107-607: The Amhara Region ( Amharic : አማራ ክልል , romanized : Åmara Kilil ), officially the Amhara National Regional State ( Amharic : የአማራ ብሔራዊ ክልላዊ መንግሥት ), is a regional state in northern Ethiopia and the homeland of the Amhara , Awi , Xamir , Argoba , and Qemant people. Its capital is Bahir Dar which is the seat of the Regional Government of Amhara . Amhara is the site of
214-523: A holy language by the Rastafari religion and is widely used among its followers worldwide. Early Afro-Asiatic populations speaking proto- Semitic , proto- Cushitic and proto- Omotic languages would have diverged by the fourth or fifth millennium BC. Shortly afterwards, the proto-Cushitic and proto-Omotic groups would have settled in the Ethiopian highlands, with the proto-Semitic speakers crossing
321-524: A pidgin as early as the 4th century AD to enable communication between Aksumite soldiers speaking Semitic, Cushitic, and Omotic languages, but this hypothesis has not garnered widespread acceptance. The preservation in Old Amharic of VSO word order and gutturals typical of Semitic languages, Cushitic influences shared with other Ethio-Semitic languages (especially those of the Southern branch), and
428-597: A conquest of Abyssinia, he soon met the Abyssinians at the Battle of Shimbra Kure . The Emperor had apparently expected this confrontation, and had mobilized a large army to defend his realms. The troops were recruited from all over the empire and the list of Christian generals who participated in the battle includes the Bahr-Negash and other officials from Medri Bahri , many district governors from Tigray , Amhara ,
535-543: A foreign land, he concluded that this threat was ended, dismissed all but two hundred of the foreign musketeers, and proceeded to his camp at Derasge on the shores of Lake Tana . However, the Portuguese had regrouped and joined Queen Seble Wongel , who had taken refuge at the "Mountain of the Jews", which Whiteway identifies as Amba Sel . Ten days later her son, Emperor Gelawdewos had arrived. Castanhoso states that after
642-521: A giant of mythical stature who was only halted by 500 men, on 500 horses, with 500 rifle shots. Ethiopian chronicles claim that 90% of the Empire was islamized during his conquests. According to Enrico Cerulli , Adal would never recover from the death of Imam Ahmad as the Sultanate of Adal was too newly established to transcend tribal differences. His successors were unable to exert their authority over
749-535: A group of cavalry and infantry led by the Imam's lieutenant Sayid Mehmed in Wogera , killing Sayid Mehmed. From the prisoners it was learned that the Imam was camped only 5 days' march away at Deresgue, and flush with victory the army marched to confront their enemy. The Imam and his men were apparently stunned that the Portuguese had managed to reassemble and were looking for battle, according to Castanhoso this demoralized
856-620: A household, with urban households having on average 3.3 and rural households 4.5 people. The projected population as of 2022 was 32,134,988. In the previous census, conducted in 1994, the region's population was reported to be 13,834,297 of whom 6,947,546 were men and 6,886,751 women; urban inhabitants numbered 1,265,315 or 9.15% of the population. According to the CSA, as of 2004, 28% of the total population had access to safe drinking water , including 19.89% of rural inhabitants and 91.8% of urban inhabitants. Values for other reported common indicators of
963-631: A model Mujahid . Shihab Ad Din notes that during a campaign in Gendebelo he rejected the inhabitants offers of gold for his wife and rebuked the protests of his top lieutenants insisting that the gold was to be used only for the jihad. Soon after assuming power in 1527 he forbade wine, gambling, and dances accompanied by drums. He also was known to patronize jurists and theologians . Shihab Ad Din mentions that he built many mosques and towns in Begemder and Dembiya during his conquest of Tigre. He
1070-399: A population of 17,221,976. 8,641,580 were men and 8,580,396 women; urban inhabitants number 2,112,595 or 12.27% of the population. With an estimated area of 154,708.96 km (59,733.46 sq mi), this region has an estimated density of 108.2 people per square kilometer. For the entire region, 3,983,768 households were counted, which results in an average for the region of 4.3 persons to
1177-594: A rebel named Ahmad ibn Ibrahim was in a power struggle with the Adal leaders, the Emperor of Ethiopia Dawit II sent his general Degelhan to confront him. The Abyssinian campaign originally seemed successful as large amounts of women and children of Adal were captured by Degelhan including the mother of Ahmad's commander Abu Bakr Qatin . Meanwhile, Emir Ahmad had laid a trap in Hubat: splitting his unit into three, he waited for
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#17327656439541284-430: A woman." The first encounter took place during the Battle of Jarte , da Gama formed his troops into an infantry square and marched against the Imam's lines, repelling successive waves of Adalite attacks with musket and cannon. This battle ended when Imam Ahmad was wounded in the leg by a chance shot; seeing his banners signal retreat, the Portuguese and their Abyssinian allies fell upon them, inflicting immense losses on
1391-593: Is Alemnew Mekonnen. The other offices in the executive branch cabinet are the Regional Health Bureau (Dr. Abebaw Gebeyehu), Educational Bureau (Yilikal Kefyalew), and 20 other officials. There are three levels of the Amhara state judiciary . The lowest level is the court of common pleas: each woreda maintains its own constitutionally mandated court of common pleas, which maintain jurisdiction over all justiciable matters. The intermediate-level court system
1498-751: Is a South Ethio-Semitic language, along with Gurage , Argobba , Harari , and others. Due to the social stratification of the time, the Cushitic Agaw adopted the South Ethio-Semitic language and eventually absorbed the Semitic population. Amharic thus developed with a Cushitic substratum and a Semitic superstratum . The northernmost South Ethio-Semitic speakers, or the proto-Amhara, remained in constant contact with their North Ethio-Semitic neighbors, evidenced by linguistic analysis and oral traditions. A 7th century southward shift of
1605-817: Is an Ethiopian Semitic language , which is a subgrouping within the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic languages . It is spoken as a first language by the Amharas , and also serves as a lingua franca for all other populations residing in major cities and towns in Ethiopia . The language serves as the official working language of the Ethiopian federal government, and is also the official or working language of several of Ethiopia's federal regions . As of 2020, it has over 33,700,000 mother-tongue speakers and more than 25,100,000 second language speakers in 2019, making
1712-579: Is an abugida , and the graphemes of the Amharic writing system are called fidäl . It is derived from a modification of the Ge'ez script . Each character represents a consonant+vowel sequence, but the basic shape of each character is determined by the consonant, which is modified for the vowel. Some consonant phonemes are written by more than one series of characters: / ʔ / , / s / , / tsʼ / , and / h / (the last one has four distinct letter forms). This
1819-876: Is at maximum volume (during the rainy season from June to September), it supplies about two-thirds of the water of the Nile proper. Until the 1970 completion of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt, the Blue Nile, together with the Atbara River to its north (which also flows out of the Ethiopian Highlands), caused annual Nile floods that contributed to the fertility of the Nile Valley. This aided the rise of ancient Egyptian civilization, which in turn enabled
1926-663: Is because these fidäl originally represented distinct sounds, but phonological changes merged them. The citation form for each series is the consonant+ ä form, i.e. the first column of the fidäl . The Amharic script is included in Unicode , and glyphs are included in fonts available with major operating systems. As in most other Ethiopian Semitic languages , gemination is contrastive in Amharic. That is, consonant length can distinguish words from one another; for example, alä 'he said', allä 'there is'; yǝmätall 'he hits', yǝmmättall 'he will be hit'. Gemination
2033-501: Is called an abugida ( አቡጊዳ ). The graphemes are called fidäl ( ፊደል ), which means "script", "alphabet", "letter", or "character". There is no universally agreed-upon Romanization of Amharic into Latin script . The Amharic examples in the sections below use one system that is common among linguists specializing in Ethiopian Semitic languages. Amharic has been the official working language of Ethiopia, language of
2140-596: Is composed of the executive branch, led by the President; the legislative branch, which comprises the State Council; and the judicial branch, which is led by the state Supreme Court. The executive branch is headed by the Chief Administrator of Amhara Region. The current Chief Administrator is Yilikal Kefale, a Prosperity Party member who was elected on 30 September 2021. The current vice president
2247-498: Is endowed with natural and geographic wonders and ecosystems. The region contains Ethiopia's largest inland body of water Lake Tana , which is the source of the Blue Nile river. In 2015 Lake Tana was recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve for its enormous biodiversity, and national and international importance. The Semien Mountains National Park has been designated as one of the first natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO in
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#17327656439542354-464: Is frowned upon. Each family hosts a separate wedding feast after the wedding. Traditionally, upon childbirth, a priest will visit the family to bless the infant. The mother and child remain in the house for 40 days after birth for physical and emotional strength. The infant will be taken to the church for baptism at 40 days (for boys) or 80 days (for girls). There are several industrial parks that are in operation or under construction. The Kombolcha IP
2461-542: Is home to 6 lakes: Lake Tana , Lake Hayq , Lake Hardibo , Lake Ashenge , Lake zengena and Lake Tirba. According to the Ethiopian government website, the Amhara Highlands receive 80% of Ethiopia ’s total annual rainfall of and are the country's most fertile and climatically hospitable region. Lake Tana , in the Amhara Region, is the source of the Blue Nile —at Bahir Dar . When the Blue Nile's flow
2568-550: Is home to endangered species found nowhere else in the world, examples of endemic fauna include the iconic walia ibex , the gelada baboon , and the Ethiopian wolf (or Simien fox) among others. The wide range of altitudes has given the country a variety of ecologically distinct areas, leading to the evolution of endemic species in ecological isolation. Amhara region also leads in cultural world heritage sites in Ethiopia, with
2675-555: Is in Africa.' ልጁ Lǝǧ-u the boy ተኝቷል täññǝtʷall. asleep is ልጁ ተኝቷል Lǝǧ-u täññǝtʷall. {the boy} {asleep is} 'The boy is asleep.' ( -u is a definite article. Lǝǧ is 'boy'. Lǝǧu is 'the boy') አየሩ Ayyäru the weather ደስ däss pleasant Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi ( Arabic : أحمد بن إبراهيم الغازي , Harari : አሕመድ ኢብራሂም አል-ጋዚ, Somali : Axmed Ibraahim al-Qaasi ; c. 21 July 1506 – 10 February 1543)
2782-469: Is mostly heard as the affricate sound [ t͡sʼ ]. The rhotic consonant is realized as a trill when geminated and a tap otherwise. The closed central unrounded vowel ⟨ə⟩ /ɨ/ and mid-central vowel ⟨ä⟩ /ə/ are generally fronted to [ ɪ ] and [ ɛ ], respectively, following palatal consonants , and generally retracted and rounded to [ ʊ ] and [ ɔ ], respectively, following labialized velar consonants . The Amharic script
2889-609: Is normal, while in the lowlands two are possible. Cattle, sheep, and goats are also raised. The CSA of Ethiopia estimated in 2005 that farmers in Amhara had a total of 9,694,800 head of cattle (representing 25% of Ethiopia's total cattle), 6,390,800 sheep (36.7%), 4,101,770 goats (31.6%), 257,320 horses (17%), 8,900 mules (6%), 1,400,030 asses (55.9%), 14,270 camels (3.12%), 8,442,240 poultry of all species (27.3%), and 919,450 beehives (21.1%). There are ten public universities in Amhara Region The government of Amhara
2996-416: Is not indicated in Amharic orthography, but Amharic readers typically do not find this to be a problem. This property of the writing system is analogous to the vowels of Arabic and Hebrew or the tones of many Bantu languages , which are not normally indicated in writing. Ethiopian novelist Haddis Alemayehu , who was an advocate of Amharic orthography reform , indicated gemination in his novel Love to
3103-471: Is subdivided into administrative zones. There are 11 zones and 67 woredas. The Aholalo is a festival celebrated in the northern region of Ethiopia. The festival is traditionally celebrated in the province of Wollo. Amharic language Amharic ( / æ m ˈ h ær ɪ k / am- HARR -ik or / ɑː m ˈ h ɑːr ɪ k / ahm- HAR -ik ; native name : አማርኛ , romanized : Amarəñña , IPA: [amarɨɲːa] )
3210-519: Is the district court system. Four courts of appeals exist, each retaining jurisdiction over appeals from common pleas, municipal, and county courts in an administrative zone. A case heard in this system is decided by a three-judge panel, and each judge is elected. The highest-ranking court, the Amhara Supreme Court, is Amhara's "court of last resort". A seven-justice panel composes the court, which, by its own discretion, hears appeals from
3317-759: The Abba Garima Monastery . When the Iman heard this news he set out to find them, when he found them he ordered them to pay jizya but they refused so he massacred them. An army division from Adal crossed the Mareb River and conquered Medri Bahri , the subsequent Adalite occupation was bitterly resisted by the locals who killed the Imam's nephew, Vizier 'Addole, sending his head to the Ethiopian Emperor. The Emperor upon receiving it had drums beaten and flutes played, optimistically declaring that
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3424-462: The Axumite heritage) and propagating to the core provinces (besides Tigray / Eritrea , and Lasta ) of Bete Amhara , Gojjam , Begemder , northern Shewa , Gafat , and Damot The region's recorded history, in fact, goes back to the early 13th century. For example, St. George's Church in the town of Woreilu (whose Tabot is reputed to have been carried by Emperor Menelik at the Battle of Adwa )
3531-632: The Ethiopian Church are kept in the isolated island monasteries (including Kebran Gabriel, Ura Kidane Mehret , Narga Selassie, Daga Estifanos , Medhane Alem of Rema , Kota Maryam and Mertola Maryam). The body of Yekuno Amlak is interred in the monastery of St. Stephen on Daga Island ; other Emperors whose tombs are on Daga include Dawit I , Zara Yaqob , Za Dengel and Fasilides . Other important islands in Lake Tana include Dek , Mitraha , Gelila Zakarias , Halimun , and Briguida . In
3638-685: The Ethiopian Empire , Amhara included several provinces (such as Bete Amhara , Gojjam , Gonder , Angot , Dembiya , Shewa and Lasta ), most of which were ruled by native Ras or Negus . The current Amhara region corresponds to often large parts of the former provinces of Begemder , Dembiya , Angot , Bete Amhara , Gojjam and Shewa . With the rise of the Solomonic Dynasty in 1270 under Emperor Yekuno Amlak in Bete Amhara near town Dessie around Lake Hayk (born in
3745-598: The Malassay , Dawit then dispatched João Bermudes, who had arrived in Ethiopia with Dom Rodrigo de Lima, to reach out to the King of Portugal for military aid. The King of Portugal would eventually send ships with 400 Portuguese musketeers, but when they arrived in 1541, Dawit II was dead and his son Gelawdewos had succeeded him. The Portuguese led by Cristóvão da Gama had arrived in Massawa where Bahr Negus Yeshaq
3852-587: The Maqdalla region) and until the establishment of Gondar as the new imperial capital around 1600, the Debre-Birhan to Mekane-Selassie region was the primary seat of the roving Wolloye - Shewan emperors. This period is most significant in the formation of the medieval Ethiopian state, the spread and consolidation of Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity (following the example set by the Zagwe kings in preserving
3959-634: The Siege of Jerusalem (1187) , after which Muslims denied Ethiopian Christians pilgrimages to the Holy land. Unesco also added Fasil Ghebbi in 1979 as a cultural World Heritage Site . The Royal Enclosure of Fasil Ghebbi was the seat of the Ethiopian Emperors in Gondar the royal capital for more than two centuries(1636 to 1864 AD). The Fasil Ghebbi consist of some twenty palaces, royal buildings,
4066-478: The Sinai Peninsula into Asia . A later return movement of peoples from South Arabia would have introduced the Semitic languages to Ethiopia. Based on archaeological evidence, the presence of Semitic speakers in the territory date to some time before 500 BC. Linguistic analysis suggests the presence of Semitic languages in Ethiopia as early as 2000 BC. Levine indicates that by the end of that millennium,
4173-410: The standard of living for Amhara as of 2005 include the following: 17.5% of the inhabitants fall into the lowest wealth quintile; adult literacy for men is 54% and for women 25.1%; and the regional infant mortality rate is 94 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, which is greater than the nationwide average of 77; at least half of these deaths occurred in the infants’ first month of life. At 91.47% of
4280-504: The total number of speakers over 58,800,000. Amharic is the largest, most widely spoken language in Ethiopia, and the second most spoken mother-tongue in Ethiopia (after Oromo ). Amharic is also the second most widely spoken Semitic language in the world (after Arabic ). Amharic is written left-to-right using a system that grew out of the Geʽez script . The segmental writing system in which consonant-vowel sequences are written as units
4387-469: The Abyssinians to enter the region after sacking Harar and ambushed them in the Battle of Hubat . The remaining Abyssinian army who were not killed fled in panic, thus Ahmed's troops won decisively and were able to recover stolen booty. Ahmad's victory not only strengthened his fighting capacity, but also spread his fame far and wide. The Sultan hearing about this gathered a large force of his Somali followers and besieged his capital at Siege of Hubat . Ahmad
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4494-511: The Adalites and put fear into their hearts as "they understood well that we had only come to avenge the past". The Abyssinians and Portuguese met Ahmad on 21 February 1543 in the Battle of Wayna Daga . The Imam had an army of over 15,000 soldiers including 200 Turkish musketeers, where as the Abyssinians and Portuguese had a combined force of around 8,000 men. The Abyssinians charged but the Adalites counterattacked and seemed to be pushing back
4601-559: The Adalites. Over the next several days, Imam Ahmad's forces were reinforced by arrivals of fresh troops. Understanding the need to act swiftly, da Gama on April 16 again formed a square which he led against Imam Ahmad's camp. Castanhoso laments that "the victory would have been complete this day had we only one hundred horses to finish it, for the King was carried on men's shoulders in a bed, accompanied by horsemen, and they fled in no order." Da Gama marched southward after Imam Ahmad's force, coming within sight of him ten days later. However,
4708-451: The Agaw territories, Begemder , Gojjam , Shewa , as well as from the frontier provinces of Ifat , Fatagar , Dawaro , Bali and Damot . Although they differ in the corresponding figures which they give, both Christian and Muslim sources are unanimous about the superiority of the Emperor's army in terms of the numbers of soldiers. Despite the enormous size of the Abyssinians' army, the Imam
4815-630: The Amhara for centuries has been Christianity, with the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church playing a central role in the culture of the Amhara region. According to the 2007 census, 82.5% of the population of the Amhara region (which is 91.2% Amhara) were Ethiopian Orthodox; 17.2% were Muslim, and 0.2% were Protestant (" P'ent'ay "). The Ethiopian Orthodox Church maintains close links with the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria . Easter and Epiphany are
4922-557: The Amhara region security forces, of leading the plot, and Tsige was shot dead by police near Bahir Dar on 24 June. In April 2023, a strife occurred between the regional special forces of federal government and Fano militia units, advancing to large scale protests in Gondar , Kobo , Seqota , Weldiya on 9 April. Further insurgency was escalated between the two belligerents, resulted in War in Amhara . Since August 2023, Fano militants and ENDF troops intermittently controlled most part of
5029-461: The Christians and the establishments on the islands of Lake Tana were looted and destroyed. In 1536 the Adalites invaded Gojjam , to the south of Lake Tana , and massacred the people there. The next year the Imam went to Dawaro and stayed there for eight months, and then went on to Angot. The Emperor was forced to live as an outlaw in his own realm constantly hounded by Imam Ahmed's soldiers
5136-544: The Christians replied “Very well”. The Imam was surprised but ordered them to be put to death. The Imam would then call an assembly of his Emirs, chieftains and all the Muslim leaders to state his intention of staying in Abyssinia They would then make plans to invade Tigray where the Emperor now resides. He first went through Angot where he was able to convince the people to convert to Islam. He then laid sieged to
5243-622: The Emperor Gelawdewos had joined the survivors, and seeing the number of men who flocked to the Emperor's standard, at Christmas "we went to the Preste, and begged him to help us avenge the death of Dom Christovão." Gelawdewos agreed to march against the Imam. The Portuguese firearms which had been stored at Debre Damo were produced. The allied forces spent the following months arming their troops before heading to Imam Ahmad's camp next to Lake Tana . On 13 February 1543, they defeated
5350-469: The Ethiopianist tradition they are often transcribed with a dot below the letter. The notation of central vowels in the Ethiopianist tradition is shown in angled brackets. The voiced bilabial plosive /b/ is phonetically realized as a voiced labial approximant [β̞] medially between sonorants in non- geminated form. The fricative ejective / sʼ / is heard as a fricative ejective [ sʼ ], but
5457-523: The Grave by placing a dot above the characters whose consonants were geminated, but this practice is rare. Punctuation includes the following: One may construct simple Amharic sentences by using a subject and a predicate . Here are a few simple sentences: ኢትዮጵያ ʾItyop̣p̣ya Ethiopia አፍሪካ ʾAfrika Africa ውስጥ wǝsṭ in ናት nat is ኢትዮጵያ አፍሪካ ውስጥ ናት ʾItyop̣p̣ya ʾAfrika wǝsṭ nat {Ethiopia} {Africa} {in} {is} 'Ethiopia
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#17327656439545564-639: The Imam's refuge near a village named Kobo overlooking the Afar Depression . The Imam successfully petitioned to the Turkish governor of Yemen Eyalet in Zabid , offering "much money" and submission to the official, he received an additional 2,000 musketeers from Arabia, and artillery and 900 picked men from the Ottomans to assist him. Meanwhile, due to casualties and other duties, da Gama's force
5671-473: The Rock Hewn Churches of Lalibela jointly added with Senegal's Gorée island as Africa's first World Heritage site by Unesco in the cultural criteria in 1978. Lalibela and its medieval monolithic churches attracts by far the most number of pilgrims annually of any religious site in Ethiopia. The New Jerusalem was built in response to the capture of old Jerusalem by Muslim forces during
5778-613: The Sultan in the field; Abu Bakr was forced to take refuge in Ogaden with his Somali allies. Ahmad did not follow him. After raising another large body of Somali followers, Abu Bakr met Ahmad for the second time. It was an indecisive clash that only forced the Sultan to retreat back into the Ogaden and Ahmad remained in Hubat as an independent governor of the rebel province. Upon hearing that
5885-449: The alphabet used for writing the Geʽez language. There are 34 basic characters, each of which has seven forms depending on which vowel is to be pronounced in the syllable. There are also 49 "wa" letters, which form compound sounds involving "w." All together, the alphabet has some 280 letters. Until 2020 Amharic was the sole official language of Ethiopia. The 2007 census reported that Amharic
5992-537: The center of gravity of the Kingdom of Aksum and the ensuing integration and Christianization of the proto-Amhara also resulted in a high prevalence of Geʽez sourced lexicon in Amharic. Some time after the 9th century AD, Amharic diverged from its closest relative, Argobba , probably due to religious differences as the Argobba adopted Islam. In 1983, Lionel Bender proposed that Amharic may have been constructed as
6099-471: The conversions were forced. While in the Debre Berhan area the Imam learned that the locals had not converted to Islam nor did they offer to pay jizya . He then ordered that anyone who failed to embrace Islam should be brought before him. Among those brought before the Imam were two Christian chiefs, finding them adamant in their faith, he then declared “We have decided to cut your heads off!” To which
6206-443: The core inhabitants of Greater Ethiopia would have consisted of dark-skinned agropastoralists speaking Afro-Asiatic languages of the Semitic, Cushitic and Omotic branches. Other scholars such as Messay Kebede and Daniel E. Alemu argue that migration across the Red Sea was defined by reciprocal exchange, if it even occurred at all, and that Ethio-Semitic-speaking ethnic groups should not be characterized as foreign invaders. Amharic
6313-435: The courts of appeals, and retains original jurisdiction over limited matters. The chief judge is called the President of Amhara Supreme Court (Yeneneh Simegn). The State Council, which is the highest administrative body of the state, is made up of 294 members. Amhara is represented by 138 representatives in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia House of Peoples' Representatives . Like other regions in Ethiopia, Amhara
6420-471: The courts, the language of trade and everyday communications and of the military since the late 12th century. The Amhara nobles supported the Zagwe prince Lalibela in his power struggle against his brothers which led him to make Amharic Lessana Negus as well as fill the Amhara nobles in the top positions of his Kingdom. The appellation of "language of the king" ( Ge'ez : ልሳነ ነጋሢ ; "Lǝssanä nägaśi," Amharic : የነጋሢ ቋንቋ "Yä-nägaśi qʷanqʷa") and its use in
6527-402: The death of Imam Mahfuz , Garad Abun Adashe would become the most popular ruler of Adal , sparking conflict with the ruling Walashma dynasty for seven years. As an elite infantryman of Hubat, Ahmad joined Adashe in his power struggles against the Walashma . It was during this conflict that Ahmad demonstrated his courage, intelligence and military leadership. Garad Abun, who was astonished by
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#17327656439546634-481: The development of Egyptian mythology . Lake Tana contains several islands, whose numbers vary depending on the water level in the lake. (Over the last 400 years, that level has fallen about 2 metres (6.6 ft).) In the early 17th century, according to a contemporaneous report by Manoel de Almeida , a Portuguese missionary , there were 21 islands, which he described as "formerly large, but now much diminished,” and seven or eight of them had monasteries on them. In
6741-421: The fortress of Amba Geshen , around the same time the Adalites captured the Emperor's niece whom the Imam turned into his concubine . The Imam was able to acquire newly purchased cannons imported from Zeila which helped bring down the fortress. Arab Faqih states that thousands of Christians were captured, the Imam ordered those captured to be beheaded. As the Imam marched into Tigray, his cousin Zaharbui Muhammad
6848-423: The forts, in the valleys and in the gorges. The ground was so thickly covered with their corpses, that it was impossible to walk in that place because of the dead bodies." he estimates that over 10,000 Christians were killed. The Imam reached Aksum where upon he destroyed the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion . While in Aksum, a Balaw man informed the Adalites that the Christians had barricaded and hid themselves near
6955-406: The fortunates of the war were soon turning. The Imam, enraged at the death of his nephew marched with his forces into Seraye and massacred the locals. Dawit II had fled to Dembiya with his remaining followers, who were suffering from hunger and exhaustion. The Imam pursued the Abyssinians until they crossed the Blue Nile . After this Imam returned to Tigray where he discovered the region
7062-474: The fourteenth century, such as the Harla , the Argobba , the Afar and the Arabs . By about 1527-9, the Imam was at the head of a strong state, with an ever-increasing sphere of influence in the interior of the Horn, and ready to lead the crucial military offensive against the Christian empire. The chronicle of Imam Ahmad's invasion of Abyssinia is depicted in various Arabic, Abyssinian and other foreign sources. In 1529 Imam Ahmad finally decided to embark on
7169-429: The gift of a monk's habit, an expensive insult to Gama. Gama responded with his own messenger, who delivered "a few lines in Arabic ", stating that he had come to Ethiopia "by order of the great Lion of the Sea " and on the "following day he [Ahmad] would see what the Portuguese were worth", and delivered Gama's own insulting gift: a pair of "small tweezers for the eyebrows, and a very large mirror – making him out [to be]
7276-413: The initial assault. The Abyssinian cavalry then threw themselves vigorously into the Adal lines which pushed the Adalites back. The Imam seeing his men lose ground moved up to encourage them, it was here that the Imam was killed while attempting to rally his men, although the sources differ in how he died. Upon seeing the death of the Imam, his followers had begun to flee from the battlefield. What followed
7383-590: The largest inland body of water in Ethiopia, Lake Tana (which is the source of the Blue Nile ), and Semien Mountains National Park (which includes Ras Dashan , the highest point in Ethiopia). Amhara is bordered by Sudan to the west and northwest and by other the regions of Ethiopia: Tigray to the north, Afar to the east, Benishangul-Gumuz to the west and southwest, and Oromia to the south. Towns and cities in Amhara include: Bahir Dar , Dessie , Gonder , Debre Birhan , Debre Tabor , Kombolcha , Weldiya , Debre Markos , Seqota , Kobo , and Metema . During
7490-402: The late 18th century, James Bruce visited the area and noted that, though the locals reported that there were 45 inhabited islands, he believed that "the number may be about eleven." A mid-twentieth-century account reported 37 islands and said that 19 of were the current or former sites of either monasteries or churches. The lake islands were the home of ancient Ethiopian emperors. Treasures of
7597-431: The late 20th century, the scholar Paul B. Henze reported being shown a rock on the island of Tana Qirqos and being told it was where the Virgin Mary had rested during her journey back from Egypt . He was also told that Saint Frumentius , the bishop known for introducing Christianity to Ethiopia, was "allegedly buried on Tana Cherqos." The Amhara region has the most world heritage sites of any region in Ethiopia and
7704-501: The local population, the region is predominantly inhabited by people from the Semitic -speaking Amhara ethnic group. Most other residents hail from other Afro-Asiatic language communities, including the Agaw /Awi, Oromo , Beta Israel , Qemant , Agaw / Kamyr and Argobba . Gumuz is another community located in parts in Amhara Region, speaking a Nilo-Saharan language . Religion in Amhara Region (2007) The predominant religion of
7811-507: The military valour of Ahmad, arranged for him to marry the late Mahfuz 's youngest daughter, Bati del Wambara . The Adal sultan Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad is said to have established his capital at Harar and recruited a large number of Somalis into his army. Together with his Somali allies Abu Bakr defeated and killed Adashe near Zeila in 1525. The remnants of Adashe's forces retreated back to Hubat where their numbers soon rose to over 100. The Sultan attempted to pursue but Ahmad defeated
7918-402: The most important celebrations, marked with services, feasting and dancing. There are also many fast days throughout the year, when only vegetables or fish may be eaten. Marriages are often arranged , with men marrying in their late teens or early twenties. Traditionally, girls were married as young as 14, but in the 20th century, the minimum age was raised to 18. After a church wedding, divorce
8025-608: The nomadic tribes and the Adalite state became mostly centered around the city of Harar . The result he claims was that the nomadic people instinctively return to their "eternal disintegrating struggles of people against people and tribe against tribe." By 1577 the Adal Sultanate would eventually disintegrate due to tribal infighting and pressure from the Oromo migrations . Historian Didier Morin states Ahmed Ibrahim who holds
8132-482: The number of geographically distinct Cushitic languages that have influenced Amharic at different points in time (e.g. Oromo influence beginning in the 16th century) support a natural evolution of Amharic from a Proto-Ethio-Semitic language with considerable Cushitic influences (similar to Gurage, Tigrinya, etc.). The Amharic ejective consonants correspond to the Proto-Semitic " emphatic consonants ." In
8239-405: The onset of the rainy season prevented da Gama from engaging Ahmad. On the advice of Queen Seble Wongel , da Gama made winter camp at Wofla near Lake Ashenge, still within sight of his opponent. Ahmad was forced to retreat further south, where with fortune against him, the local population now openly defied him by refusing to provide him supplies or soldiers. J. Spencer Trimingham identifies
8346-400: The people know that the conqueror who had wrought them such evils was indeed dead. The Abyssinians then set up great festivals across the country celebrating the death of the Imam, as Castanhoso narrates "We remained in great pleasure, seeing each day the Abyssinians delighting in that victory, and in the liberty in which they found themselves." Muslim sources paint the Imam as an ascetic and
8453-424: The people of Bali and Dawaro which was governed by Degalhan who had earlier pillaged Adal. They were able to defeat the Abyssinians in the Battle of Amba Sel but this was quite difficult as the Christians were able to inflict serious losses on the soldiers of the Imam because they held the high ground, among the dead was the Imam's right-hand man, Garad Matan . The Adalites attempted to capture Degalhan but he
8560-589: The port of Zeila . Before carrying out his invasion of Ethiopia, it is said he had access to several cannons as well as several well armed soldiers from Yemen . He invited the Somali chiefs of the area to participate in his jihad (holy war) against Ethiopia. Besides the Somalis, Ahmad had also incorporated into his army other peoples in the area who had been in continuous conflict with the Christian empire ever since
8667-577: The province of Bete Amhara by the end of the year. Dawit II fell back behind the Abay River to the relative security of Gojjam . It was here in Amhara that the Adalites came across many churches and palaces built by the Abyssinians. The Imam was stunned by the beauty of these churches and according to Arab Faqih: Nevertheless, he ordered all of the churches built by the Abyssinians to be destroyed, including Mekane Selassie, Atronsa Maryam, Debre Nagwadgwad and Ganata Giyorgis. He soon campaigned against
8774-668: The region) was sacked and burned down in 1531 by the invasion led by Ahmad bin Ibrahim . Francisco Alvarez, who had earlier visited the church, confirms that its size was some 150 feet by 150 feet — wholly covered in gold leaf, inlaid with gems, pearls and corals After the social movements of 2014–2017, Amhara nationalism developed strongly in the region, with a discourse that includes both issues of power balance between elites and territorial claims. Several local politicians, such as Dejene Maru backed by General Asaminew Tsige , were able to control armed factions. On 22 June 2019, factions of
8881-513: The region, leading to major human rights violations and subsequent state of emergency . Since the outbreak of the war, the region experienced internal displacements, extrajudicial killings and extensive property damages. According to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) reports, 45 civilians were killed in Amhara region by security forces for allegedly supporting Fano in late January 2024. The Amhara region
8988-639: The royal court are otherwise traced to the Amhara Emperor Yekuno Amlak . It is one of the official languages of Ethiopia , together with other regions like Oromo , Somali , Afar , and Tigrinya . Amharic is an Afro-Asiatic language of the Southwest Semitic group and is related to Geʽez , or Ethiopic, the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox church; Amharic is written in a slightly modified form of
9095-536: The royal library, a chancellery , a banqueting hall, stables for the horses, highly decorated churches, monasteries and unique public and private buildings that was built during the reign of several emperors in the Gondarine period. The complex covers an area of 70 square kilometers. Based on the 2007 census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), the Amhara region has
9202-675: The security forces of the region attempted a coup d'état against the regional government, during which the President of the Amhara region, Ambachew Mekonnen , was assassinated. A bodyguard siding with the nationalist factions assassinated General Se'are Mekonnen – the Chief of the General Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Force – as well as his aide, Major General Gizae Aberra. The Prime Minister's Office accused Brigadier General Asaminew Tsige, head of
9309-406: The throne as his puppet. Imam Ahmad would spend the next several months in subjugating the surrounding Somali clans with diplomacy and war. He had hoped to unite all the warring Muslim nomads under his authority which he had done so successfully. The Imam was also able to start stockpiling on firearms such as the matchlock musket , cannons , and the arquebus , which he obtained from Arabia via
9416-533: The way to the borders of the Sultanate of Funj. Imam Ahmed won nearly all his battles against the Ethiopians before 1541 and after his victory at Battle of Amba Sel , the Ethiopian Emperor, Dawit II was never again in a position to offer a pitched battle to his army and was subsequently forced to live as an outlaw constantly hounded by Imam Ahmed's soldiers, the Malassay . Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi
9523-543: The world, and the very first in Africa in the natural criteria since 1978. Chosen for its spectacular landscapes and global significance for biodiversity conservation. Situated within the Semien Mountains , Ethiopia's highest peaks Ras Dashen reaches an elevation of (4,543 m (14,905 ft)). The park also has Ethiopia's second and third highest mountains, Kidis Yared (4,453 m (14,610 ft)) and Mount Bwahit (4,437 m (14,557 ft)). The park
9630-417: The wounds which the bullets made. However, the Imam wasn’t able to take advantage of this victory immediately due to tribal infighting within his army. He was forced to return to Harar to resolve disputes between the different tribes that made up his army. He used this opportunity to build up an army that was loyal to him and not to any specific tribal leaders. Finally in 1531 he reconstructed his forces and
9737-415: Was a devastating rout as the Abyssinians pursued the fleeing Adalites and cut them down as they ran. The Imam's wife Bati del Wambara managed to escape the battlefield with the remnants of the army and retreated back to Harar , abandoning the occupation of Abyssinia. The corpse of the Imam was beheaded and Gelawdewos ordered his head to be set on a spear, and carried around in all of Abyssinia, so that
9844-480: Was able to begin the definite invasion and occupation of Abyssinia. With the help of his advanced weaponry he was able to inflict another crushing defeat on the Abyssinians during the Battle of Antukyah which allowed the Adalites to occupy Fatagar and Shewa . The Imam then dispatched his Somali brother in law, Garad Matan , to Ifat telling him to struggle against the inhabitants until he had forced them to submit. The Adalites continued to advance northwards securing
9951-421: Was able to escape through Hadiya. For the next two years the Adalites would secure the southern Abyssinian provinces of Dawaro , Bali , Fatagar , Hadiya and Wej . After the Adalites conquered Damot and subjugated the pagans of Gafat the Imam marched north with his army. The Imam was passionately interested in converting newly occupied territories as his men were made up of religious zealots. But many of
10058-427: Was able to inflict a devastating defeat on the Christians and routed them completely. Richard Pankhurst attributes Imam Ahmad's victory to the presence amongst his followers of matchlockmen . This battle was probably the first time Ethiopian forces had to fight against a force equipped with firearms. He adds that the Abyssinians were unable to endure the “Thunder of the Turkish artillery” and did not know how to cure
10165-610: Was also very zealous in converting the Abyssinian population as he personally taught the Quran to the converted and above all children. During his invasion in 1535 the Imam visited the tomb of Najashi in Negash to pay his respects as well as naming his son Ahmed Al Najashi after him. Imam Ahmad’s invasion was arguably the single most important chapter in Ethiopia's long history. The destruction of cultural assets and national pride
10272-518: Was born in 1506 and hailed from the lowlands of Hubat in the Adal Sultanate . The ethnicity of Ahmad ibn Ibrahim is disputed, with historians regarding him as either an ethnic Somali a Harla / Harari , or a Balaw . Ahmad spent a great deal of time in the city of Harar . According to sixteenth century Adal writer Arab Faqīh , due to the secular rule of Sultan Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad , Ahmad would leave Harar and return to Hubat. After
10379-416: Was built at a cost of $ 90 million and employs 20,000 people. Arerti IP and Debre Birhan IP are under construction. About 90% of the Amhara are rural and make their living through farming, mostly in the Ethiopian highlands. Barley , corn , millet , wheat, sorghum , and teff , along with beans , peppers , chickpeas , and other vegetables, are the most important crops . In the highlands one crop per year
10486-465: Was established around 1200. The parish of Mekane Selassie (መካነ ሥላሴ), near Neded and the home of the cathedral by the same name, served as a favourite royal playground. The construction of Mekane Selassie (meaning: the abode of the Trinity) was begun by Emperor Naod (1494-1508) and completed by his son Emperor Lebna Dengel . This was a year before the church (along with a large number of monasteries in
10593-528: Was immense. Imam Ahmad’s invasion left an indelible mark on the Ethiopian psyche. As Paul B. Henze writes, "In Ethiopia the damage which Ahmad Gragn did has never been forgotten. Every Christian highlander still hears tales of Gragn in his childhood." Haile Selassie referred to him in his memoirs: "I have often had villagers in northern Ethiopia point out sites of towns, forts, churches and monasteries destroyed by Gragn as if these catastrophes had occurred only yesterday." Shewan folklore portrays Imam Ahmed as
10700-457: Was in Harar , Ahmad fled back to Hubat where he continued to struggle against the Sultan. At about this time a swarm of bees enlightened on Ahmad's head, this incident was considered so miraculous that people gave him the title of Imam . After much war the Imam defeated and killed Abu Bakr who fled to the Ogaden among his Somali supporters. He then returned to Harar where he placed Umar Din on
10807-423: Was killed in an ambush. The Imam grieved over his death and the next day he set out with his army eager to avenge the death of his cousin. He defeated the armies of Agame and Tembien and marched towards Aksum , but the locals of Tigray had all assembled to defend their holy city. The Imam defeated and killed a large number of them as Arab Faqih states, "Not a single one managed to slip away. They killed them in
10914-452: Was reduced to 300 musketeers. After the rains ended, Imam Ahmad attacked the Portuguese camp at Wolfa and through weight of numbers killed all but 140 of da Gama's troops. Da Gama himself, badly wounded, was captured with ten of his men and, after refusing an offer to spare his life if he would convert to Islam, was tortured and executed. The Imam was certain that the surviving Portuguese were scattered, without their firearms, and alone in
11021-475: Was spoken by 21.6 million native speakers in Ethiopia. More recent sources state the number of first-language speakers in 2018 as nearly 32 million, with another 25 million second-language speakers in Ethiopia. Additionally, 3 million emigrants outside of Ethiopia speak the language. Most of the Ethiopian Jewish communities in Ethiopia and Israel speak Amharic. Furthermore, Amharic is considered
11128-495: Was still holding out. They were soon met by the Queen Mother Seble Wongel and her followers. Reinforced by her local auxiliaries, together they advanced into Tigray where they defeated a local Adal garrison during the Battle of Baçente . The Imam then sent a messenger to Gama demanding that the Portuguese force either leave Ethiopia, join the Imam, or be destroyed. On the Imam's orders, the messenger produced
11235-670: Was the Imam of the Adal Sultanate from 1527 to 1543. Commonly named Ahmed Gragn in Amharic and Gurey in Somali , both meaning the left-handed, he led the invasion and conquest of Abyssinia from the Sultanate of Adal during the Ethiopian-Adal War . He is often referred to as the "King of Zeila " in medieval texts. Dubbed "The African Attila " by Orientalist Frederick A. Edwards, Imam Ahmed‘s conquests reached all
11342-520: Was undergoing a severe famine that took a huge toll on the Adalite army. The conditions were so dire that many Muslims in Ahmad's army converted to Christianity, realizing the impossibility of his position the Imam soon withdrew to the more fertile province of Begmeder . Upon arriving in Begmeder , the Imam pacified the people of Siemen and Dembiya . The Beta Israel assisted the Adalites in subduing
11449-437: Was unprepared and in a mountain encampment on Gara Muleta. The sultan besieged Ahmad and his small force for ten days, when he hoped to starve them. However, at this critical moment, the sheikhs of Harar intervened and reconciled the two leaders. Ahmad was forced to recognize the authority of the Adalite state for the first time in his career. This peace was immediately broken by Abu Bakr, who tried to assassinate Ahmad while he
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