Hadiya

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Hadiya was a powerful vassal kingdom of Ethiopia, located in southwestern Ethiopia, south of the Abbay River and west of Shewa. It acquired its name from its inhabitants, the Hadiya people. The historical Hadiya area was situated between Kembata, Gamo, and Waj, southwest of Shewa. By 1850 Hadiya is placed north-west of lakes Zway and Langano but still between these areas.[1]

It was described in the mid-Fourteenth century by Chihab Al-Umari as measuring eight days' journey by nine (which Richard Pankhurst estimates was 160 by 180 kilometers), and although small it was fertile with fruit and cereals, rich with horses and its inhabitants used pieces of iron as money. It could raise an army of 40,000 cavalry and at least twice as many foot soldiers.[2]

The current Hadiya Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region, is located approximately where this former kingdom was.

[edit] History

The earliest surviving mention of Hadiya is in the Kebra Nagast (ch. 94), indicating that it was in existence by the 13th century.[3] Another early mention is in a manuscript written on the island monastery of Lake Hayq, which states that after conquering Damot Emperor Amda Seyon proceeded to Hadiya and brought it under his control.[4] Later in the reign of this Emperor, the King of Hadiya, Amano, refused to submit to the Emperor, encouraged by a Muslim "prophet of darkness" named Bel'am. Emperor Amda Seyon set forth for Hadiya, where he "slew the inhabitants of the country with the point of the sword", killing many of the inhabitants while enslaving others.[5] Despite such punitive measures, many of the Hadiya people served in the military units of Amda Seyon.[2]

During the reign of Zara Yaqob, the garad or governor of Hadiya Mahiko repeated his predecessor's actions and refused to submit to the Emperor. However, with the help of one of Mahiko's followers, the garad was deposed in favor of his uncle Bamo. Garad Mahiko fled to Adal seeking sanctuary, but was slain by his pursuers who sent his head and limbs to Zara Yaqob as proof of his death.[6]

Many kings of the Ethiopian central government were married to women from Hadiya; the powerful Queen Eleni of Hadiya is one example.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "Local History in Ethiopia" (pdf) The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 25 January 2008)
  2. ^ a b Richard Pankhurst, The Ethiopian Borderlands (Lawrenceville: Red Sea Press, 1977) p. 79
  3. ^ First identified by Enrico Cerulli, according to David Allen Hubbard, "The Literary Sources of the Kebra Nagast" (St. Andrews, 1954), p. 397 n. 71.
  4. ^ Pankhurst, Ethiopian Borderlands, p. 77
  5. ^ Pankhurst, Ethiopian Borderlands, p. 78
  6. ^ Pankhurst, Ethiopian Borderlands, pp. 143f

[edit] See also