Author(s) :

Awegichew Amare Agonafir.

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Abstract :

The historic organization of the medieval Ethiopian military regiments awaits a comprehensive historical study. The present study examines the role of the Čäwa military regiments in stimulating cultural interaction among peoples of diverse identities across regions. The primary sources for the study are royal chronicles of Ethiopian emperors, hagiographies, missionaries' accounts and other contemporary sources. It is found that from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries, the Ethiopian Čäwa military regiments had exhibited three major experiences. These are the organization of a mixed ethno-religious and multi-lingual regiments, settlement of the Čäwa in newly integrated regions and remote frontiers and their intermingling with the local population. These long processes of interaction and cultural exchange have stretched to the shifting political geography of the Ethiopian state.

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4

Author(s) :

Hiruie Ermias.

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Bitu is the only heretic of Ethiopian origin whose name and thoughts were mentioned in the Māṣḥāfā mǝśṭir (Book of Mystery), which provides extensive assertions in response of various heresies of individual heretics and religious sects from the perspective of Oriental Orthodoxy. His heresy relates to eschatology and severely contradicts some of the main concerns that the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church believes and teaches regarding eschatological doctrine. St. Giyorgis of Gaśśǝč̣č̣a (1364-1424 A.D), one of the scholars of his time and author of several theological and hymnal books, including the Māṣḥāfā mǝśṭir has disputed against him in public at the court of King Dawit II (1382-1413 A.D). The homily he later composed in response of Bitu's heresy reflects the main points of the debate. Correspondingly, the Vita, composed by later hagiographers to commemorate his apostolic mission, virtues, and scholarly achievements, gives important information on the background and end of the dispute. In a way, the story shows the dispute resolution and justice system of the time. Though, in present Ethiopia, little is known about Bitu’s identity and beliefs. The purpose of this article is to deal with the story and end of the controversy based on the witnesses of the sources mentioned earlier and related references. The eschatological teachings of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church are also briefly discussed to provide a better understanding of the controversy.

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3

Author(s) :

Yohannes Kassahun.

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Abstract :

A recent law enforcement campaign in Tigray Region raised the question as to why the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a leading member of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), failed to observe the Constitution, and why the current government used force instead of peaceful resolution. This article examines the transfer of power conflicts based on desk research, personal observations, political parties’ programs, parliamentary debates and speeches. The roots of conflicts in power transfer relate to historical absolutist governance traditions, despite challenges. Borrowed laws did not stop conflicts nor develop participatory governance. The current competitive politics and the market system may develop a homegrown legal culture in power transfer.

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1

Author(s) :

Assefa Balcha.

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Abstract :

Based on available written and local oral sources, this article revisits the political and socio-economic scene of the city of Dessie, South Wollo, Ethiopia, after the Battle of Segelle. The main objective of this historical study is thus to re-examine and explain how the unlimited intervention of the central government in the immediate after years and in the ensuing decades following the defeat in 1917 of Negus Mikael at Segelle deprived Dessie of what it should have managed to obtain and to develop itself as one of the potentially thriving urban centers in Ethiopia. The ill-fated Segelle debacle, which was a turning point in the history of Wollo’s short-lived political ascendancy, had had far-reaching economic and political consequences throughout the Imperial period. The study focuses particularly on how the political leadership at the national and provincial levels thwarted, if not totally blocked, the development of the town. With the exception of the Italian interlude and the unrelenting effort of the business community, the development of Dessie with its geo-political and economic advantages was not meaningfully enhanced even after the replacement in 1974 of the Imperial regime by the military junta or the Derg that ruled the country up to the start of the last decade of the twentieth century.

No. of Downloads :

3

Author(s) :

Daniel Aberra.

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Abstract :

This study examines the first four decades of the one-hundred-and-twenty years' sociolinguistic roles of the French language in Ethiopia. The study covers the period from 1897, when the first bilateral agreements between King Menilik and the then representative of France, Lagarde, were signed, to 1935. It is noted that in this period, which is the heyday of French in Ethiopia, missionaries from France and diplomatic relations between France and Ethiopia had played significant roles in popularizing French in Ethiopia's education system and print media. The French language and culture also played pivotal roles in moulding emerging urban and elite culture in Ethiopia. French's influence may also be observed in the positive attitude, which the Ethiopian urban people had towards the language.

No. of Downloads :

5

Author(s) :

Alemayehu Jote Tulu.

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Abstract :

Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (hereafter, EOTC) is an ancient Church that has passed through several progresses. This review article describes brief historical accounts of the origin and development of the Church in connection to Ethiopian states. When organizing the paper, published and unpublished sources from religious and historical fields were critically reviewed. Sources from Amharic versions were carefully translated to English; and yet Amharic versions were directly used where it is difficult to find equivalent English version. Despite all the efforts made to use the sources cautiously, the reviewer honestly alleges that the data in this review article is by no means exclusively indisputable. There are significant inconsistencies among writers. The sources of the variation could attribute to the authenticity level of the sources and long-established stories the writers used, as well as to the personal and religious prejudice and subjectivity of the writers. To minimize the inconsistencies of facts and figure (dates), maximum efforts were made to follow the most reliable sources and the most accepted traditions. The reviewed sources indicate that the Ethiopian state system and Christianity had been functioning in strong harmony since their inception to the half of the 20th century. As far as the history of introduction of Christianity to Ethiopia is concerned, several hypotheses are put forward, both before and after the Christ Era. The coming of Jews with Menelik I in the 10th century B. C. and the arrival of the two Syrian boys in the 4th century are the most overwhelming traditions. It was also reviewed that the Christological dispute that emerged among Christian theologians in the 3rd and 4th century was finalized dividing the theologians into Orthodox and Roman Catholic horizons. Further, it was described that EOTC had been under the Patriarchate leadership of Alexandria, Egypt for 16 centuries until the diplomatic effort of Atse Haile Silassie made it possible to have local Patriarch in the mid-20th century.

No. of Downloads :

3