Conquest and Resistance in the Ethiopian Empire, 1880-1974

Home , Ethiopian Empire

The Case of theArsi Oromo

Abbas H. Gnamo

' ' 6 8 ^ '

BRILL

LEIDEN I BOSTON Contents

List of Illustrations x Preface xi

General Introduction 1 Context of the Study 1 Sources, Methods and Organization of the Book 14

PART 1 Oromo's Socio-Political Culture and Institutions

1 Democracy without State: Egalitarianism, Justice, and Leadership in an Oromo Polity 23 Introduction 23 The Ideological and Philosophical Basis of Oromo Egalitarianism 27 The Gadaa-Qaalluu System: A Model of Social Organization 34 Democracy and Consensus Building in Oromo Political Culture: Tchajfee and Qixxee 41 The Tchaffee System 42 The Qixxee System 47 Conclusion 51

2 The Making of Oromo Kinship Identity and Structure: An Anthropological Analysis 55 Introduction 55 Gosa and Its Salient Characteristics 59 Exogamy 60 PatrifiLiation and Territoriality 62 Patrilocality and Patrilineal Residence 63 Autonomy and Cooperation 65 The Socio-Political Functions of Dual Organization 70 Gosa, the Myth of "Tribe" and "Tribalism": A Critical Insight 87 Conclusion 90

. , / r ^ CONTENTS VII

PART 2 The Empire-State, Conquest and Resistance

3 The Concept of Empire: What Makes Ethiopia an Empire? 95 Defining an Empire: A Conceptual Framework 95 The Ethiopian Imperial Conquest 111 The Salient Features of Imperial Domination 118 Conclusion 136

4 The Arsi Oromo Resistance against Ethiopian Imperial Conquest (1880-1900) 138 Introduction 138 The Critical Role of Firearms: Guns vs. Spears 142 The Beginning and Escalation of the War (1882-1885) 147 The Extermination Phase (1886): The Case of Azule and Anole 151 Conclusion 162

PART 3 The Cultural, Economic, and Political Consequences of the Imperial Conquest

5 The Introduction, Expansion, and Impact of Islam among the Arsi Oromo 167 Introduction 167 The Historical and Political Contexts of the Introduction of Islam 169 The Phases of the Spread and Consolidation of Islam 185 The Impacts of Islam on Oromo Social Organization and Culture 192 Islam and the Gadaa-Qaalluu System 192 Islam and Oromo Kinship Organization 196 Islam and Matrimonial Strategies 198 Islam and the Quest of Oromo Identity: Reflections on Current Developments 203 Conclusion 207

6 Dar Ager: The Making of a Periphery and the Features of Ethiopian Feudal Colonialism in Arsiland (1886-1935) 209 The Concept of Center-Periphery Relations 209 The Aftermath of Defeat: Establishing the Feudal Colonial Order 213 VIII

The Naftagna and the Process of Land Alienation 221 Conclusion 241

PART 4 Governing the Empire: Politics, Economy and Society

7 The Nature of Political Administration and the Structure of Domination in Arsiland (1941-1974) 245 Introduction 245 The Aqni: The First Generation of Military Rulers, 1900-1935 246 Governing the Periphery: The Political Administration of Arsi Region (1941-1974) 249 The Ethno-Political Backgrounds of Governors 251 Taxation without Representation 255 The Forms of Corruption and Embezzlement 258 The Informal Structures of Domination 264 Conclusion 271

8 The Socio-Economic Condition of the Peasantry in Arsiland (1941-1974) 273 Introduction 273 The Socio-Economic Structure in the Post-Italian Period, 1941-1974 Development and Displacement: The Impacts of Mechanization on Farmers 290 Conclusion 297

PART 5 From Empire-State to Nation? Dilemmas of Change and Identity Politics

9 The Politics of Transforming the Empire-State: Ethnic Identity vs. National Identity in Ethiopia 301 Imperial Nation-Building 301 The Limits of National Integration through Assimilation 315 The Triple Crises of the Ethiopian State 322 The Crisis of State Legitimacy 322 . . The Demise of the Concept of "Ethnic Core" 328 h f.The Collapse of "Nation-Building" Rhetoric 330 CONTENTS

The Paradoxes of Ethnic Federalism Conclusion 337

Bibliography 339 Index 361