Fatagar

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Fatagar Province
1400–1650
CapitalYifat
Common languagesMaya, Oromo, Hadiya, Amharic
Religion
Islam
GovernmentMonarchy
Governor 
History 
• Established
1400
• Disestablished
1650
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Sultanate of Arbabni
Shewa
Ethiopian Empire
Today part ofEthiopia

Fatagar (Amharic: ፈጠጋር) was a historical province that separated Muslim and Christian dominions in the medieval Horn of Africa.[1] In the eleventh century it was part of the Muslim states, then was invaded by the Christian kingdom led by Emperor Amda Seyon in the fourteenth century.[2][3][4]

Ethnicity[]

The now extinct Maya ethnic group once inhabited Fatagar.[5] Local tradition claims that the province was a Gurage kingdom, but early Arab sources cited by Brakumper record that Oromos were already living in the area and had founded many kingdoms, one of which was Fatagar, after their conversion to Islam by Ifat.[6][7] Mohammed Hassan describes that Maacha and the Tulama served as the major inhabitants of Fatager and Fatager served as a strong hold for the Maacha, Tulama Oromo. He states in his book the following “The Maachas, and Tulama established them selfs at Nabi ode where they all gathered.”[8]

Location[]

Fatagar separated Ifat from Showa and was south of the kingdom of Lasta.[9] It is also described as having been located in eastern Ethiopia, where several kingdoms, such as Ifat, Mora, Dawaro, Hadiya and Bali, also existed.[10] The area is now part of the modern Arsi and Shewa Zone southeast of Addis Ababa.

Map of medieval Ethiopian provinces, with Fetegar between Ifat and Shewa, and west of Wej, northeast of Hadiya, and north of Dawaro

History[]

Establishment and early campaigns[]

Fetegar was founded during the arrival of Islam in Eastern Ethiopia in the early 10th century, along with Other confederates of Zeila such as Adal, Ifat, Shewa, and Dawaro.[11][12] It was a large province and one of Ifat's strongest allies; the latter used it as leverage against the rest of Ethiopia, since in order to get to Ifat, the Ethiopian Empire had to go through several other kingdoms, including Fetegar. Ifat sent governors and advisors to the sultanate to lead their Muslim allies.[13]

Jarecho (Zway era)[]

One ruler of Fetegar, Ras Azmach Islamo, earned his name by fighting fellow Muslims, among other notable deeds.[14] Another noted ruler was Garad, or Ras Amdu; according to one chronicle, his reputation was enough to dissuade the Abyssinians from invading Fetegar. The chronicle records this statement: "Let us also have the protection of the Muslims in order to achieve our aims, and bring them in so that our religion may not be changed. But there is a Garad (Ras) Amdu, and as long as he lives the Muslims are weak and scared. This would lead to them plotting against him they planned to spread a rumour, the rumour spread that the King slept with Queen Eleni of Abyssinia. With this the king was furious and led a Army from Wej to Fetegar, and also campaigned against Maya. With this Amdu invaded Fetegar and several other kingdoms.[15] and decisively defeated the Moslims; however in his campiagn the Abyssinian king Eskender came to the support of the Muslims. Eskender captured Amdu and killed him. Amdu’s nephew Welde Sulis succeeded Amdu; when he met Eskender he swore a oath not to spare him.

The Muslims of Fetegar became powerful after the end of the Zway Dynasty. The Oromos (Fetegar) then invaded Zway and most of the Sultanate of Ifat. Fetegar would rule till the establishment of the Emirate of Harar.[16][17][18]

Amdu died, leaving Fetegar weak against the attacks of the Abyssinian Emperor Amda Seyon I. He attacked the Muslim states and Fetegar fell, along with Ifat, Dawaro, Bale, Waj and many others.[19]

After the death of Amdu, Fetegar served an important role for the Ethiopian Empire. Dawit I and his successors stayed in Fetegar for a long time in Tobya (Yifat, Fetegar). The kingdom served as the birth place of the future emperors Zara Yaqoub, Eskender, and Ba’eda Maryam. Imam Ahmed Gragn even spent some time there. Zara Yaqoub would than make Tobya his Capital.[20]

Conquest of Abyssinia[]

Ahmed Gragn[]

Later, in the mid 16th century, Fetegar was invaded by the Imam of Harar, Ahmed Gurey.[21]

Garad Abbas[]

When he died, one of his generals, Garad Abbas, did not follow his orders, and invaded Fetegar. He would invade many kingdoms, but his campaign was stopped by the Emperor Gelawdewos.[22]

Nur’s Campiagn against Gelawdewos[]

After the death of Garad Abbas, Gelawdewos invaded all of the Muslim provinces and kingdoms except for Harar. Among the kingdoms he conquered were Dawaro, Fetegar, Bali, and Hadiya. The Ethiopian king then focused on the southwestern side of Ethiopia, and there Nur ibn Mujahid found an opportunity for jihad. Nur then invaded Bale and Dawaro. He planned to invade Fetegar next, but the Ethiopian Govorner Fanu’el decisively defeated Nur in the year 1550. But the war didn’t ended there. Ras Fanu’el campaigned further into Muslim territory and pushed the Harari Army back to Adal. The Ethiopian Govorner raided Muslim territories and took many goods.[23] Nur took a lot of damage in his first campaign; it took him nine years to recover, but he then got together an army of 1800 horsemen and 500 riflemen and numerous sword and bow men, and invaded Fetegar.[24] Gelawdewos saw Nur as a threat so he sent Hamalmal Governor of Kambata and Ras Fasil to destroy Harar. What he did not know was that Nur was campaigning in Kaffa. The two Governors sacked Harar.[25] after finding out that Nur had marched to Fetegar. Gelawdewos had had enough so he led his Army to Nech ser in Fetegar. The two armied met on March 23, 1559 at the Battle of Fatagar, and it is said that a Harari rifleman shot the Abyssinian monarch, but he kept on fighting. Then a group of Harari cavalry again attacked him and the monarch was struck and killed. Nur then sent the Abyssinian monarch's head to land of Sa'ad ad-Din II.[26]

References[]

  1. ^ History of Harar (PDF). p. 62.
  2. ^ Davis, Asa (1963). "THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY JIHĀD IN ETHIOPIA AND THE IMPACT ON ITS CULTURE (Part One)". Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria. 2 (4): 567–592. JSTOR 41856679.
  3. ^ Braukamper, Ulrich; Braukämper, Ulrich (2002). Islamic History and Culture in Southern Ethiopia: Collected Essays. p. 40. ISBN 9783825856717.
  4. ^ HISTORY OF ETHIOPIA AND THE HORN (Hist. 102)FOR STUDENTS OF HIGHER LEARNING INSTITUTIONS (PDF). Ministry of Science and Higher Education. p. 49.
  5. ^ Hassan, Mohammed. Oromo of Ethiopia 1500 (PDF). University of London. p. 59.
  6. ^ A Journal of Oromo studys. Snippet view: Brakumper. 2008. p. 210.
  7. ^ A River of blessings,Essays in Honour of Paul Baxter. Snippet view: David Brokensha,Paul Trevor William. 1994. p. 52.
  8. ^ Hassen, Mohammed (2015). The Oromo of Ethiopia. ISBN 9781847011176.
  9. ^ Atlas of the year,1000. John Man. 2009. p. 119. ISBN 9780674541870.
  10. ^ African history from the earliest of times to independence. Snippet view: Phillip.D.Curtin. 1995.
  11. ^ The Ethiopian Borderlands essays regional history from the Ancient times till the end of the 18th century. Red Sea press (Asmara Eritrea): Pankhurst. 1997.
  12. ^ Africa in the twelfth and 16th century. Snippet view: Djibril Tamsir. 1984. p. 427.
  13. ^ Borderlands. Pankhurst. p. 42.
  14. ^ North East African studies. Snippet view. 1998. p. 42.
  15. ^ Church and state in Ethiopia. Oxford University Clarendon press: Tadesse Tamrat. 1972. p. 286.
  16. ^ Lincei, Accademia Nazionale dei (1974). Problemi Attuali. 550. pp. Snippet view.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  17. ^ Lincei, Accademia Nazionale dei (1974). Problemi Attuali. p. 551.
  18. ^ Lincei, Accademia Nazionale dei (1974). Problemi attuali Di scienza de cultura quaderno. Snippet view. p. 549.
  19. ^ Culture and customs of Ethiopia. Solomon Addis Getahun,Wudu Tafet kassu. 2014. p. 55. ISBN 9780313086069.
  20. ^ Proceedings of the ninth international congress. Snippet view. 1988. p. 105.
  21. ^ The Cambridge history of Africa. Oliver. 1975. p. 172. ISBN 9780521209816.
  22. ^ Ethiopian Borderlands. Library of congress: Pankhurst. 1997. p. 201.
  23. ^ The Chronicle. Solomon. pp. 22, Chap 38.
  24. ^ The Chronicle. Solomon. pp. 246, Chap 84.
  25. ^ A history of the Oromo Asma Giyorgis and his work history of the Galla and the kingdom of sawa. Edited and translated Bairu tafla. Bairu Tafla.
  26. ^ Ethiopian Borderlands. Pankhurst. p. 246.
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