A neftenya ( Amharic : ነፍጠኛ , lit. 'rifle bearer') was the name given to Emperor Menelik II 's warriors, who were primarily of Shewan Amhara origin, that expanded into and colonized large tracts of what is today southern Ethiopia during Menelik II's expansions . In its literal meaning, neftenya , referred to riflemen in the Imperial Ethiopian Army who were known to have settled in Ethiopia's peripheral regions, including parts of present-day Oromia Region , the SNNPR Region , Gambela Region and the Benishangul-Gumuz Region from the late 19th century onwards. The origin of this term lies from the fact that these soldiers, i.e. "neftenya", were granted land on these newly conquered territories, including the services of the indigenous people on these lands, as rewards for their services.
56-522: The Shewan conquerors that were described as neftenya were originally a group of aristocratic rulers of the Kingdom of Shewa who were high ranking members of Menelik II 's Royal Court and their soldiers. While upper class Amhara who came to the south as conquerors originated from all parts of the northern highlands, all came as vassals of the specifically Shewan state. A system of imperial conquest effectively based on settler colonialism , involving
112-450: A Muslim state ( Makhzumi dynasty ), which G. W. B. Huntingford believed was founded in 896, and had its capital at Walalah . In a recent discovery, a team of French archaeologists uncovered three urban centers believed to have been remnants of the former Sultanate of Ifat , with the Nora site in eastern Shewa being the most notable among them. Yekuno Amlak based his uprising against
168-582: A part of Abyssinia upon the rise of the Amhara Solomonic dynasty . Dawit I and his successors stayed in Fatagar (part of Shewa) for a long time in Tobya (Yifat, Fatagar). The province served as the birthplace of the future emperors Zara Yaqob and Dawit II . Zara Yaqob and Na'od would then make Debre Berhan and Zway their capitals respectively. In 1528 Shewa was overrun by Muslim invaders from
224-558: A recent discovery, a team of French archaeologists uncovered three urban centers believed to have been remnants of the former Sultanate of Ifat , with the Nora site in eastern Shewa being the most notable among them. Yekuno Amlak based his uprising against the Zagwe dynasty from an enclave in Shewa. He claimed Solomonic forebears, direct descendants of the pre-Zagwe Axumite emperors, who had used Shewa as their safe haven when their survival
280-915: A short period of time) during the Imperial period of Tewodros II, Menelik II, and Haile Selassie. In the 19th Century, the Shewans (included several sub-groups of Shewan Amhara and Shewan Oromo people) held prominent roles in the consolidation of the Ethiopian Empire under the rule of the Kingdom of Shewa as members of Menelik II 's Royal Court . Both the imperial and the Derg government relocated numerous Amharas into southern Ethiopia where they served in government administration, courts, church and even in school, where Oromo texts were eliminated and replaced by Amharic. The Abyssinian elites perceived
336-464: Is a historical region of Ethiopia which was formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire . The modern Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa is located at its center. The towns of Debre Berhan , Antsokia , Ankober , Entoto and, after Shewa became a province of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa have all served as the capital of Shewa at various times. Most of northern Shewa, made up of the districts of Menz , Tegulet , Yifat , Menjar and Bulga ,
392-507: Is currently inhabited by the Gurages , Oromo and Argobba Muslim populations. The monastery of Debre Libanos , founded by Saint Tekle Haymanot , is located in the district of Silalish, Shewa Modern Shewa includes the historical Endagabatan province. Shewa first appears in the historical record as part of a Muslim state ( Makhzumi dynasty ), which G. W. B. Huntingford believed was founded in 896, and had its capital at Walalah . In
448-425: Is populated by Christian Amharas , while southern Shewa, despite being historically inhabited by Amhara, is currently inhabited by the Gurages , Oromo and Argobba Muslim populations. The monastery of Debre Libanos , founded by Saint Tekle Haymanot , is located in the district of Silalish, Shewa Modern Shewa includes the historical Endagabatan province. Shewa first appears in the historical record as part of
504-717: Is related to the Amhara tradition of an arrogant king, which is attributed to Emperor Dawit II . However, he also notes that Sarako is the Gurage name for Emperor Zara Yaqob , from this he concludes that the Oromo acquired the Sarako tradition through their contact with the Gurage. The Amhara Shewan ruling family was founded in the late 17th century by Negasi Krestos , who consolidated his control around Yifat and extended his territory to
560-468: Is the historical accounts on Oromo rule of Ethiopia in the 1700s, including the Yejju Oromos "controlling the imperial seat at Gonder for about eighty years." Ethiopianists claim that since Oromos were citizens of Abyssinia for several centuries (both as peasants and in its leadership), Abyssinia itself is made up of its Oromo citizens. Thus northern Oromos were Abyssinians, long before Emperor Menelik
616-553: The Egyptian-Ethiopian War , Emperor Yohannes IV , who was angered over Menelik's claim to be the Emperor, marched into Shewa and ravaged the towns. Menelik, realizing that resistance was futile, was forced to submit to Yohannes. Escaping influence from Yohannes, Menelik moved his capital south from Ankober to Mount Entoto in 1884. There, his wife Taytu Betul was attracted to a nearby spring known as Finfinne by
SECTION 10
#1732782723976672-484: The Ethiopian Empire . The modern Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa is located at its center. The towns of Debre Berhan , Antsokia , Ankober , Entoto and, after Shewa became a province of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa have all served as the capital of Shewa at various times. Most of northern Shewa, made up of the districts of Menz , Tegulet , Yifat , Menjar and Bulga , is populated by Christian Amharas , while southern Shewa, despite being historically inhabited by Amhara,
728-600: The Harla people according to the Karrayyu Oromo. According to oral traditions, Shewa had a powerful king named Sarako, who prevented the people from bearing arms. A certain giant arose against Sarako, and his children, and destroyed them. When the clans of the Borana, Gombichu and Ada, entered Shewa, they found no-one to stop them, since the children of Sarako had been killed. Enrico Cerulli believes that this tradition
784-560: The Sultanate of Adal to the east, and its ancient cities were destroyed. Most of Shewa was overrun by the Oromos during the late 16th century. Its eastern fringe was reportedly inhabited by the Harla people according to the Karrayyu Oromo. According to oral traditions, Shewa had a powerful king named Sarako, who prevented the people from bearing arms. A certain giant arose against Sarako, and his children, and destroyed them. When
840-515: The Tulama Oromo , whom he defeated in the early 1820s. He followed this victory by rebuilding Debre Berhan, which had been burned in an Oromo raid, as well as a number of other towns and consolidated his hold by founding a number of fortified villages, like Angolalla , in the Abichu territory. He extended the frontier of Shewa into Bulga and Karayu, to the southeast into Arsi, and as far south as
896-458: The Zagwe dynasty from an enclave in Shewa. He claimed Solomonic forebears, direct descendants of the pre-Zagwe Axumite emperors, who had used Shewa as their safe haven when their survival was threatened by Gudit and other enemies. This is the reason why the region got the name "Shewa" which means 'rescue' or 'save'. This claim is supported by the Kebra Nagast , a book written under one of
952-479: The individual rights of each person; which politically vocal ethnic federalists and ethnic nationalists who oppose such views claim it to be a ploy towards taking away group rights -based political powers from various ethnic groups. Shewa Shewa ( Amharic : ሸዋ ; Oromo : Shawaa ; Somali : Shawa; Arabic : شيوا ), formerly romanized as Shua , Shoa , Showa , Shuwa ( Scioà in Italian ),
1008-495: The Abichu territory. He extended the frontier of Shewa into Bulga and Karayu, to the southeast into Arsi, and as far south as the territories of the Gurage. After a few years, Sahle Selassie felt his position secure enough that he proclaimed himself Negus, or king, of Shewa, Ifat, the Oromo and the Gurage peoples, without the authority of the Emperor of Ethiopia in Gondar . After the death of Sahle Selassie in 1847, Shewa fell under
1064-622: The Neftenya class, by virtue of marriage, or adopting the religion, language and cultural traits of the Amhara, it also included Tigrayans , Oromos , and Gurages , a majority of which came from the Kingdom of Shewa . Shimelis Abdisa used the Amharic word neftenya ("riflemen" in English) to refer to the ruling class established in the wake of Emperor Menelik II's conquest in southern Ethiopia in
1120-544: The Oromo identity and languages as an obstacle to the expansion of Ethiopian national identity. Under the Haile Selassie Regime Oromo was banned from education, and use in administration. In 1967, the regime of Haile Selassie I outlawed the Mecha and Tuluma Self-Help Association and later instigated a wave of mass arrests and killings of its members and leaders. Prominent military officer and leader of
1176-514: The Sarako tradition through their contact with the Gurage. The Amhara Shewan ruling family was founded in the late 17th century by Negasi Krestos , who consolidated his control around Yifat and extended his territory to the south by conquering Menz , Tegulet and Merhabete from the Oromos. Upon rising to power, Sahle Selassie aligned himself to the Abichu Oromo and turn his attention to
SECTION 20
#17327827239761232-536: The advantage of being in the center of his realm, enabling him to remain in contact with the Christians to the south and the Muslim Oromos in the northeast. The area around these town moreover had rich pastures capable of feeding numerous cavalry and other livestock. After the Egyptian-Ethiopian War , Emperor Yohannes IV , who was angered over Menelik's claim to be the Emperor, marched into Shewa and ravaged
1288-557: The alleged colonization of ethnic Oromos by Amhara (Abyssinians) during the 1880s conquests by Emperor Menelik II . However, both Oromos and Amhara Ethiopians alike have disagreed on such strict use of the word "Abyssinians" as exclusively meaning Amhara Ethiopians, because Oromo conquests since the 1500s have led to northern Oromos being part and parcel of the Abyssinian empires centered in Gondar . One particular example used by Ethiopianist Oromos, like Merera Gudina , against OLF
1344-460: The annexed lands and conquered peoples are placed under a One-Nation, One-Language, One-Religion imperial rule based on the Amhara culture, as well as against politicians or portions of the general public regardless of ethnicity perceived as Ethiopian nationalists who support multicultural civic or liberal nationalism in order to move Ethiopian politics and governmental administration away from ethnicity-based identity politics in order to support
1400-537: The association, Colonel General Tadesse Birru , was also arrested. This reaction by the regime had been caused by the popularity of the organization among the Oromos and its links to the Bale Oromo resistance movement. By 1980, the original 120 members of the Derg had been whittled down to only 38. All members but three were ethnic Amhara and were predominantly from settler colonialist neftenya origins. Many member of
1456-409: The birthplace of the future emperors Zara Yaqob and Dawit II . Zara Yaqob and Na'od would then make Debre Berhan and Zway their capitals respectively. In 1528 Shewa was overrun by Muslim invaders from the Sultanate of Adal to the east, and its ancient cities were destroyed. Most of Shewa was overrun by the Oromos during the late 16th century. Its eastern fringe was reportedly inhabited by
1512-536: The boy to Bakarat where he was captured and imprisoned at his mountain stronghold in Amba Mariam . After crushing the Amhara opposition in the province, Tewdoros then turned his attention towards the Oromo and according to Zanab "exterminated all the Gallas, from Debre Berhan to Ankober so that their corpses covered the ground like a carpet." Menelik II , who escaped from Amba Mariam at the end of June 1865 when he
1568-411: The clans of the Borana, Gombichu and Ada, entered Shewa, they found no-one to stop them, since the children of Sarako had been killed. Enrico Cerulli believes that this tradition is related to the Amhara tradition of an arrogant king, which is attributed to Emperor Dawit II . However, he also notes that Sarako is the Gurage name for Emperor Zara Yaqob , from this he concludes that the Oromo acquired
1624-550: The context of the Hachalu Hundessa riots in 2020 was called "inflammatory" by Terje Skjerdal and Mulatu Alemayehu Moges, as part of their paragraph on hate speech predominating in Ethiopian media at the time. In the context of interethnic conflict, the term is used as a reference toward extreme Amhara nationalists , in which the suppression of the identities, languages, cultures, traditions, histories and religions of
1680-453: The court. As C.F. Rey had noticed "[...] the judges are the sub governor creatures of course take the side of the plaintiff in nine cases out of ten." The neftenyoch could pass any judgment they wanted, short of capital punishment , which required Emperor Menelik's approval. The Oromo recount a long history of grievance which casts them as colonial subjects violently displaced from their land and alienated from their culture. Beginning from
1736-482: The deployment of armed settlers in newly created military colonies, was widespread throughout the southern and western territories that came under Menelik's dominion. Under the 'Neftenya-Gabbar scheme' the Ethiopian Empire had developed a relatively effective system of occupation and pacification. Soldier-settlers and their families moved into fortified villages known as katamas in strategic regions to secure
Neftenya - Misplaced Pages Continue
1792-441: The descendants of Yekuno Amlak, which mentions Shewa as part of the realm of Menelik I . Aksum and its predecessor Dʿmt were mostly limited to Northern Ethiopia and Eritrea during the 1st millennium BCE. However, Shewa eventually became a part of Abyssinia upon the rise of the Amhara Solomonic dynasty . Dawit I and his successors stayed in Fatagar (part of Shewa) for a long time in Tobya (Yifat, Fatagar). The province served as
1848-466: The dominant political system with their traditional political administrative system being abolished or banned. Certain non-Shewan Oromo had been branded by Naftenyans as outsiders and called the derogatory term "galla", meaning "savage", "slave", or "enemy." There has also been criticism of the terminology the OLF uses; since its formation, the OLF has used the terminology "Abyssinian colonialism" to describe
1904-431: The eras of military and monarchic rule although Siegfried Pausewang concluded in 2005 that "the term Amhara relates in contemporary Ethiopia to two different and distinct social groups. The ethnic group of the Amhara, mostly a peasant population, is different from a mixed group of urban people coming from different ethnic background, who have adopted Amharic as a common language and identify themselves as Ethiopians". Later on
1960-545: The eras of military and monarchic rule. Both the Haile Selassie and the Derg governments relocated numerous Amharas into southern Ethiopia where they served in government administration, courts, church and even in school, where Oromo texts were eliminated and replaced by Amharic. The Abyssinian elites perceived the Oromo identity and languages as hindrances to Ethiopian national identity expansion. Certain sub-sets of Oromo society were faced with forced assimilation into
2016-425: The late 18th and early 19th centuries, the adjacent Amhara community engaged in constant voracious attacks and raiding expeditions against the surrounding Oromo nation. In 1886, the land, then known as Finfinne, was renamed to Addis Ababa by Menelik II as the capital of Ethiopian Empire . Under the Haile Selassie regime Oromo was banned from education, and use in administration. The Amhara culture dominated throughout
2072-470: The late 19th century. Abdisa's use of the term neftenya prompted backlash given that it is often used to refer to members of Emperor Menelik II's army after the TPLF came to power in 1991, but Abdisa inaccurately identified the term with all populations of Amharas rather than the multi-ethnic aristocratic class of the Ethiopian Empire which the term originally stood for. As a result of neftenyas settling in
2128-627: The northern settlers and southern locals. As land was taken, the northern administrators became the owners and possessed the right to dispose of land as they pleased. While the majority of the Neftenya were Shewan Amhara they were not the only ones that were part of the Neftenya ruling class, which also consisted of others who assimilated into Amhara identity as a class based system in order to enforce ruling power over other Ethiopians, often by extreme cruelty and violence. Amhara sub-groups claim that it only consisted of Amhara people. Since local people, whatever their origins, were also able to assimilate into
2184-504: The province, Tewdoros then turned his attention towards the Oromo and according to Zanab "exterminated all the Gallas, from Debre Berhan to Ankober so that their corpses covered the ground like a carpet." Menelik II , who escaped from Amba Mariam at the end of June 1865 when he was twenty one years old, quickly returned to war-ravaged Shewa. During the first part of his reign, he ordered the reconstruction of various fortified towns such as Ankober , Debre Berhan and Warra Ilu. These sites had
2240-515: The rule of his son, Haile Melekot . Shewa soon attracted the attention of Emperor Tewodros II , who mobilized his army in Wollo and advanced into Shewa in October 1855. The Emperor advanced into Tegulet and around the same time the Oromo seized the opportunity to rebel and burnt Ankober to the ground. Haile Melekot, decided to prevent Debre Berhan from falling into the hands of his enemy and had
2296-519: The ruling elite were deeply opposed to the idea of loosening control on the rebellious southern regions conquered under Menelik II . In Illubabor in the 19th century, the semi-feudal system of neftenya , balabats , and gebbars was introduced. The Shewan officials and soldiers who settled in Illubabor, known as neftenya , were assigned to a number of peasant households, or gabbars depending on their rank and position. A Dejazmach
Neftenya - Misplaced Pages Continue
2352-458: The same time the Oromo seized the opportunity to rebel and burnt Ankober to the ground. Haile Melekot, decided to prevent Debre Berhan from falling into the hands of his enemy and had the town put to flames, he then fled to a nearby hill where he hoped to hide but soon died of an illness on November 10. After Haile Melekot' death, Tewdoros' opponents rallied behind the late king's son, Menelik II . Tewdoros left his camp at Debre Berhan and pursued
2408-451: The south by conquering Menz , Tegulet and Merhabete from the Oromos. Upon rising to power, Sahle Selassie aligned himself to the Abichu Oromo and turn his attention to the Tulama Oromo , whom he defeated in the early 1820s. He followed this victory by rebuilding Debre Berhan, which had been burned in an Oromo raid, as well as a number of other towns and consolidated his hold by founding a number of fortified villages, like Angolalla , in
2464-426: The southern expansion. These armed neftenya settlers and their families were known as the and peasant farmers who were assigned to them the gabbar . The Neftenya were assigned gabbar from the locally conquered population, who effectively worked in serfdom for the conquerors. The majority of the neftenya were Amhara from Shewa . The neftenya-gabbar relationship was a ' feudal -like patron client relationship' between
2520-435: The southern regions, other ethnic groups assimilated by into royal court culture by adopting the Amharic language, Orthodox Christianity, and other aristocratic cultural traits found in royal court culture . Both peasant Amhara culture and Ethiopian Empire royal court culture have heavily influenced each other; this Ethiopian royal court culture (that influenced and was influenced by Amhara culture) dominated throughout
2576-434: The tax ( gabbar sometimes the local farmers built the fences and homes of the overlord. They had to supply honey, butter, chicken and fattened sheep or goat on holidays. Each household had to produce fifty kilos of grounded cereals to each neftenya every month. Furthermore, the peasants had to transport grain crops to the nearest government granaries. If a gabbar failed to fulfill his duties, he would be summoned to
2632-611: The term started to be applied to Amhara civilians as an ethnic slur , even though the Shewan Neftenya leadership was multi-ethnic in nature and the very existence of a distinct and ethnically conscious Amhara ethnic group in that time period has been contested as an anachronism. From the 17th to the 19th centuries, Amharas were the dominant politico-military influence on central and southern Ethiopia, and later on conquering portions of north-central Ethiopia (including Gondar , Amhara Region and Raya Azebo , Tigray Region - for
2688-537: The territories of the Gurage. After a few years, Sahle Selassie felt his position secure enough that he proclaimed himself Negus, or king, of Shewa, Ifat, the Oromo and the Gurage peoples, without the authority of the Emperor of Ethiopia in Gondar . After the death of Sahle Selassie in 1847, Shewa fell under the rule of his son, Haile Melekot . Shewa soon attracted the attention of Emperor Tewodros II , who mobilized his army in Wollo and advanced into Shewa in October 1855. The Emperor advanced into Tegulet and around
2744-410: The town put to flames, he then fled to a nearby hill where he hoped to hide but soon died of an illness on November 10. After Haile Melekot' death, Tewdoros' opponents rallied behind the late king's son, Menelik II . Tewdoros left his camp at Debre Berhan and pursued the boy to Bakarat where he was captured and imprisoned at his mountain stronghold in Amba Mariam . After crushing the Amhara opposition in
2800-458: The towns. Menelik, realizing that resistance was futile, was forced to submit to Yohannes. Escaping influence from Yohannes, Menelik moved his capital south from Ankober to Mount Entoto in 1884. There, his wife Taytu Betul was attracted to a nearby spring known as Finfinne by the local Oromo inhabitants. In the spring of 1886, Menelik chose the site for Addis Ababa , his future capital. Building began at once, and, when Menelik became emperor of
2856-438: The whole country in 1889, Addis Ababa became the capital of Ethiopia. 9°00′N 39°00′E / 9.000°N 39.000°E / 9.000; 39.000 Shewa Shewa ( Amharic : ሸዋ ; Oromo : Shawaa ; Somali : Shawa; Arabic : شيوا ), formerly romanized as Shua , Shoa , Showa , Shuwa ( Scioà in Italian ), is a historical region of Ethiopia which was formerly an autonomous kingdom within
SECTION 50
#17327827239762912-486: Was born to lead the alleged "Abyssinian conquest of Oromos." Therefore, since an ethnic group cannot colonize itself, both the incorrect use of the word "Abyssinia" and the claim of "colonization of Oromo" terminology has been disputed by Ethiopianists. Allusion to Amhara , the second most populous ethnic group in Ethiopia, as "neftegna" or "neftenya" (meaning " musketeers ") by the government and local officials
2968-564: Was described as "inflammatory" by Human Rights Watch in 1995. Officials of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front , including, those from the ANDM (Amhara National Democratic Movement) used the term "neftenya" (gunslinger), as well as "chauvinist", "oppressor" , "Yekedmo sre'at nafaqi" (English: "one who pines for the old order"), in a "derogatory" sense during their period of rule according to Amanuel Tesfaye, and usage in
3024-464: Was granted 1,000 peasant households, a Fitawrari 300, a Kenyazmach 100 to 150; a Shambal 70 to 90; a Mato Alaqa 40 to 60, Hamsalaqa 25 to 35 and an ordinary soldier 5 to 10. Each peasant household had to go to the land owned by the overlord and contribute his labor as a form of tax. The overland provided food and drinks. At the end of the work, each peasant went back to their land or business. Taxes were collected from every married couple. In addition to
3080-449: Was threatened by Gudit and other enemies. This is the reason why the region got the name "Shewa" which means 'rescue' or 'save'. This claim is supported by the Kebra Nagast , a book written under one of the descendants of Yekuno Amlak, which mentions Shewa as part of the realm of Menelik I . Aksum and its predecessor Dʿmt were mostly limited to Northern Ethiopia and Eritrea during the 1st millennium BCE. However, Shewa eventually became
3136-495: Was twenty one years old, quickly returned to war-ravaged Shewa. During the first part of his reign, he ordered the reconstruction of various fortified towns such as Ankober , Debre Berhan and Warra Ilu. These sites had the advantage of being in the center of his realm, enabling him to remain in contact with the Christians to the south and the Muslim Oromos in the northeast. The area around these town moreover had rich pastures capable of feeding numerous cavalry and other livestock. After
#975024