The Amhara people are thought to be descendants of Cushitic groups who intermingled with Semitic peoples that migrated to the Horn of Africa from the Arabian Peninsula around the 10th century BC. In what could only be described as an exodus due to the rather large number of people that would have been involved, this essay will try to answer the questions surrounding the Amhara people's origins.
It is rather unclear exactly how large the exodus was, and, if the people involved all belonged to the same tribe of the Arabian Peninsula, which was inhabited by a multitude of tribes, or not. What we know for certain, thanks to hieroglyphic studies, is that the bulk of migrants were Sabean.
Numeric models based on fertility rates gathered over several generations of the Abyssinian highlanders suggest that their ancestors would have been rather large numbers of people who settled across the plateaus. This presents the question of why such large numbers of people (primarily from one tribe) migrated to settle in a neighbouring region.
The evidence of genetic and linguistic continuity with other Semitic groups in the region is conclusive. It is now an established fact that key events of the region in the ensuing centuries were underlined by miscegenation patterns with local Agew groups. A pattern which would see the Sabeans parent new identities.
The local counterpart that gave birth to the biological and political progenitors of the Sabeans (the Agazi) are the Agew. A Cushitic pan-ethnic group present to this day in various parts of the region. The Agew are mostly concentrated in present day Amhara regions (Qemant, Shinasha etc.) but also have a presence in Eritrea (Bilen).
In the centuries leading up to the birth of Christ the Agazi established the first metropolis of the region, known as Damat, translating to ‘plentiful’. Though information on the early civilization of the horn is scarce, Damat is considered the first great power of the region. To understand better perhaps we can hypothesize the etymology of ‘plentiful’.
Why did they call their first metropolis 'plentiful'? To answer that question one must take a step back and examine the cultural genealogy of the princely Agazi people. Historians questioning the motif of the migration have poised the idea that the Sabeans either voluntarily fled or were persecuted from the peninsula.
Whether members of other Arabian tribes migrated along with the Sabeans is discounted, but it is safely induced from written archeological evidence that the Sabeans made up the largest contingent of migrants to the region which makes the hypothesis of persecution all the more alluring.
Nevertheless, whether the Sabeans migrated due to persecution or other reasons coining the first state post-exodus ‘plentiful’ leaves little room for guessing the underlying reason for this migration was likely the anti-thesis to plentifulness; call it scarcity, misery or otherwise. They main issue with the persecution theory is, in fact, that of writing.
In the Iron age writing was typically the affair of the elite. Nobility, Priesthood and in some cases Craftsmen. Therefore, it seems unlikely that a persecuted populace would have been able to transfer the writing system and knowledge of the Sabeans onto their progenitors- unless the elite class of the Sabeans was the one persecuted.
This is again unlikely as the scholarly consensus on the matter- supported by the likes of acclaimed British Archaelogist David Walter Phillipson and renowned French Historian Robin Juliens- is that the migration patterns were trade related and moreover they happened gradually rather than in one mass exodus.
Their homeland in the Arabian Peninsula is to this day known as the harshest environment to live in, with more obstacles to survival per capita than even the much feared arctic circles. However, the Sabeans mastered trading and technology as one would expect of inhabitants of such harsh environments. For necessity is the mother of all inventions.
We can deduce with the evidence at hand that the rich and fertile lands of the Horn of Africa would then provide the resources that they were denied in the Arabian Peninsula. Sophisticated urban centres, advanced technologies and a militarised society became the hallmarks of growing population and as they say- the rest is history.
Located at the strategic crossroad between the Red Sea and the Nile Valley, Damat became an important centre for trade and commerce. The knowledge transferred by the Sabeans onto their descendants included some of the most advanced geological and agricultural discoveries of the era such as terraced irrigation and iron works.
Terraced irrigation and iron works would be the pillars for the oncoming global superpower that was to be Aksum. However, we must first mention the Queen of Sheba who ruled Damat towards its end in the 10 BCE as she is an important figure that would be crucial in the ensuing evolution- from Damat to Aksum.
Queen Sheba is thought to represent the beginning of foreign relations between the rather isolated Agazi people and the rest of the world. Thanks to her visit to King Solomon of Israel she brought back wisdom that was hardly attainable in those times, trade agreements and an offspring who would legitimise the ties between the two kingdoms.
AKSUMITE KINGDOM
The Sabean Dream
Following the decline of Damat the Sabeans, who had by this point irreconcilably morphed into their new identity as Agazians, established several centres of research and trade, most important of whom was Aksum. It is not entirely clear how Axum became a kingdom but it is known that the various polities of Damat which had previously operated as clans rather than tribes managed to unite.
Contrary to popular belief it was characteristic in Africa and Near East but also, until a certain point in history, the Middle East to reward wisdom and innovation, rather than conquest and violence. Thus rulers were mostly made of intellectual achievements, and so, it is perfectly possible that this is how the Monarchical era of Aksum began.
In a sense, it is impossible to be able to precisely trace where this culture of diligence the Amhara people took root, but it is fair to assume with the balance of probability and the scientific method at large- that it would have had a great deal to do with the hardships their Sabean ancestors endured in the Arabian Peninsula- the biome with the least living organisms anywhere on planet earth.
This is crucial to consider given that this culture predates the conversion of Aksum to Christianity. Most other societies in human history were spurred to diligence by the advent of Christianity or other major religions. This is not to belittle the role of pre-Abrahamic religions but to countenance the normative approach to Abrahamic faiths in mainstream historical discourse that unfairly paints them all with the same brush.
Aksum is, thus, to be widely considered to be among the first states in history to practice Secularism. Archeological findings point to the wide spread practice of varied religions across the 800 years or so of Aksumite rule over the region. Aksum’s power throughout the first few centuries CE saw it establish trade networks that stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean.
The conversion to Christianity happened after Christian missionaries travelling to the region were taken captive and brought to the Aksumite court before King Ella Amida who ruled before Ezana. Their defence made such an impression on the court that they were given the chance to redeem themselves in service of the courts. The elder of the missionaries eventually became tutor to young Ezana who was so impressed by the values that he made Christianity state religion upon ascension to the throne.
Aksum remained true to Secular values throughout its history, alas, true Christianity ordains the acceptance of all and espouses Freewill as mother of virtues which transcends Secularism itself of course. Mainstream historical discourse on Aksum summarises the hallmark of the Aksumites as being the wealth which it accrued relative to its size which was considerable, but little credit is given to it as one of the earliest Secular empires.
That being said, the decline of Aksum began in the 6th century CE as shifting trade routes and global alliances rendered the once mighty empire, weak and isolated. It is at this crucial historical impasse that we will begin to finally learn about the great Amhara people. By the 9th century CE, the capital of Aksum had been abandoned and the kingdom had fractured into smaller states. Most important to remember at this point were Zagwe, Agame, Wag and Lasta.
ZAGWE AND SOLOMONIC DYNASTIES
(Blood vs Ideal)
The Zagwe emerged as a dominant power expanding south in the rest of the highlands. Zagwe, which means ‘of the Agew’ in Ge’ez, were able to consolidate power through a combination of military might and Christian administration of civilian populations. In its relatively short reign of 2 centuries, the Zagwe are known for having been a keen theocracy exercising administration of state affairs exclusively through Christian doctrine. The highly religious dynasty is known for building the rock-hewn network of churches which are still standing and a major tourist attraction today.
Culturally the Zagwe spoke Geez and are therefore thought to have been the final authority of the Agaezi people, as well as the last speakers of Ge’ez as official state language. The ensuing centuries would see Christian rule diluted with the local practices of smaller tribes and ethnostates. The adoption of new lifestyles had by now diverted Agazi from the seafaring, commerce and science of their Aksumite and Sabean forefathers.
Many cultures developed from here on, but the most significant identities born out of the Agaezi of Aksum by midwifery of the temporary Zagwe dynasty were the Tigrayan and Amhara (present to this day) cultures that developed thereon- with distinct, yet related languages and customs. The dilution of the strict Christian doctrine followed by their Zagwe predecessors and examination of their past history made the dominant Amhara nobility question their future direction.
ABYSSINIA
Sub-Saharan Civilisation
What emerged after the Zagwe dynasty was an acceptance that strict Christian doctrine to govern such a diverse empire was not going to serve justice. Thus the Amhara nobility opted to revert back to the Secular roots of their Sabean and Aksumite forefathers and abandon the strict Zagwe doctrine by espousing Solomon’s secular governance style. This is the beginning of what is best known as an Ideological Dynasty- the Solomonic dynasty, which would rule the Abyssinians for close to a millennia in an underserved compliment to Secularism.
The biggest issue with the modern critique of the Solomonic Dynasty is the assumption that inheritance is exclusively genetic, while in fact the most important inheritance of men is ideological. The Amhara kings perfected the art of governance with a seamless marriage between Christian and Secular doctrine as King Solomon would have likely approved of. In fact, the heir of the Aksumite Empire- the Abyssinian Civilisation would not be known for its riches as Aksum was, but instead through the expansion of literature and the arts. This direction would unite extremely diverse African groups of Omotic, Nilotic, Cushitic and Semitic roots seamlessly in one beautiful, vibrant and truly African civilization.
All languages and religions in Abyssinia have existed for centuries under the Ideological Dynasty of the Amhara and usually trading clans or other ethnic groups were assimilated through trade and marriage; rarely if at all with violent conquest. The Abyssinian identities of Amhara and Tigray would be, at this point, completely disjointed from their Agaezi root and would instead be known worldwide, but especially in the neighbouring Middle East and North Africa, as Habesha (Abyssinian). They would live in constant struggle particularly against the expansionist powers of the Middle East and their persistent agendas of converting the Abyssinians to Islam, capture the source of the Blue Nile and control the Red Sea trade routes.
These were, of course, the gravest threats to the Amharas to date as they were specifically aimed at subjugating and irreversibly changing the lifestyle, language and culture of the nation through the teaching of Arabic and Islam, the latter of which would have placed many a restriction on freedoms that the Abyssinians had enjoyed since their ancestors flight from the Arabian peninsula. These wars lasted around 3 centuries, until the advent of the Ottomans which largely ended the incursions after it waged one last attempt at converting the Abyssinians. The Ottoman proxies defended their position at the Battle of Wayna Daga which saw Ahmed ‘the left handed’ Gragn beheaded in battle on the 21st February 1543 by Gelawdewos forces.
Abyssinia then enjoyed some centuries of relative peace free from threat but the proliferation of the musket in the 17th century would change that. The noble houses of Europe were now becoming major global players and this directly coincides with the decline of Abyssinia in what is known in Amhara history as the Zemene Mesafint (Era of the princes). Coincidence or not remains a subject of major debate. This era was marked with little loyalty and cohesion between constantly warring noble houses of Abyssinia desperate to get hold of these new technologies.
As such, there was hardly any region in the world, let alone Abyssinia, that was making significant economic gains in this period- except Europe, who had by now snatched control of global trade from the Middle Eastern potentates. Though marred by internal competition between naval powers such as Portugal, Spain, England and the Netherlands- European domination would last well into the 19th century, after which it would share control with the emerging power of the United States.
The ascension of Tewodros II to the throne in 1855 managed to reunite Abyssinia, and although that was a huge success, the remainder of his rule was littered with frustration over the inability to restore glory to his civilization. He sought to have a standing Abyssinian army for the first time in history. As European powers seized land and commerce globally. The nobility of the various Abyssinian peripheries and hinterlands either bent the knee or were slain by he who went down as arguably the greatest warrior Abyssinia ever produced. After he declared war on the superpower of the time- Great Britain. Queen Victoria had to enlist one of its most experienced officers (General Robert Napier), war elephants from India and the latest engineering of the time to defeat his military might. According to Dr. Richard Reid (an Expert in African history) this was one of the most expensive military campaigns the British Empire has ever undertaken and it is testament to the backbone of Abyssinia- the Amhara people who were defeated at the Battle of Magdala in 1868.
Slavery and Colonialism were now running out of steam and the zeitgeist was changingin the 20th century became as ensuring global peace emerged as a priority to quench the thirst for resources such as sugar cane, oil, minerals and coffee that Europe and the New World had. This did not stop two world wars from happening within this same century though and the late emperors of Abyssinia foreseeing the oncoming issues sought to centralise the governance of the southern peripheries to facilitate the country’s position in global trade. Yohannes IV ensured national cohesion by decreeing Amharic the national language and declaring the green, yellow and red stripes the flag of the nation while Menelik II continued the fight against invaders by ensuring the continuity of the state at Adwa in 1896, albeit, with the loss of sea access to Imperial Italy through the Treaty of Wuchale. The true scholarly consensus however, is that the sea access was lost with the signing of the Hewlett treaty by Yohannes IV.
Regardless, the silver lining of Menelik's reign was arguably the move of the capital to the south with the founding of Addis Ababa. The primary motivation of this move was to serve as rubber stamping the now centuries old relationship with southern nations in the form of trade, peaceful co-existence across the social strata all the way up to the royal family who had even been intermarrying with southern royal lineages for centuries by now. Unlike mainstream history tries to peddle, this is the official beginning of Pan-Africanism which is based on the belief of a shared African identity and common destiny that are encapsulated in the constant struggle against foreign aggressors by cooperating with all African peoples, uniquely initiated in the continent by the Amhara kings.
Beyond Pan-Africanism, the founding of Addis Ababa also marks one of the first, if not the only, occasions in human history in which a state was formed primarily by means of collective consensus and assimilation rather than aggression and coercion. This is a result of the collective Amhara consciousness inherited by their escape from Aksum and a vow to live a life free of coercion and aggression, to make the pursuit of profits and glory which were paramount to their Aksumite ancestors, secondary to peace and wellbeing. Through the power of arts, literature and the fierce protection of individual rights. The Amhara as a people- plenty of literature has documented- have thus been known to be among the most civilised in the continent which is not surprising given that they are descendants of one of the first civilizations in the continent.
Unlike other empires and great powers in history, Abyssinia arguably made its greatest achievements towards the end of its existence. Some may argue that the Golden Era of Abyssinia was, in fact, cut short and deserving of a longer spate of existence. Nevertheless, the legacy of the Amharas is:
Enriching Aksumite heritage by expanding the literature and arts
Increasing military prowess to levels unexperienced before
Leading defence against colonialism with founding of OAU
Establishing modern legal regimes and orders of chivalry
Introducing Tewahedo Orthodoxy to the western world
Birthing the first global religion of Rastafarianism
The authentic secular approach of the Solomonic Dynasty was brought to a tragic end by the fascistic coup of the Derg military regime in 1974, which exploited various internal issues such as a famine that was ravaging the highlands, including parts of the Amharas homeland to unseat the last emperor Haile Selassie I. What ensued since is half a century and counting of identity crisis marred by denial of the state formation and history of the Abyssinian people. The current constitution of the state is in fact responsible for the gamification of identity by rendering ethnicity a competition for representation and resources rather than a benchmark of identity as it ought to be in a civilised society.
The myriad ethnic conflicts raging within the current borders of the state have to date claimed lives in the tune of millions, lives cut short simply because of their ethnicity. The ancient civilization of Abyssinia and its bulwark the Amhara people are facing the threat of extinction at the hands of successive fascistic regimes that are divorced from the ancient Solomonic tradition of Christianity based Secularism, which far predates modern secularism espoused by neo-colonial powers. Over the centuries, the ideological dynasty faced numerous challenges including wars, rebellions and foreign invasions but none have been as insidious and have come so close to committing genocide on Abyssinians. Though mostly exiled since the fascist uprising of the Derg, the Solomonic Dynasty remains a powerful force worldwide and especially in the consciousness of its people.
The Ancient Society stands to be a watchdog for the wellbeing and preservation of the peoples of Abyssinia as prescribed by the history written by its own scholars and not the history told to us by the same institutions trying to peddle an unprincipled and mercantile version of secularism to the mother civilization of secularism itself. It is our aim to expose these institutions in due course; but also to document, investigate and advocate for proper representation of the Amhara people, where possible, or seek for alternatives to the current arrangement called Ethiopia up to and including the option to secede and form a new state.
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