Lecture Note on History of Ethiopia and the Horn

Consolidated by Jemal Mohammed

Unit two
People and cultures in Ethiopia and the Horn
Human evolution
 Universe- 4.5 billion ybp
 Earliest life 3 and 1 billion bp
 Blue green algae, small plants, fishes, birds- 800 million ybp.
 Mammals (Primates) 200-170 million ybp – Pongidae(gorilla, chimpanzee, orangutan,
gibbon)
--Hominidae (Human ancestors)
East Africa( Rift valley) believed to be the cradle of humanity, Cultural and biological
evolution. Lower Omo and Middle Awash are archaeological sites in the region.
 Chororapithecus – dated 10 million ybp (Anchar west Hararghe) 2007.
 Ardipithecus ramidus kadabba- dated 5.8-5.2 Million ybp -Middle Awash
 Ardipithecus ramidus-4.2 million ybp- in Aramis Afar- 1994.
 Australopithecus afarensis-(Selam 3.3 million ybp- Dikikia Mille, Afar 2000,
Lucy(Dinknesh) 3.18 million ybp-Hadar ,Afar -1974- female ,bipedal, 30kg;1.07 m-40%
skeleton.
 Australopithecus anamensis- Lake Turkana
 Australopithecus ghari-2.5 mybp- bouri(Middle Awash) 1996-1999.
Human brain is the main feature in next stage of human evolution.
Genus Homo
Homo Habilis- a human species that was skillful in using hands.
 1.9 million years bp.
 Found in lower omo
 Handi-man
Homo erectus
 Walking upright
 1.6 mybp
 Discovered at Melka Kunture, Konso-Gardula and Gadeb
 Had 900-1100 cc brain size
 Originated in Africa and spead to the rest world
Homo sapiens(Archic)
 Knowledgeable human being
 Dated 400000 ybp
 Brain size 1300-1400 cc
 Discovered at Middle Awash
Homo sapiens sapiens

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  100000 ybp
 Discovered at Pork epic near Dire Dawa, Kibish Lower Omo
 1967
 Rediscovery 2004 -195000 (oldest in Modern homo sapiens)
Cultural evolution is related to technological changes leads to socio-economic transformation.
Stone Age – stone tool production
Mode I
 Oldowan stone tools
 Discovered at Olduvi Gorge, Tanzania.
 Crude and mono-facial
Mode II
 Acheulean
 Discovered at st. Acheule, France
 Bi-facial Pointed and convex features
Mode III (sangoon)
 Flexible and finest
Stone Age is divided in to three.
Paleolithic Old stone age (3.4- 11000 ybp )
 Man developed language
 Live in cave shelter
 Use bone, stone , fur and skin( for tool and clothing)
 Sex-age based labor division
Mesolithic (middle stone age) 11000-10000 bp transition from Paleolithic to Neolithic (10000-
6000 bp)
2.2 Neolithic Revolution
Human transformation from hunting and gathering to sedentary life took place due to
environmental degradation.
 Domestication of plants and animals( teff, Eragrotis teff;Dagusa Eleusine corocana; Nug,
Guzoita abyssinica)
 Discovery of polished axes, ceramics, grinding stones, beads, stone figures, animal fossils
in the region under study.
2.3 The people of the Region
2.3.1. Languages and Linguistic Processes

The region of Ethiopia and the Horn marked by ethnic and linguistic diversity. There are 90
languages with 200 dialects.
Afro-Asiatic and Nilo-Saharan are the two super language families spoken in the region.
Afro-Asiatic: sub divided to the following 3 families
Cushitic : divided in to four branches
 Northern: is represented by Beja, spoken in northwestern Eritrea bordering
theSudan.
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  Central: Agaw includes Awign, Kunfel, Qimant; Hamtanga and Bilen
 Eastern: this includes diversified linguistic groups like Afar, Ale, Arbore, Baiso,
Burji, Darashe, Dasanech, Gedeo, Hadiya, Halaba, Kambata, Konso, Libido,
Mosiye, Oromo, Saho, Sidama, Somali, Tambaro, Tsemai, etc.
Southern: represented by Dhalo in Kenya and Nbugua in Tanzania.
Semitic: is divided into two:
 North: Ge'ez, Rashaida (spoken around Eritrea-Sudanese border); Tigre (spoken
in Eritrean Lowland); Tigrigna (spoken in highland Eritrea and Tigray).
 South: is further divided into two
Transverse: Amharic, Argoba, Harari, Silte, Wolane and Zay.
Outer: Gafat (extinct), Gurage and Mesmes (endangered).
Omotic: Anfillo, Ari, Bambasi, Banna, Basketo, Bench, Boro-Shinasha, Chara,
Dawuro, Dime, Dizi, Dorze, Gamo, Ganza, Gayil, Gofa, Hamer, Hozo, KachamaGanjule, Karo,
Keficho, Konta, Korete, Male, Melo, Nayi, Oyda, Sezo, Shekkacho,
Sheko, Wolayta, Yem, Zayse etc. Among its groups, Ometo includes Wolayta and
Gamo while main Gonga is Keficho.
B. Nilo-Saharan: Anywa, Berta, Gumuz, Kacipo-Balesi, Komo, Kunama, Kwama, Kwegu,
Majang, Mi'en, Murle, Mursi, Nara, Nu’er, Nyangatom, Opo, Shabo, Suri and Uduk.
Language classification did not remain static. Factors like population movements, warfare,
trade, religious and territorial expansion, urbanization etc. have resulted in intense linguistic
processes that forced languages to be affected.
2.2.2 Settlement patterns
Environmental, socio-economic, and political processes significantly shaped and reshaped the
spatial distribution of peoples in the region. (Sparsely populated and densely populated).
 Semitic and Cushitic inhabited the region between Red sea and Nile.
 Cushitic the largest in terms of speakers in the region
 Semitic lived over large area (Northern, southern, central) they are the second largest in
terms of speakers.
Except the Shinasha, who live in Benishangul-Gumuz and the South Mao in Wallagga, the
majority of Omotic peoples have inhabited southwestern Ethiopia along the Omo River
basin.
In the west, the Nilotes are largely settled along the Ethiopia-Sudanese border although some
of the Chari-Nile family inhabited as far as southern Omo.
2.3.3. Economic Formations
The domestication of plants and animals gave humanity two interdependent modes of life:
agriculture and pastoralism.
Pastoral economy
 Predominant in Eastern lowland region
 Most common economic practice among the Afar, Saho and Somali as well as Karayu
and Borana Oromo.

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  the Afar and Karrayu have depended on the Awash River,
 The Somali have owed a great deal to Wabi Shebelle and Genale (Jubba) Rivers.
Plough agriculture
 predominant in plateaus
 usually mixed farming
 practiced by Cushitic, Semitic and Omotic majority
In the sparsely populated western lowland region, the dominant economic formations were
pastoralism, shifting agriculture, fishing, apiculture and hunting.
2.4. Religion and Religious Processes
2.4.1. Indigenous Religion
Indigenous religious groups: are native to the region and have been followed by the local
people since ancient times.
Waqeffanna of the Oromo
 is based on the existence of one Supreme Being called Waqa.
 Waqa's power is manifested through the spirits called Ayyana.
 Qallu (male) and Qallitti (female) have maintained link between the Ayyana and
believers
 Qallu ritual house is called Galma
 Abdar/Dache (soil fertility spirit),
 Atete (women or human and animal fertility spirit),
Awayi/Tiyyana (sanctity spirit),
 Balas (victory spirit),
 Chato/Dora (wild animals defender),
 Gijare/ Nabi (father and mother’s sprit),
 Jaricha (peace spirit), Qasa (anti-disease spirit) etc.
Hadiya
 Among the Hadiya the Supreme Being is known as Waa,
 Spirits like Jara (male’s protector), Idota (female’s guard)
Kambata
 Aricho Magano/Sky God
 religious officials known as Magnancho.
Gedeo
 The Gedeo called the Supreme Being, Mageno
 . thanks giving ceremony called Deraro.
The Konso religion centered on worship of Waaq/Wakh.
The Gojjam Agaw used to call the Supreme Being Diban (Sky God).

Gurage
 Waq/Goita (supreme deity),
 Bozha (thunder God) and
 Damwamwit (health Goddess).
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The Gurage and the Yem had a common deity known as Abba at Enar (Henar). The Yem
worshipped Ha’o (Sky God).
Wolayta
 God Tosa and spirit Ayyana including Tawa-Awa /Moytiliya (father’s
spirit),
 Sawuna (justice spirit),
 Wombo (rain spirit),
 Micho (goat spirit), Nago (sheep spirit),
 Kuchuruwa (emergency spirit),
 Gomashera (war spirit),
 Talahiya (Beta Talaye or talheya,
Omo spirit)
Kafa
 The Keficho called Supreme Being as Yero;
 Spirit as Eqo and a person who hosts Eqo is known as Alamo or eke-nayo.
The Boro-Shinasha people believe in super natural power called Iqa, which created
everything and presides over the universe.
Nuer
The Nuer believe in Kuoth Nhial (God in Heaven), but believe in the coming of God through
rain, lightning and thunder, and rainbow is necklace of God.
NB: Mixing of religions is known as syncretism.
2.4.2. Judaism
Judaism is considered as the expression of the covenant that Yahweh/Jehovah (God) established
with the ancient Jewish (Hebrew).
 Practiced since ancient times in the region of Ethiopia and the Horn
 Based on the teachings of Moses
2.4.3. Christianity
 Introduced in 334 AD during the reign of Ezana
 Syrian brothers, Aedesius and Frementius (Fremnatos) converted Ezana
 Fremnatos (Kasate Birhane or Abba Salama) visited Alexandria, Patriarch Atnatewos
(328-373) appointed him as the first Bishop of Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC).
 Consecration of bishops from Coptic Church in Egypt continued until 1959, when Abune
Baslios became the first Ethiopian Patriarch.
 Christianity was further expanded to the mass of the society in later part of fifth century
 It continued to expand during Zagwe, medieval period(1270-1527)
From mid-sixteenth to the early seventeenth centuries, Jesuits tried to convert Monophysite
EOC to Dyophysite Catholic.The Catholic Giuseppe Sapeto (Lazarist mission founder), Giustino
De Jacobis (Capuchin order founder), Cardinal Massaja, Antoine and Arnauld d'Abbadie were
active in 19th.

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Anglican Church Missionary Society (ACMS), Church Missionary Society of London (CMSL)
and Wesleyan Methodist Society led Protestant missionaries and their major leaders were
Samuel Gobat, C.W. Isenberg and J.L. Krapf. Systematic approach of trained Protestants enabled
them to win confidence of local people.
 They translated spiritual books into vernaculars.
 They adopted old names for Supreme Being like Waqayyo, Tosa etc and used them in
new versions as equivalent to God.
 Village schools were established as centers of preaching the faith.
2.4.4. Islam

 The first exodus of Muslims to Ethiopia in 615 AD brought Islam to the region.
 The then Aksumite king, Armah Ella Seham (Ashama b. Abjar or Ahmed al-Nejash in
Arabic sources), gave them asylum from 615-28.
 It was through peaceful way and commerce

Get ways of Islam to the region of Ethiopia and the Horn

The Muslim sultanates of the medieval period shared many features in common. Such as:
 Their population was made up of Muslim communities.
 Their rulers exercised both religious and political powers.
 Islam and trade were main factors for their emergence.
 Most of them located in the southeastern lowlands of the Ethiopian region.
 Their economy was mainly depended on trade.