to Kaffa from Enarya. But, it was
limited to the ruling class.
 Economy -was based on agriculture and trade.
 its trading item include ivory, honey, musk, coffee, slave and
gold.
• Kafa had trade relation with Shewa and the neighboring Oromos.
Kafa was known in digging trench for defense.
• Its internal political organization and defense system enabled Kafa
to be independent until the end of the 19th century.
• In 1897 Menelik II incorporated Kafa to the modern Ethiopia.
• Tato Gaki Sherecho was captured and brought to Addis Ababa.
 Contd.
The Kingdom of Welayita
• Location- southern Ethiopia.
• It traced its origin from the ancient kingdom of Damot.
• Its founder was Motalami. He founded the Welayita Malla
Dynasty.
• It was part of the CHK until the Wars of Imam Ahmed.
• The kingdom resisted the Oromo pressure successfully.
• The king of Welayta had the title of Kawo.
• He ruled with absolute power.
• The economy of Wolayta was based on agriculture. Enset, barely,
wheat, maize, coffee, tobacco and cotton were important crops.
• It was finally conquered by the force Menelik after strong
resistance in 1894.Its last ruler Kawo Tona.
 The Gibe Oromo States
• Emerged at the beg. Of the 19th c in the Oromo settled areas of Gibe valley and
Wellega.
• During their expansion, the Oromo led pastoral life and governed by Gada
system. However, around 1800, the Gada system was transformed to
Monarchical state .
• Factors for the transformation were as follows;
1. Their contact with the Omotic states.
2. Expansion in to wide area.
3. Development of agricultural economy.
4. The Long distance trade and spread of Islam.
5. Emergence of powerful war leaders/abba Dulas.
As a result of the above factors Five states emerged around the Gibe river which
became known as the Gibe Monarchies. They include Limu-Enarya, Jimma,
Gumma, Gomma and Gera.
 Con..

Limu-Enarya
Location- north of Gojeb.
 Its capital was Saqa.
 It was the earliest Gibe Oromo state established on the ruins of Medieval
kingdom of Enarya/Hinnario.
 It became prominent due to its strategic location (along the trade routes)
 Abba Bogibo or Ibsa (r.1825-1861) was its strongest ruler.
 Declined –since the middle of the 19th C, helped the rise of its rival Jimma.
Jimma
• Location- north east of Kafa and south east of Limu-Enarya.
 It emerged stronger than Limu-Enarya since the middle of the 19th century.
 It became popular under the rule of Sana or Abba Jifar I (r.1830-1855).
 Its prosperity depended on support of Islam and commercial prosperity from
coffee and slave trade.
 It submitted peacefully to Menelik II in 1881 under the rule of Abba Jifar II (r.
1875-1934)
 Jimma survived as autonomous state until 1934.
 Cont..

3. Gumma
 emerged since 1800s.
 It became strong under Oncho Jilcha
4. Gomma
 It became important since 1820.
 Its strongest ruler was Abba Mano.
 It was the earliest state to accept Islam.
5. Gera
 emerged since 1835 under its strongest ruler,Tullu Gunji, who was
a popular warrior king and good administrator.
 It was in great conflict with Gumma.
 Western States
• Leqa Nekemte and Leqa Qellem were emerged in Wollega region.
1. Leqa Nekemte was founded by Bakre Godana.
• His successors Moreda and his son Kumsa (later Dej. Gebre
Egziabihere) consolidated the state.
2. Leqa Qellem was founded by Tullu.
• His successor Jote consolidated the state.
• The economy was based on agriculture and cross-frontier gold
trade .
• Some Funji merchants of Sudan used to visit Leqas.
o The rulers of both states submitted to Menelik peacefully to
maintain their local autonomy.
 Con..
The sheikdoms of Asosa(Aqoldi), Benishangul and Komosha.
 Existed along Ethio-Sudan boarder during the 19th C.
 The region was well-known for its gold and other natural products which
attracted foreigners like Egyptians and Sudanese. But their attempt failed due
the incorporation of these region in to Meneliks empire.
Eastern States
Harar
 Harar was the center of Islamic studies since the 14th century
 It was also the political center of Adal in the 15th and 16th century.
 Due to the pressure of the Oromo, Walasma rulers abandoned it and moved
their center to Awsa, NE of the Awash river.
 It was surrounded by a stone wall( jegol gimb) to resist the Oromo assault.
 Emir Ali Ibn Dawud(r.1647-1662) was the founder of the Harar Emirate at
about 1650s.
 It controlled the trade route of the Gulf of Aden and the coastal areas of
Indian Ocean.
 Contd.

 Harar consolidated its power over the adjacent Oromos and Somalis mainly
through Islam , economic link and marriage.
 Egyptian troops occupied it from 1875 to 1885.
Foreign Relation
 It had political and economic ties with Yemen and Arabian peninsula.
 The Emirate had no direct contact with Europeans
 In 1887 Menelik II defeated Emir Abdullahi (the last ruler of the emirate)at the
battle of Challenqo.
 Ras Mekonen became the ruler of Harar until his death in 1906.
Awusa
 was a Muslim sultanate in Eastern Ethiopia.
 The Afars are the people of the old Adal.
 It was ruled by the Walasma rulers of Adal.
 Awusa was ruled by the local Afar chiefs who had the title of sultan.
 Peoples not so Highly organized in the Ethiopian Region in the
First Half of the 19th century

 They were located more in the border lowlands of Ethiopia.

 The Afar-Saho speaking people in the north east, the somalis in
the east, the Oromo groups of Borana, Gabra and Gari in the
south were known.
 The Nilo-Saharan goups; Kunama ,Berta, Gumuz, Annuak,
Nuer and Manjanger (massango) were common in the west.
 They largely kept their own political autonomy
 They were led pastoral and semi-pastoral way of life.

 The were ruled by their own local councils of clan leaders.

 Contd.

 Resistance to the highland rulers was common

 Few of them used to pay symbolic tribute to the highland chiefs.

 They used to host and encourage rebels from highland to maintain

their independence. For instance, Afar and Saho speaking people
supported Sabagadis against Ras W/ Sillasie of Tigray.
 These lowlands lied on the trade routes.

 The Shewan rulers kept smooth relation with Afars to secure the
Gulf of Aden and Harar.
 The emirate of Harar extended cultural and economic relations with
Oromos and Somalis.
 European Explorers in the Ethiopian Region in the First Half of
the 19th Century

 The expansion of industries was intensified in Western Europe in the 19th

century.
 Why the industrialized Western Europe colonized Africa? It was to get;
I. raw materials for their industries.
II. market for their industrial products.
III. cheap labor from Africans.
IV. investment in Africa.
V. Areas of settlement
 They were interested in Ethiopia & the Horn due to;
1. The Horn is the link with the Middle East and vital to control the Red Sea
trade.
2. Ethiopia is also the source of Blue Nile, the river upon which Egyptian life
depended.
3. Interest in its resource
 This led to the revival of Ethiopia’s relation with Europe after two centuries.
 Con..

Methods of Europeans Colonized Africa

 They used different pretexts to hide their real interest to colonize Africa. These include;

*Fake trade and friendship treaties.

*Scientific research among the native Africans.
*Geographical exploration and expedition.
*Christian missionaries in the name of religion.
Prominent Explorers in Ethiopia;
 In 1805 the British Henry Salt met with Ras Wolde Sillasie.
 In 1841 Nigus Sahile Sillasie of Shewa signed a treaty of commerce and friendship with the
British agent Major Harris.
 Dejach Wube of Simen and Tigray and Ras Ali II of Begemidir (Gonder) also did the same.
 From 1630s to 1840s Charles Beke, Walter Plowden and John Bell of Britain were in deed.
 Contd.

• The French Rochet de Herricourt, the D Abbadie brothers

Amanuel and Antoins arrived in Ethiopia.
• French, Britain and Italian protestant and Catholic missionaries
such as Samuel Gobat, De Jacobis, Guiseppe Sapeto and
Cardinal Massaja (abba Massias)were in working in the region.
• The missionaries worked political duties for the interest of their
government in Ethiopia. The regional lords became easy target
since the missionaries supplied them firearms from Europe.