Ethiopia: The Land of Origin, from Antiquity to Present
Ethiopia is located in the Horn of Africa, which is the most eastern section and is the oldest autonomous nation-state in Africa and possesses the world’s oldest history; and is sometimes referred to as the “Cradle of Humanity.” The reason for this nickname is the discovery of 3.2 million-year-old human bones known as “Lucy” in 1974 in the northeastern section of Ethiopia, the oldest hominid remains yet discovered.
During the Middle Paleolithic period, modern humans emerged in Ethiopia and expanded throughout the Near East and the rest of the world. D’mt’s dominance over Eritrea and northern Ethiopia grew about 980 BCE, but the Aksum Kingdom remained a cohesive civilization for nearly 900 years. Christianity began around 330, and Islam’s first Hijra occurred in 615. Following a long period of decline, the Aksum kingdom began to collapse around 960 and was replaced by a series of kingdoms. The Zagwe dynasty ruled the north-central territories until 1270 when it was deposed by YekunoAmlak. The so-called “Solomonic Dynasty” ruled from 1270 to 1636 and was named when Emperor YekunoAmlak asserted himself to be the “lineal descendant” of Menelik I, son of King Solomon and Queen Sheba, in 1270.
The empire rose to prominence in the 14th century through territorial expansion and battles with neighboring peoples; most notably, the civil war (1529-1543) contributed to a shift in the central government, eventually leading to the founding of Gondar and the “Renaissance” period. From 1769 to 1855, the kingdom was divided among numerous areas under the period of ZemeneMesafint, with no powerful central authority. In 1855, Emperor Tewodros II began to eliminate it, ushering in Ethiopia’s modernism and unification. Yohannes continued Tewodros’ ideal of Ethiopian union, but his dreams were dashed by Egypt and, later, Sudan. Egyptians ruled over the provinces of Gundet, Gura, and Bogos. of course, political plots was common. For instance, the British duped Yohannes, a British collaborator, during the war against Tewodros in the Battle of Magdala in 1868. Local politics continued under Yohannes’ rule, with Menelik taking Wollo and installing Mohammed Ali as Governor while Yohannes fought foreign forces. Emperor Yohannes was driven to address Ethiopia’s domestic and external problems. In 1875/6, he beat the Egyptians at the Battle of Gundet and Gura. He met with Menelik in 1878 to try to resolve their internal dispute amicably, and they signed the Lache Accord, which recognisedMenelik as King of Shewa. At Borumeda also attempted to resolve the religious issue.
Since 1869, Italy has grown to the north. His mischief by the British at the Hewet treaty of 1884 was obvious. But the Italian expansion halted. In 1887 by defeating for the first time at Dogali. But the Mahdists then made their way to Gondar via Metema and the political schemes of Menelik and TeckleHaymanot of Gojjam. Yohannis now prioritized the above-mentioned dangerous situations, eventually electing to march to Gojjam and then Shewa. Alula stood guard to safeguard Italy. Metema was selected after the destruction of Gojjam. However, following the fall of the Mahdists at the battle of Mettema in 1889, he was gravely wounded and died. Menilk II’s authority was realized after his death. Few figures in modern Ethiopia are as revered as Menelik II (1844-1913), Ethiopia’s II-to-last emperor. He attributed his ancestry to the Solomonic line of rulers, as did Menelik I of the 10th century BC, the fabled son of King Solomon from whom he derived his real name.
Fascist Italy captured Ethiopia in the 1880s and annexed it, together with Italian-controlled Eritrea and Somaliland, to form Italian East Africa. Minilik II is significant in Ethiopian history because he beat a European nation, Italy, on the battlefield of Adwa to preserve Ethiopian independence.
Ethiopian independence lasted only until 1936 when the Italians invaded Ethiopia for the second time after forty years of planning. However, thanks to our forefathers, Ethiopia regained its freedom after a five-year struggle. Haile Selassie, I in his reign worked tirelessly to modernize the country. Ethiopia joined both the League of Nations and the United Nations, and Addis Ababa was chosen as the headquarters of the Organization of African Unity. (Now the African Union).
The Derg ruled Ethiopia for nearly 17 years after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie and the Solomonic dynasty in 1974, triggering the Ethiopian Civil War. Following the Derg’s fall in 1991, the EPRDF seized control of the country by enacting a new constitution and introducing ethnic-based federalism.
Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic country with around 80 ethnic groups. Ethiopia’s major religions are Christianity and Islam. This independent nation is a founding member of the United Nations, the Group of 24, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Group of 77, and the Organization of African Unity. Addis Ababa is home to the African and world organization branch offices. Ethiopia is a powerful and developing country that is driving significant economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa through direct foreign investment in agriculture and manufacturing. However, the country is classified as poor according to the per capita income and human development index, with significant poverty, weak human rights management, and barely 49 percent literacy. Agriculture is Ethiopia’s most important economic sector. By 2020, it will account for 36% of the country’s gross domestic output.