Damot
Encyclopedia
Damot was a medieval kingdom in what is now Ethiopia
, and tributary to the Ethiopian Empire. Originally located south of the Abay and west of the Muger River
, under the pressure of Oromo
attacks the rulers were forced to resettle north of the Abay in southern Gojjam
between 1574 and 1606.
Its earliest mention is in the Gadla or hagiography
of the 13th century Saint Tekle Haymanot
, which mentions Damot under a governor named Motalame, who had his palace at a place called Malbarde, and whose territory extended east beyond the Muger as far as the Jamma
. The same name is given to the ruler of Damot in the reign of Emperor Amda Seyon.
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...
, and tributary to the Ethiopian Empire. Originally located south of the Abay and west of the Muger River
Muger River
The Muger River is a north-flowing tributary of the Abay River in central Ethiopia, which is notable for its deep gorge. Its confluence with the Abay is at . Tributaries of the Muger include the Labbu...
, under the pressure of Oromo
Oromo people
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census...
attacks the rulers were forced to resettle north of the Abay in southern Gojjam
Gojjam
Gojjam was a kingdom in the north-western part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debre Marqos. This region is distinctive for lying entirely within the bend of the Abbay River from its outflow from Lake Tana to the Sudan...
between 1574 and 1606.
Its earliest mention is in the Gadla or hagiography
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
of the 13th century Saint Tekle Haymanot
Tekle Haymanot
Tekle Haymanot or Takla Haymanot was an Ethiopian monk who founded a major monastery in his native province of Shewa...
, which mentions Damot under a governor named Motalame, who had his palace at a place called Malbarde, and whose territory extended east beyond the Muger as far as the Jamma
Jamma River
The Jamma River is a river in central Ethiopia and a tributary of the Abay on its right side. It drains parts of the Semien Shewa Zones of the Amhara and Oromia Regions. The Upper Jamma flows through steep, deep canyons cut first through volcanic rock and then through the Cretaceous sandstone and...
. The same name is given to the ruler of Damot in the reign of Emperor Amda Seyon.