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The Medieval Kingdom of Ethiopia

By Alex Wodzicki


 

This is part two of a multi-part series on the history of Ethiopia. If you haven’t read it already, be sure to check out last week’s post on the early history of Ethiopia and the Kingdom of Aksum.


Following the decline of the Kingdom of Aksum around 800 CE, Ethiopia became a small and isolated kingdom based around a mostly agricultural economy. However, the Kingdom would experience a major revival in the 11th century as the rise of the independent Fatimid dynasty in Egypt reinvigorated Red Sea trade. Around 1150 CE the old Aksumite dynasty was overthrown by a group of Agew military officers who had been integrated into the Aksumite elite. Their leader, Mara Tekle Haimanot married into the former ruling family and thus established the Zagwe dynasty (Zagwe is thought to derive from Ze Agew meaning “of Agew”). Under the new regime the Kingdom of Ethiopia underwent a period of significant military expansion, pushing the borders of the state southwards onto the Shoan plateau (the area around modern day Addis Ababa). The Ethiopian church also underwent significant expansion during this period, sending missionaries and founding monasteries in newly conquered territory. It was during this period that many of the famous Ethiopian rock-hewn churches were constructed.


In 1270, the Zagwe dynasty was replaced by the Solomonid dynasty, who claimed descent from the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The Solomonid dynasty came from the Amhara region, and it was during this time that the modern language of Ethiopia, Amharic came into use. The Solomonid era also saw a great cultural flowering, especially of royal chronicles and theological works. Expansion southwards also continued, bringing the kingdom into contact with the Muslim sultanates of the Awash valley (near modern day Djibouti). Conflict with these powerful states, especially the Sultanate of Adal would dominate Ethiopian politics in the 15th and 16th century, a story that we’ll turn to next week.


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