User:Yom/Great Oromo migration

The Great Oromo migration was a series of migrations in the 16th and 17th centuries by Oromos from more southerly areas in Ethiopia to more central and northern regions. The migrations had a severe impact on the recently weakened Solomonic dynasty of Ethiopia, as well as being the death blow to the recently defeated Adal state.

Sources

Because Oromos did not keep a written record of the migrations, we must refer to Solomonic, Portuguese, and Arabic sources for the reasons behind and history of the migrations. Particularly, a 16th century [Amara]] monk named Bahrey is the foremost source on the migrations. His book (written in Ge'ez), the History of the Galla (Ge'ez ዜናሁ ፡ ለጋላ zēnahu legalla; "Galla" being an older name for "Oromos" that is now pejorative), was written in 1593 and details the migrations from 1522 to his age. In addition to his book, further information can be gleamed from other contemporaries such as from the Ethiopian monk Abba Paulos, Shihab ed-Din's Futuh al-Habasha (Conquest of Abyssinia), João Bermudes, Francisco de Almeida, Jerónimo Lobo, and various royal chronicles (e.g. those of Gelawdewos, Sarsa Dengel, and Susenyos, though that of Sarsa Dengel may have been written by Bahrey).

Early migrations

The early migrations were characterized by sporadic raids by the Oromo on the frontiers of the Solomonic kingdom. After capturing cattle and other booty, the raiding parties would quickly return back to their homelands. Actual settlement of new territories would not begin until the luba (Ge'ez ሉባ lūbā, an "appointed" head of one of the five groups of an Oromo clan) of Meslé.

lubas (meaning - p.301)

Mélbah (1522-1530) and Mudena (1530-1538)

According to Bahrey, the earliest Oromo migratinos occured under the Oromo luba Melbah, during the time of Emperor Lebna Dengel. He states that they invaded the neighboring Bali in the Southeast just before the invasions of Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi of Adal (also known as Ahmed Gragn) in the north. These early incursions (Oromo razzia) were limited, however, as the encroaching groups returned to their homeland near the Shebelle River after each raid. Raids continued under Mudena past the Wabi Shebelle, but these groups also returned home shortly.

Kilolé (1538-1546)

After the death of Ahmed Gragn, Kilolé resumed his predecessors raids, piercing further into Solomonic territory. Aided by the weakening of both the Solomonic dynasty and Adal, he was able to raid as far as the province of Dewaro, north of Bali. Again, however, after each raid, the parties returned to their villages. Bahrey's dating might, however, be off, however, as Shihab ad-din, who wrote a decade before Ahmed Gragn's death, notes a locality named Werre Qallu, an Oromo name, in the province of Dewaro. Francisco de Almeida, however, agreed with Bahrey's dating, affirming that the Galla first began migrating around the time of Ahmed Gragn's invasion (1527).

Bifolé (1546-1554)

During the time of luba Bifolé, the Oromo migration achieved its first major success. While all previous movements had been minor raids on neighboring provinces, under Bifolé new raids were undertaken that began to weaken Solomonic control. All of Dewaro was pillaged and Fetegar to its north was attacked for the first time. Furthermore, according to Bahrey, the inhabitants of the pillaged areas were enslaved, becoming gebrs (Ge'ez ገብር gabr; Amh. gebr, Tgn. gebri), a term referring more precisely to "tax-paying serfs," similar to the serfs in Ethiopia during feudal times. Emperor Gelawdewos, however, campaigned in the south as a result of thee attacks. According to his chronicle, the Emperor defeated the Oromo incursions and made subject to his rule those he captured, preventing further attacks for some time, with further incursions reduced to skirmishes. The initial attacks were significant, however, on a much larger and more devastating scale to the Solomonic dynasty. Despite his reprisals, Gelawdewos was troubled and was forced to settle refugees in a town of Wej, north of Lake Zway, around 1550-1.

Settlement

Meslé (1554-1562)

Meslé's time represent a fundamental change in the migrations of the Oromo. Not only were newly taken territories permanently settled by Oromos for the first time, but mules and horses began to be ridden by the first time. The adoption of horseback-riding from the north greatly increased the Oromos fighting power, putting them on par with Solomonic troops, who were largely unequipped with firearms.

In the new phase of migration adopted under Meslé, the Oromos defeated Gelawdewos's troops in Jan Amora, allowing them to pillage a number of towns. Instead of returning to their homelands, however, they stayed in the new territories. Gelawdewos campaigned against the Oromos as a result, defeating them at 'Asa Zeneb (yet unidentified), but he was nevertheless unable to drive them from the frontier provinces and continued to build the new town in Wej for new refugees.

Oromo migration was not restricted to Solomonic territories, however, as activites against Adal were also pursued. The forces of Nur ibn Mujahid (r. 1551/2-1567/8), the Amir of Harar, for instance, were soundly defeated by the Oromos. According to Bahrey, there had been "no such slaughter since the Galla first invaded."

Harmufa (1562-1570) and Robalé (1570-1578)

During the luba of Harmufa, the Oromos advanced even deeper into Solomonic territory. With the use of horses, they were able to attack the province Amhara, and even get as far as Begemdir and Angot. Further advances were made under Robalé, during whose time Shewa was pillaged and Gojjam attacked. For the first time, Oromo advances were devastating core Solomonic provinces, whereas there earlier incursions were simply against frontier provinces. Despite the deeper attacks, the core provinces remained under Solomonic control, and Emperor Sarsa Dengel carried out reprisals in return. One such reprisal in 1573 involved the engagement of Oromos near Lake Zway in a frontier province, whom he defeated, and taking their cattle and distributing it among his subjects who are described in his chronicle as "bec[oming] rich" as a result.

Reprisals under Sarsa Dengel

Forced to fight the Ottomans in the north of his Empire, Sarsa Dengel turned to curb the spread of Oromos in the south in the 1570s. The first mention of his actions is in his short Royal chronicle, which states that he fought a force of Borana Oromos at Lake Zway under a luba named Ambissa. Learning that, after the 1572 rains, the Oromos had taken Wej, the Emperor gathered his forces from throughout Ethiopia to form an army at Gind Beret. From there, Sarsa Dengel headed south, where he found that the Oromos had also taken Maya. Despite the size of his army, he was able to defeat the Oromos in the area, pushing them back to Fetegar, and capture a large number of cattle. Sarsa Dengel again learned in 1574 of Oromo incursions in Shewa, and the pillaging of cattle in lowland Zéma. The Emperor sent Azzaj Halibo with 50 cavalry to the area, who forced the Oromo to flee sent the heads of 80 to the Emperor as trophies. Sarsa Dengel was again forced to head north with his army to confront the Ottoman-backed Bahr negus Yeshaq, but later returned to Wej in 1577-8 to fend off Oromo advances in the area. As a result of the battle in the Mojjo Valley (just east of modern Addis Ababa) against the Borana Oromo, corpses were strewn all over the surrounding countryside. The Emperor then fended off an attack in Dembiya by the Abati Oromo at a place called Weyne Deg'a and as a result of the battle, according to Bahrey, less than ten Oromo survived.

Birmajé (1578-1586)

Despite Sarsa Dengel's military campaigns, the Oromo migration continued to spread northward during this time. It was under luba Birmajé that the Oromos first began to use body-length ox-hide shields. These shields allowed the Oromos to resist arrows and therefore successfully defeat the Mayas. During this time period, the Oromo often came into conflict with Daharagot, one of Sarsa Dengel's commanders, who was often successfuly. Nevertheless, during this time, the Oromo pillaged Ar'ine in Wej, killing Solomonic courtiers in the process. Further advances were made around Lake Tana, Dembiya, and (old) Damot, which was surrounded and some of whose inhabitants were enslaved.

Mul'eta (1586-1594)

Under luba Mul'eta a large raid (Oromo dulaguto) was made on Gojjam south of Lake Tana. With the Ottoman situation in the north largely under control, Sarsa Dengel again took the initiative against the Oromo in the south, where he forced the Dawé (or Jawé) Oromos in Wej to flight. (287) Bahrey praised Sarsa Dengel's campaign, stating that he "did not act according to the custom of the kings his ancestors, who, when making war were in the habit of sending their troops ahead, remaining themselves in the rear with the pick of their cavalry and infantry, praising those who went forward bravely and punishing those who lagged behind." Despite Bahrey's praise, Sarsa Dengel was forced to use coercion to draw troops, decreeing that anyone who failed to heed his call to arms would have his house pillaged and property confiscated.

17th c.

Susneyos

Ras Se'elä Krestos

Changes in Oromo Customs/Beliefs/Culture

Culture at time

extensive - p.301 brief - p.289

Changes

Use of kosso

Consequences

p. 306

Further reading

• Richard Pankhurst, Ethiopian Borderlands
• Mohammed Hassen, The Oromo of Ethiopia: A History 1570-1860

See also

• History of Ethiopia
• Oromo people
• Migration