Agame
Encyclopedia
The Agame is a former province in northern Ethiopia
, now part of the Tigray Region
. Its inhabitants include the Irob people
, a region where tradition states the legendary Makeda (the Queen of Sheba) was born and raised. The aristocratic house had its capital at Adigrat
.
Agame also includes Zalambessa; a piece of land Ethiopia and Eritrea have recently fought over
.
, Axum
, Yeha
), Central Eritrea (Seraye
, Hamasien
, and Adulis
), and frontier areas in northern Eritrea. The first mention of Agame was in the Monumentum Adulitanum
of the early 3rd century, where it is listed as one of the districts conquered by the unnamed king of the inscription; however, its next mention is not until the sixteenth century in a charter written during the reign of Emperor Lebna Dengel. During medieval times, Agame was part of a larger province of Bur in Ethiopia, which also included some northeastern Afar
lowlands, and the Buri Peninsula
; Agame and Akkele Guzay were part of "Upper" (La'ilay) Bur, while the lowlands were further distinguished as "Lower" (Tahtay).
deposed Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974. This family retained sufficient power and respect following the Italian conquest in 1936, that the Italian Viceroy
Pietro Badoglio
proposed in a telegram to Benito Mussolini
that some of the old Ethiopian ruling class be co-opted into Italian East Africa
: "In the region between Shoa and Eritrea, there were local noble families which it was not convenient to slight because they had exercised command for generations and have authority and prestige which can be valuable for us."
"Official" Ethiopian records traces the origins of this family to the marriage of King Margedir of Rome and Eleni, sister of King Solomon. The current lineage of the rulers of Agame is as follows:
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, now part of the Tigray Region
Tigray Region
Tigray Region is the northernmost of the nine ethnic regions of Ethiopia containing the homeland of the Tigray people. It was formerly known as Region 1...
. Its inhabitants include the Irob people
Irob people
The Irob people are an ethnic group who occupy a predominantly highland, mountainous area by the same name in northeastern Tigray Region, Ethiopia. They speak the Saho language, are Christians , and mainly agriculturalists...
, a region where tradition states the legendary Makeda (the Queen of Sheba) was born and raised. The aristocratic house had its capital at Adigrat
Adigrat
Adigrat is a city in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Misraqawi Zone at longitude and latitude with an elevation of 2457 meters above sea level, below a high ridge to the west, Adigrat is the last important Ethiopian city south of the border with Eritrea, and is considered to be a...
.
Agame also includes Zalambessa; a piece of land Ethiopia and Eritrea have recently fought over
Eritrean-Ethiopian War
The Eritrean–Ethiopian War took place from May 1998 to June 2000 between Ethiopia and Eritrea, forming one of the conflicts in the Horn of Africa...
.
History
Agame is one of the oldest regions of Ethiopia, being part of the Kingdom of D'mt in northern Ethiopia and Eritrea that would develop into the Kingdom of Aksum.It was a main center of Aksumite culture (second only to Western Tigray, where the capital was located), with a distinct sub-culture that separated the two regions from that of Western Tigray (ShireShire, Ethiopia
Shire , also known as Inda Selassie , is a town in northern Ethiopia. The administrative center of the Mirabawi Zone of the Tigray region, this town has a latitude and longitude of with an altitude of 1953 meters above sea level...
, Axum
Axum
Axum or Aksum is a city in northern Ethiopia which was the original capital of the eponymous kingdom of Axum. Population 56,500 . Axum was a naval and trading power that ruled the region from ca. 400 BC into the 10th century...
, Yeha
Yeha
Yeha is a town in northern Ethiopia, located in the Mehakelegnaw Zone of the Tigray Region. The Central Statistical Agency has not published an estimate for this village's 2005 population.- Archeology :...
), Central Eritrea (Seraye
Provinces of Eritrea
The Provinces of Eritrea existed between Eritrea's incorporation as a Colony of Italy until the conversion of the provinces into administrative regions....
, Hamasien
Hamasien
Hamasien was the name of an histoical province including and surrounding Asmara, now part of modern Eritrea. The region has been divided and distributed amongst the modern Maekel, Debub, Northern Red Sea, Gash-Barka and Anseba regions....
, and Adulis
Adulis
Adulis or Aduli is an archeological site in the Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea, about 30 miles south of Massawa. It was the port of the Kingdom of Aksum, located on the coast of the Red Sea. Adulis Bay is named after the port...
), and frontier areas in northern Eritrea. The first mention of Agame was in the Monumentum Adulitanum
Monumentum Adulitanum
The Monumentum Adulitanum was an ancient Adulite inscription in Greek and Ge'ez depicting the military campaigns of an Adulite king. Though the inscription and the monument have never been located by archaeologists we know about it through the copying of the inscription by Cosmas Indicopleustes, a...
of the early 3rd century, where it is listed as one of the districts conquered by the unnamed king of the inscription; however, its next mention is not until the sixteenth century in a charter written during the reign of Emperor Lebna Dengel. During medieval times, Agame was part of a larger province of Bur in Ethiopia, which also included some northeastern Afar
Afar people
The Afar , also known as the Danakil, are an ethnic group in the Horn of Africa. They primarily live in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and in northern Djibouti, although some also inhabit the southern point of Eritrea.-Early history:...
lowlands, and the Buri Peninsula
Buri Peninsula
The Buri Peninsula extends from central Eritrea north into the Red Sea. To its west lies the Gulf of Zula. Varied in geography, it features mangroves and salt pans. It is known for its wildlife, including ostriches, hamadryas baboons and wild asses. Notable elevations include Mount Dulhi and...
; Agame and Akkele Guzay were part of "Upper" (La'ilay) Bur, while the lowlands were further distinguished as "Lower" (Tahtay).
The Agame dynasty
The local noble family had ruled over Agame from the "Era of Princes" until the DergDerg
The Derg or Dergue was a Communist military junta that came to power in Ethiopia following the ousting of Haile Selassie I. Derg, which means "committee" or "council" in Ge'ez, is the short name of the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army, a committee of...
deposed Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974. This family retained sufficient power and respect following the Italian conquest in 1936, that the Italian Viceroy
Colonial heads of Italian East Africa
The following is a list of colonial heads of Italian East Africa, an Italian dominion from 1936 to 1941....
Pietro Badoglio
Pietro Badoglio
Pietro Badoglio, 1st Duke of Addis Abeba, 1st Marquess of Sabotino was an Italian soldier and politician...
proposed in a telegram to Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
that some of the old Ethiopian ruling class be co-opted into Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
: "In the region between Shoa and Eritrea, there were local noble families which it was not convenient to slight because they had exercised command for generations and have authority and prestige which can be valuable for us."
"Official" Ethiopian records traces the origins of this family to the marriage of King Margedir of Rome and Eleni, sister of King Solomon. The current lineage of the rulers of Agame is as follows:
- Kumenit begot Woldu,
- Woldu begot SabagadisSabagadisSabagadis was a Dejazmach or governor of Tigray, a province in northern Ethiopia. He was the son of Shum Waldu of Agame, and a member of the Irob people.- Life :...
, - Sabagadis begot Aregawi,
- Aregawi begot Sebhat Aregawi,
- Sebhat begot (daughter) Bizu, (who married Desta)
- Desta and Bizu, begot Atsbeha,
- Atsbeha begot Buzunish.