After the decline of the Christian Kingdom, many groups of people from southern, western,

eastern and central Ethiopia developed their independent local states.

During this period, political power was decentralized across the country.

A. Southern States

 Omotic States and Peoples under Tato system

 Omotic States and Peoples under Kawo/Kati system
 Cushitic States and Peoples under Sera-Woma system

Omotic States and Peoples under Tato system

These includes Kafa & Yem kingdoms

Kafa
The Kingdom of Kafa was found south of Enareya, located south of the Gojeb and north
of the Omo River.
Kafa was one of the resourceful kingdoms that greatly contributed to Ethiopian trade.
 Kafa was ruled by a king whose title was called Tato.
 The Kingship was hereditary.
 An advisory council of nobles called Mikkerecho which assist the king.
 The choice of the king's successor lay in the hands of Mikkerecho. The successor
may not be the elder.
 Bonga was the center of the kingdom. Anderecha was the second seat to the
southeast of Bonga.
 The economy of Kafa was based on agriculture and trade. Coffee said to have been
originated in Kafa was the main crop, and enset is the major food crop of the Kafa
kingdom.
 The main trade items were ivory, mask, honey, coffee, enslaved people, and gold.
 it had a tradition of digging deep trenches called Kuripo as a defensive barrier.
 The Kafa rulers adopted the title tato from the neighboring kingdom of Ennarya
whose ruling elite moved to the south of Gojeb River due to the Oromo pressure.

Yem
Its dynasty called Mowa ruled the Yem until the late 19th century from its capital at Angari.
 The top of the political hierarchy was held by the king called tato or amno. He was a
political and religious leader.
Like Mikkerecho of Kafa, below the king were his twelve councilors called assisters, led
by waso. The council nominates the king's successor

Omotic States and Peoples under Kawo/Kati system

The Omotic Sates includes Wolaita, Gamo, Gofa, Dawuro and Konta, who live on both
sides of the Omo River
The people of Wolaita, Gamo and Gofa were led by a hereditary king Kawo whereas the
Dawro and Konta people used to call Kati.

Wolaita
 The ruling dynasty of Wolaita was known as Wolaita Malla.
 Kawo is the title for the ruler
 This dynasty had a strong tradition that recognized Motalami as its first king.
 There are two known dynasties in wolaita who had a chance to rule the kingdom. There
clans are kings Wolaita - Malla and Tigre - Mala dynasties.
 Its king Motolami was traditionally said to have been the founder of the Wolaita-Mala
ruling family until replaced by Tigre-Mala in the late fifteenth century.

Dawuro
 the Dawuro state was established by an immigrant clan called Kawuka.
 The name of the ruler is Kate and the name of the cowncel is Khati

Gamo
 The Gamo organised between 40 to 55 politically Autonomous (self ruled) units called
dere.
 Each dere administered itself independently and had a hereditary ruler, kawo.
 The dere assembly called duletha (it is a council of elected elders) was the major
administrative body of the Gamo people.
 The assembly was made up of elected officials called halaka.
 These representatives were the real administrators of the deres. They decided on all the
  major decisions affecting the lives of the dere.
 The administrative hierarchy has the forms like Khati, Chamicha, Bitane and Erasha.
 The Chamicha preserved peace and security, and even he would take the king's task in
the event of malpractice.
 The successor of the khati is the elder son
 The realm(administration) of Gamo was divided into seven different kingdoms, each
of which was ruled by a king (kawo).
 Economically, the Omotic states and polities are agriculturalists. The enset was their
main crop.

 The Omotic states defended their boundaries by using fortifications (በድንጋይ ካብ የተገነባ
ምሽግ) are called Kella.

 Some of the known fortification are,

 Amado Kella – wolaita
 Kati Halala Kella – Dawuro

Cushitic States and Peoples under Sera-Woma system

 includes: Hadiya, Kambata, Sidama, Tambaro, Kabena, Halaba, Gedeo, Konso and Burji.
 traditionally been ruled by the sera (unwritten law) – it is a set of local cultural norms
regulating the communal social structure.
 In their traditional administrative system, woma (king) is the height of authority.

Hadiya
 The administrative system of the Hadiya was called Sera
 Was a Muslim states
 In Hadiya equivalent to a king is named adila (garada).

Kembata
 The Kambata kingdom maintained the tradition of monarchy from king Anno to king
Dilbato. All of them were from Oyata clan.

Sidama
  The Sidama people comprise several sub-tribes ruled independently by their king, the
woma, which was from Sidae clan

Gedeo
 Gadaa system was introduced in Gedeo
 It was an era when women succeeded one another in dynastic rule.
 The Gedeo Gadaa system comprised nine members council called yiea.
 They were farmers belonging to the "enset-culture complex" and cattle herders.

Konso
 developed an intensive agriculture system through time.
 They are known for the terracing of hillsides with stones.

Gurage chiefdoms:
 not a Cushitic language speaking population
 Gurage practice agriculture. Enset is their main staple crop.
 Its local chiefs used the titles of Azmach, Abegaz and Nigus.
 the religious or ritual system is highly centralized; ritual officials sanction the authority
of the political elders. These are Yajoka Sera among the Sebat Bet and Ye Gordana
Sera among the Kistane

B. Western States

• Oromo Monarchies: Gibe States

• Oromo Monarchies: Leqa States
• Benshangul
• Gambela
The Oromo had an egalitarian and republican socio-political organization system known as the
Gadaa. Socio-political organization of the Oromo was based on the Gadaa system.

Following their expansion to the Gibe and Wallaga regions, they abandoned from the Gadaa
system and began to form monarchial states in these regions.
The oromo abba dula (the war-leader in the Gadaa system) and abba boku (head of the Oromo
society) dominate Damot, Gafat and Bizamo

The oromo monarch invade Gibe region and formed five states, these are Limmu-Ennarya,
Jimma, Gumma, Gomma and Gera States

With the same strategy, they invade Wallaga and formed Leqa Naqamte and Leqa Qellem
states

Oromo Monarchies: Gibe States

They are Limmu-Ennarya, Jimma, Gumma, Gomma and Gera States

Limmu-Ennarya
- was the earliest Gibe state. Its center was Saqqa.
- established on the territories of the older state of Ennarya
- Its strategic location in the region enabled it to control the long-distance trade routes
that linked the region with the north.
- The strongest ruler of Limmu Ennarya was Abba Bagibo, or Ibsa

Jimma
- was stronger than Limmu-Ennarya and other Gibe states since the middle of the
nineteenth century
- It became popular under Sanna or Abba Jifar I (r. 1830-1855). Jimma named after its
founder Abba Jifar I.

Gumma
- Its political importance grew up under its strong ruler, Oncho Jilcha.
Gomma
- Known for its Islamic State
Gera
- well known around 1835 during its strongest ruler, Tullu Gunji, a popular warrior king
and a good administrator.
 Oromo Monarchies: Leqa States
They are Leqa Naqamte and Leqa Qellem
Besides agriculture, the economy of Leqa states was based on the Ethio - Sudanese frontier
trade.

Leqa Naqamte
- A leader called Bakare Godana established the state of Leqa Naqamte, which grew
even more powerful under his successors Moroda and Kumsa Moroda.

Leqa Qellem
- founded by one of the Qellem chiefs, Tullu.
- His son and successor was Jote

C. Eastern States: Harar, Afar, Somali

They are Harar, Afar and Somali

Harar
- Harar served as a political center of the Sultanate of Adal up to the sixteenth century.
- Harar was an important trade Centre between the coast and the interior highlands and
a location for Islamic learning.
- Harar has existed as a center of Islamic studies since the fourteenth century.