Presentation

1. Rift Valley University

2. •Common Course: History of
Ethiopia and the Horn (Hist
1012)
•By: Walde Dinkuma
•2015/2023

3. UNIT ONE
1.1 The Nature and Uses of History
A. Nature of History
 History is derived from Greek word Istoria, means “inquiry”
or “an account of one’s inquiries.”
 The term History is 1st
used by ancient Greek historians,
Herodotus ( “father of history).
• In ordinary usage, history means all things happened in the
human past.
• Academically, history can be defined as an organized and
systematic study of the past. History is what actually happened
in the past; it is endless process between past, present &
future.

4. • Major concern of history is the study of human society
& its interaction with the natural environment .
• Time/period is important in History. It helps to
organize & divide past simply. Putting events is time is
known as Periodization. History is divided into
ancient, medieval & modern history.
• Change & Continuities:- Historical developments or
events changed & remained unchanged.

5.  All aspects of human life, social, cultural, economic,
& political in the past have been changing from time
to time; not practiced exactly the same way in the
lifetime of ancestors.
But, some things stay the same for long periods.
Example:-Languages; beliefs & religious practices;
agricultural/pastoral ways of life ; social organization.

6. B. Uses of History
• History :- Helps Better Understand the Present,
• Provides a Sense of Identity. a mirror in which society
see themselves.
* Provides Basic Background for other disciplines:-
Historical knowledge is extremely valuable for all
* Teaches Critical Skills:- helps to get research
skills(sources, arguments, writing, interpretation..)
* Helps Develop Tolerance and Open-Mindedness
* Supplies Endless Source of Fascination:-sense of
beauty and excitement.

7. Why studying History is important? It is essential to the
individual and the society. Because:-
• we grasp how and why things change; Understand
what elements of a society persist despite change.
• Aesthetic and humanistic goals
When we study History we should;
• Avoid personal bias and abuses. Professional historian is
different from propagandist. A professional historian
takes care to document his judgment and assertions.

8. 1.2. Sources and Methods of Historical Study
• Historians are not creative writers like novelists.
• Therefore, the work of historians must be supported by
evidence arising from sources. Historical sources are
broadly classified into two types : -Primary & Secondary
1 Primary sources
• They are original or first hand in their proximity
to the event both in time and in space.
EXAMPLES :- manuscripts (handwritten materials), diaries,
letters, minutes, court records and administrative files,
travel documents, photographs, maps, video and
audiovisual materials, and artifacts such as coins fossils,
weapons, utensils, and buildings.

9. 2 Secondary sources
. are second-hand published accounts about
past event
• They provide an interpretation of
* what happened,
* why it happened, and
* how it happened
.They often based on primary sources.
• EXAMPLES
articles, books, textbooks, biographies, and
published stories or movies about historical
events.

10. oral tradition (data )
. is another source of historical writing
• Oral sources are especially valuable to study and
document the history of non-literate
societies
• It Is transmission of information from one
generation to another generation by speaking
rather than writing
• Oral data may lose its originality and authenticity
due to distortion through time

11. 1.3. Historiography of Ethiopia and the Horn
• Historiography :- history of historical writing.
Organized study & narration of past was introduced
by Greek historians Herodotus and Thucydides
• Sima Qian : Han dynasty figure reminded for
Chinese tradition of thinking and writing.
• Leopold Von Ranke (1795–1886), & his colleagues
established history as an independent discipline in
Berlin. Ranke is considered as the “father of
modern historiography.”
• Manuscripts aside, the earliest written Ethiopian
material dates from the seventh century A.D.

12. 1. Earliest known reference on history of Ethiopia and
Horn is the Periplus of Erythrean Sea ( 1st
C ), written
by an anonymous author.
2. Christian Topography ( 6th C ) another document
composed by CosmosIndicopleustes.
- It describe Aksum’s trade and the then Aksumite king’s
campaigns on both sides of the sea.
Inscriptions: writings engraved on rocks, stones, walls,
monument shows past events.
Manuscripts:- hand written records of past in forms of books.
The other earliest written materials from 7th
C. Document
found in Abba Gerima monastery in Yeha. This was followed
by a manuscript discovered;-
Haiq Istifanos monastery in Wollo ( 13 th C).
The value of manuscripts is essentially religious

13. Hagiographers:- about life of saints/ martyrs of Orthodox
church & mosques’. Deals about both state and religion.
Example: Hagiography of TekleHaimanot & Hagiography of
Shaykh Ja’far Bukko of Gattira(Muslim society)
Chronicle: record of the king and life at court. Ethiopia had
indigenous tradition of history writing. It is historical
accounts of Kings without analysis. Chronicles to court
scribes or clergymen.
• The earliest & last of such surviving documents:- Glorious
Victories of Amde-Tsion & Chronicle of Abeto Iyasu and
Empress Zewditu respectively.
• Chronicles known for their factual detail & strong
chronological framework(arranged by time). It is not
analyzed & not interpreted.
• Chronicles :- historical events mainly in religious terms.

14. • Written accounts of Arabic-speaking visitors to coast
also provide useful information on various aspects of
the region’s history:- Al-masudi & Ibn Battuta about
East African Coast.
• 16th and 17th
C, two documents composed by Yemeni
writers who were eyewitnesse.
• 1st
: Futuh al Habesha was composed by Shihab al-
Din, who recorded the conflict b/n Christian kingdom
& Muslim principalities in the 16th
C.
• Contribution of European missionaries & travelers to
dev’t of Ethiopian historiography is also significant
• Missionaries (Catholics and Protestants).They provide
valuable information covering a considerable period

15. 1. The Prester John of Indies, composed by a
Portuguese priest, Francisco Alvarez.
2. Travel documents had also important contribution to
the development of Ethiopian historiography.
i. James Bruce’s Travels to Discover Source of the Nile.
• 17th
C, Foreign writers also developed interest in
Ethiopian studies:- A German, Hiob Ludolf (1624-
1704):- was the founder of Ethiopian studies in Europe
(17th
C). Wrote Historia Aethiopica (translated as A
New History of Ethiopia).
• He collected information from Abba (in Europe)
• Dillman published two books with better objectivity.

16. 20th
C, Historical writings separated from chroniclers traditions. Traditional
Ethiopian writers emerged. Earliest group of Ethiopian writers:-
* Aleqa Taye Gebre Mariam,
* Aleqa Asme Giorgis
* Debtera Fisseha-Giorgis Abyezgi.
* Negadras affework Gebre-Iyesus and
* Gebre-Hiwot Baykedagn
Unlike chroniclers, these writers dealt with a range of topics from social
justice, administrative reform and economic analysis to history

17. • Taye & Fisseha-Giorgis wrote history of Ethiopia.
• Asme produced a similar work on the Oromo people.
• Afework wrote 1st
Amharic novel, Tobiya
Gebre-Hiwot : Atse Menilekna Ityopia (Emperor
Menilek and Ethiopia) & Mengistna Yehizb Astedader
(Government & Public Administration) to his name.
• The most prolific writer of the early 20th
C was
Blatten Geta Hiruy Wolde-Selassie, Hiruy published
four major works namely; * Ethiopiana Metema
(Ethiopia and Metema), * Wazema(Eve)
* Yehiwot Tarik (A Biographical Dictionary) and
* Yeityopia Tarik (A History of Ethiopia)

18. Tekle-Tsadik Mekuria formed a bridge between writers
in pre-1935 and Ethiopia professional historians who
came after him
• Another work of importance in this period is
Yilma Deressa’s Ye Ityopiya Tarik Be’asra Sidistegnaw
Kifle Zemenb (A History of Ethiopia in 16th
C). This book
addresses the Oromo population movement & wars
between the Christian kingdom & Muslim sultanates as
its main subjects.
Blatten Geta Mahteme-Selassie Wolde-Meskel :-wrote
Zikre Neger. Zikre Neger is a comprehensive account of
Ethiopia’s prewar land tenure systems & taxation

19. • Another writer of the same category was Dejazmach
Kebede Tesema. Kebede wrote memoir of imperial
period or Yetarik Mastawesha in 1962 E.C
• The 1960s was a crucial decade in the development of
Ethiopian historiography for it was in this period that
history emerged as an academic discipline.
• The pursuit of historical studies as a full-time
occupation began with the opening of Department of
History in 1963 at the Haile Selassie I University (HSIU)
• The production of BA theses began towards the end of
the decade.
• The Department launched its MA and PhD programs in
1979 and 1990 respectively

20. • the Institute of Ethiopian Studies (IES) :- is
institutional home of professional historiography of
Ethiopia. IES was founded in 1963
• Richard Pankhurst is the first Director founding
member of IES. Since its foundation, the IES has been
publishing the Journal of Ethiopian Studies for
dissemination of historical research.
• The professionalization of history is post-colonial
phenomenon. Africans begun the works in this era.
African Historiography is started in new methodology.

21. 1.4. The Geographical Context
The term “Ethiopia and the Horn” refers to that
part of Northeast Africa, which contains the
countries : -
* Djibouti * Eritrea,
* Ethiopia, and * Somalia
• Diversity of the terrain led to regional variations
in climate, natural vegetation, soil composition,
& settlement patterns of the horn
• Regions’ Geography has impact on the way
people live & organize themselves into societies.
• Spatial location in relationship to other spaces &
locations in the world is one geographical factor

22. • Ethiopia & Horn lies between the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden
and Indian Ocean.
• Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden linked Northeast Africa to
the Eastern Mediterranean,
• Indian Ocean has linked East Africa to the Near and
Middle East, India and the Far East
• Drainage system Another element of geography factor
that had profound impact on human history
• . Ethiopia and the Horn has five principal drainage
systems:-
• These are : - Nile River, * Gibe/Omo–Gojeb,
* Genale/Jubba-Shebele, * Awash River,and
* Ethiopian Rift Valley

23. • Drainage systems facilitated the movement of peoples
and goods across diverse environments,
• results in the exchange of ideas, technology, knowledge,
cultural expressions, and beliefs.
• Ethiopia and the Horn can be divided into three major
distinct environmental zones
• Eastern lowland covers the narrow coastal strip of
northeastern Eritrea
• include much of lowland Eritrea, the Sahel, the Danakil
Depression, the lower Awash valley
• highland massif starts from northern Eritrea & continues
all the way to southern Ethiopia.
• consists the Arsi, Bale and Hararghe plateau

24. • Rift valley is the major divide between the western
and eastern parts of this zone
• The major physiographic features of the zone are
complex of mountains, deep valleys, and extensive
plateaus.
• Countries of Horn of Africa are, for the most part,
linguistically and ethnically linked together.
THE END!