Soddo Gurage people

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The Soddo or Kistane Gurage (ክስታኔ) (endonym Aymellel, Gordena) a subgroup of the Gurage who inhabit the south-central part of Ethiopia, considered the northern geographic and linguistic subset of the Gurage and speak the Soddo Gurage language or Kistanigna (ክስታንኛ). They primarily inhabit the Soddo (woreda) in the Gurage Zone, but large amounts also live in various parts of Ethiopia, particularly in Addis Abeba, Nazret, Butajira, and Dire Dawa. They are related to the Sebat Bet Gurage and other Gurage sub-groups, however, in contrast to the Sebat Bet Gurage and Silte, they are exclusively and almost entirely Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Christians. The Soddo Gurage are known for and pride themselves on their Orthodox Christian identity, which they have historically practiced since ancient times, and of which their name Kistane ('lit. "Christian"') derives its name from and is the traditional and preferred name by locals for the people.

A map of the geographic distribution of the different subgroups of the Gurage

The Soddo Gurage are closely related to the Dobi, who live south and are also referred to as "Kistane", as well as the Meskan and . They also shared considerable geographic and linguistic polity with the Gafat, now an extinct group, and which was located adjacent of them, encompassing territory that once stretched widely to Gojjam and Kingdom of Damot in the west before the incursions of the Oromo migrations.[1]

History[]

Historic map of Ethiopia, 1684 with kingdom of "Alamale" listed in the bottom

The earliest reference to the Kistane dates back centuries. Historical sources list Aymellel (Alamale) as a district and province that was governed by Emperor Amda Seyon (1314–1344) in the early 14th century and served at times as a military garrison and settlement by him and future emperors.[2] 19th and 20th-century academics and linguists used the term to identify the Kistane and is continued to be traditionally used by other Gurages in reference to them. However, in the present "Aymellel" is preserved as being only one of the several sub-groups or Agers consisted of the Soddo Kistane, suggesting that the Aymellel once represented the historically dominant group amongst them before it lost its political significance. Some Kistane oral sources claim descendence from the north, in places such as Axum, Gojjam, Gonder, and Bulga.[3] citing their long-standing links with the historical empire to antiquity.

Kistaneland (as the region is sometimes referred to as) is the site of numerous historical sites, such as the monolithic UNESCO World Heritage site Tiya and the similar Gereno staeles. It also contains several historical monasteries such as Medre Kebd Abo, and the monolithic church Adadi Mariam, a testament to the local's strong and long links with Christianity in the area. According to religious hagiography, St. Gebre Menfes Kidus built the Medre Kebd Abo monastery in the 11th century and was buried there and in local tradition, it is said that the brother of Emperor Ezana of Axum, Saizana founded Adadi Mariam in 4th century, while some date back its construction to the 12th century under the reign of Lalibela (Emperor of Ethiopia) during the Zagwe Dynasty. Both of these are major sites of Christian pilgrimage to thousands around the country today.

Medre Kebd Abo, 12th century Orthodox Monastery in Sodo woreda, Gurage Zone

Consequently, Aymellel is listed by some foreign sources as an independent district separate from other Gurages, who were described by some as “Pagans” during the 15th and 16th centuries, while the Aymellel were Christian Gurages. In 1841, subgroups and polities of the Soddo Gurage are listed:

"The Christians are settled in the following places:---1. Aimelelle ; 2. Nurreno; 3. Bezanchubu; 4. Manes; 5. Malakdamo; 6. Wogoram; 7. Buiyana; 8. Yudamo; 9. Dachi; 10. Yetanne; 11. Arechat; 12. Heberrer; 13. Arogomane; 14. Dobi; 15. Yawitwi; 16. Yatabona; 17. Zera Zangania; 18. Mohor."[4]

Of these, the most notable include Aimellele (Aymellel), Nurenno (Nurenna), Buiyana (Bui), Wogaram; and Dobi, although Mohor (Muher) is a subgroup of the Sebat Bet who were also Christianized early on.

Oromo migrations/invasions and impact[]

Sources list that the locals of Aymellel aided and fought in the armies of the Christian Kingdom in fighting against the invasion of Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi during the Ethiopian-Adal war in the 16th century and were subsequently attacked and ransacked; Midre Kebd Abo most notably was burned and its treasures were looted by Islamic forces. After the Imam's death in 1541 and the Christian Ethiopian state's narrow victory over them however, in the mid-16th century, the Gurage, like much of the rest of the inhabitants of southern Ethiopia found themselves victims of long-standing invasions, once more, this time from the Oromo. The Oromo migrations, which started somewhere from the south-eastern peripheries of the country near the Kenyan border, began a series of expansions and incursions north-wards which would profoundly permanently affect the demographics of central, western, and southern Ethiopia today. The Gurage, Amhara, Hadiya, and Sidama were the most successful groups to resist the newcomers. The geographic location of the Kistane however, left them more susceptible to Oromo raids and incursions in contrast to their fellow Gurages, and were not only separated from the mainland but were encircled and forced to endure centuries of aggressions and conflicts with them, as well as to a lesser extent, the Mareqo. [5] For a long period of time, despite initially being forced to concede much land, they were largely successful in repulsing and withstanding them, winning many series of battles. Many local heroes, known as Gotas such as Gacho Zage and Yadutu Dugda of Wacho, Bene Dutu of Aratge, Dama Roge of Damu, and many others continue to be hailed and oral stories of their bravery in battle are recited by elders. However, a reversal of fortune for them came around the early 19th century and the Oromo became even more aggressive, possibly due to the simultaneous expansions of the rulers of Shewa Amhara in the north at the same time that pushed them south, and with the aid of neighboring Oromo tribes of Becho, Gimbitchu and Liben became more successful in infiltrating almost all of the Kistane mainland.[6]

“The Galla first broke into Aymallal territory through Ambare Wargo in Nuranna. Then other Aymallal areas, like Gayat, Gareno, Endabuya, Amawte, were invaded and sacked. The main Galla tribes that invaded Aymallal were the Abado and Malima from the north, both members of the Tulama branch of the Galla, the Geto, and the Dula. Amawte is said to have been invaded by the Abado, Wacho by the Geto, and Aratge by the Dula. Another, less known, tribe, the Jidda, invaded Gareno. Of these tribes, the one most feared was the Abado, with whom the Aymallal had most of their battles."[7]

The overall effect of the Oromo invasion was one of despoliation, depopulation (through either death or flight), and enslavement. The traffic of Gurage slaves substantially increased in the mid-19th century. There are still elders who have memories of grandparents or other such relatives sold into slavery by the Oromo. The invasion and despoliation caused many Kistane villagers to flee and settle in neighbouring areas such as Ada, Meqi, Zway, , and Bulga, facilitating the first mass migrations of the Gurage in other parts of the country.[8] Many Gurages had desperately appealed to Negus Sahle Selassie to protect them from Oromo attacks.[9] Isenburg witnessed Gurage slaves begging at the feet of the King, attesting that when they go to Shewa they are often nearly naked as Oromos frequently ambush and rob them, and the King gifts them new clothes, knowing the raiders would fear angering the King.[10] Many Oromo also peacefully intermarried with the Kistane, with many of the latter speaking the language of the former and adopting Oromo names as well as Amharic names. An example of this was the marriage between the renowned Oromo general Ras Gobana Dacche, who led Menelik's armies in his re-conquest over much of the south and western parts of Ethiopia, and his wife Askalech, a Kistane Gurage. The mother of Haile Selassie, Yeshimibet Ali, was the daughter of the Wollo Oromo chief Aba Jiffar Gamcho and his Sodo Kistane Gurage wife Wolete-Giorgis. Many neighboring Oromo tribes were also converted to Orthodox Christianity by Kistane Gurage priests, and in addition to intermarrying and mixing with them, many adopted traditional Gurage customs and cultures. This is most present with the Jida and Abado clans of the Tulama branch.

The Kistane also has long historical and ancestral links with the Amhara, particularly of Shewa who share the same Orthodox Christian religious faith, many customs and speak similar languages. This is further augmented by the fact that they both belong to the South Ethio-Semitic language branch family and amongst the Gurage dialects and languages, the Kistane language is thought to be lexically closest to Amharic. King Sahle Selassie of Shewa, himself also drawn into conflict with the Oromo, responded to a request of the leader and famed military commander of the Kistane, Oda Lelisso for military help against the Oromo and sent bands of Amhara riflemen to aid them[11] By 1830, he gained the submission of the Kistane leaders Kero and Amino and incorporated them as a tributary state of Shewa, listing himself as "King of the Gurage". When Menelik II, his grandson sought to re-expand and conquer the rest of the southern parts of the country in the 1870s, the Kistane submitted peacefully once again. Their submission allowed to them retain their local political autonomy and spared them from the harsh depredations that other Gurage sub-groups who did rebel faced, (i.e the Gebbar system). They were able to live relatively more peacefully throughout the next few decades. However, several Oromo Baleabats (overlords) still ruled over Kistane Gurages in many districts in Kistaneland by force, and many were forced emigrated to various parts of Ethiopia as a result of the despoliation and shrinking of their homeland which they were confined in that became unable to sustain their population.[12] It was when Addis Abeba was founded when many Kistane Gurages emigrated to the newly founded Addis Abeba, becoming the first pioneers of the Gurages to establish themselves in the new capital and greatly contributed to the labor work and construction in it. Shewan aristocratic and Kistane sources recite that Emperor Menelik granted the Kistane land in the district of Geja in Addis Abeba, being the first area where they historically settled.[13]

After the overthrow of Haile Selassie and the imperial regime in 1974, a communist regime under the Derg replaced it. Many Gurages hold that compared with past regimes, it was under the Derg which they felt the most oppressed. Under the new socialist-inspired land system, many Gurage landowners had their land forcibly expropriated to the ruling regime. In 1991, after the overthrow of the Derg and the ascendance of the EPRDF, a new ethnic-based federalist system was introduced. Many Oromo politicians pushed for the Kistane Gurage to identify as Oromo and to join the Oromia region as opposed to the SNNPR region. When they refused, proponents of several Oromo-based political parties and movements such as the OLF (Oromo Liberation Front), IFLO (Islamic front for the liberation of the Oromo), and the OPDO intimidated, destroyed properties in the Sodo Kistane region and used violence to threaten communities who did not align with them. In response, proponents of the Kistane Gurage angrily countered and formed a separate coalition called the Soddo Gordena Democratic action.[14]

Language[]

A visual diagram of the distributions of Ethio-Semitic languages

The Soddo Gurage language, also known traditionally and locally as Kistanigna, is one of the Gurage languages from the Northern group, which is classified as one of the clusters of South Ethio-Semitic. It is not mutually intelligible with any of the West Gurage or East Gurage languages (i.e. Sebat Bet) and cannot be understood. Kistanigna is generally considered closest to Amharic than the other Gurage languages. It shares a 76% linguistic affinity with the closely related Dobi (also known as Gogot-Kistane) as well as sharing shared considerable affinity with the Meskane language. It is also closely related to the now-extinct Gafat language, which was spoken in present-day Welega and Gojjam.

Communal laws and organization[]

Unlike their neighbors to the north and much of the rest of the country, the Gurage traditionally did not practice a structured monarchial system and thus lacked definitive kings or single rulers. Instead, they politically organized in communal systems of governance that were governed by several local respective chiefs. The system of governance of the Soddo Kistane are known as Ye Gordena Sera, while the Dobi practice the Ye Senana Sera. It comprises customary and legalistic laws, social/communal organization, and territorial units. It is in contrast with the Sebat Bet Gurage who practices the similar Yajoka Kicha. While the Yajoka Kicha spans its establishment to about 300 years, the Kistane shows remarkably consensus in tracing the establishment of the Gordena to over 600 years.[15] Like the Sebat Bet, the Sodo Kistane is composed of several agnatic descent groups. However, unlike the Sebat Bet, these sub-groups are categorized based on geographic territory rather than genealogical lineages and clans. These subdivisions are known in the Kistane as Agers. Within each Ager are dozens of smaller territorial and familial units called Sebuggnets.[16]

The circumstances that led to the uniting of these agers and the establishment of the Gordena were the presence of both internal and external threats; the long territorial disputes between the warring "agers", in addition to the external threat of the Mareko (and later the Oromo) facilitated the development of a united system to combat them. The sera system is not limited to the Gurage however but is also shared with the Wolayta, Sidama, and Gamo people, who all practice similar forms of governance and political structures.

Notable individuals[]

-Teddy Afro, national artist and singer

-, singer

-, singer

-, singer

-Argaw Bedaso, singer

-Dejazmach Balcha Safo, war commander, dejazmach

-Dejazmach , war commander, governor

-Getaneh Kebede, professional athlete

References[]

  1. ^ Braukamper, Ulrich (2002). Islamic History and Culture in Southern Ethiopia: Collected Essays. p. 55.
  2. ^ Ullendorff, Edward (1966). The Glorious Victories of 'Amda Ṣeyon, King of Ethiopia. p. 280.
  3. ^ Zewde, Bahru. The Aymallal Gurage in the 19th century: a political history. p. 66.
  4. ^ Ludwig Krapf, Johann. Detailing Their Proceedings in the Kingdom of Shoa, and Journeys in Other Parts of Abyssinia, in the Years 1839, 1840, 1841, and 1842. Journals of the Rev. Messrs. Isenberg and Krapf, Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society. p. 98.
  5. ^ Zewde, Bahru. The Aymallal Gurage in the 19th century: a political history. p. 66.
  6. ^ Bonsa, Shemeles (Mar 2010). A History of Kistane migration to 1974. p. 176.
  7. ^ Zewde, Bahru. The Aymallal Gurage in the 19th century: a political history. p. 57.
  8. ^ Zewde, Bahru. The Aymallal Gurage in the 19th century: a political history. p. 60.
  9. ^ Cornwallis Harris ·, William (1844). The Highlands of Aethiopia. p. 312.
  10. ^ William Isenburg, Charles. Journals of the Rev. Messrs. Isenberg and Krapf, Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society. p. 182.
  11. ^ Zewde, Bahru. The Aymallal Gurage in the 19th century: a political history. p. 60.
  12. ^ Bonsa, Shemeles (Mar 2010). A History of Kistane migration to 1974. p. 175.
  13. ^ Zewde, Bahru. The Aymallal Gurage in the 19th century: a political history. p. 57.
  14. ^ y Maria Bulakh, Denis Nosnitsin, Thomas Rave (July 20–25, 2003). Proceedings of the XVth International Conference of Ethiopian Studies, Hamburg,. p. 987.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Zewde, Bahru. Ethiopia, the challenge of democracy from below. pp. 24–26.
  16. ^ Gedamu, Fekadu (1986). Traditional social setting of the Kistane (Soddo) in central Ethiopia. p. 28.
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