Limmu-Ennarea
Encyclopedia
The Kingdom of Limmu-Ennarea was one of the kingdoms in the Gibe region
of Ethiopia
that emerged in the 19th century. It shared its eastern border with Jimma
, its southern border with Gomma
, and its western border with Gumma
. Beyond its northern border lay tribes of the Macha Oromo. Jimma was considered the most civilized of the Gibe kingdoms, which had a population in the 1880s between 10,000 and 12,000. It was converted to Islam
by missionaries from Harar
in the first half of the 19th century; C.T. Beke
, writing in 1841, reported that its "king and most of his subjects are Mohammedan." Its capital was at Saqqa
.
The location of this former kingdom has a north to south central elevation between 1,500 to over 2,000 metres (5,000 to over 6,500 feet), and is covered with forests. The population of this kingdom was estimated in 1880 to have been about 40,000, including slave
s. However, this was after an epidemic of plague
in the late 1840s, and Mordechai Abir estimates the population before that calamity to have been around 100,000.
, who had overrun other kingdoms tributary to the Ethiopian Emperor including Bizamo and Konch. Despite this, as Mohammed Hassen observes, Ennarea eventually drifted into an extended period of civil war and by "the middle of the second half of the seventeenth century, Ennarya not only lacked a single leadership, but also her feuding leaders probably fought more with each other than with their common enemy." In 1704, when Emperor Iyasu the Great
campaigned south of the Abay River, and reached Gonga, the stronghold of Ennarea on the Gibe River
, he was met by two rival leaders of the crumbling kingdom. In the years following the Emperor's expedition to Ennarea, the warring potentates gradually fled south to the Kingdom of Kaffa
. The remaining Sidamo
population was absorbed by the Oromo, who as a practice made no distinction in ethnic ancestry for inclusion into their society.
Eventually a powerful war leader, Bofo the son of Boku
, came to dominate the Limmu Oromo by his military prowess and charisma; Mohammed Hassen dates this development between 1800 and 1802. He formed a dynastic bond with the daughter of Abba Rebu
, who traced his ancestry to both the earlier dynasty that ruled Ennarea, as well as a Portuguese soldier from Cristóvão da Gama
's army who had come to live in Ennarea. Abir also notes that another tradition states that this marriage was a political union between two rival clans, the Sapera and the Sigaro. In either case, due to this Portuguese influence, the kings of Limmu-Ennarea called themselves supera, unlike the other Gibe kings who used the Oromo word "Moti
" which originally indicated the office of the war leader (also called Abba Dula) during the cycle of his Gadaa
.
In 1825, Bofu abdicated in favor of his son, Abba Bagibo, under whose rule Limmu-Ennarea reached the peak of its existence. Due to wars in neighboring Jimmu, merchants used the trade route through his kingdom to gain access to Kaffa. Abba Bagibo made a concerted effort to promote this trade, both with beneficial policies (e.g., offering security from bandits to traders, and lower tariffs) and with coercive ones (requiring merchants from Gondar
, Adwa
, Derita and Dawe to meet their counterparts from Kaffa and further south at Saqqa).
During Abba Bagibo's reign, the kingdom of Limmu-Ennarea converted to Islam
, for political reasons rather than out of conviction: when Catholic
missionaries opened a mission in the kingdom in 1846, the king told them that "had you come thirty years ago, not only I but all my countrymen might have embraced your religion, but now it is impossible."
Jimma's eventual success at conquering the Badi-Folla in 1847, reopened the trade route between Kaffa and Shewa
, which merchants found was a much better route, and brought an end to Limmu-Ennarea prosperity, despite Abba Bagido's later actions. On his death in 1861, Abba Bagido was succeeded by his "untalented and fanatic Muslim son", who hastened the kingdom's decline.
Limmu-Ennarea was secured for Shewa by Ras Gobana Dacche following the decisive Battle of Embabo
, without a single blow being struck; however, when Ras Gobana fell from power a few years later in the mid-1880s, the entire Gibe region erupted in revolt. Dejazmach Wolde Giyorgis then re-conquered the kingdom by force; the Dejazmach afterwards built a church dedicated to St Marqos near the royal palace. Abba Bagibo, the son of the last king, Abba Gomoli, converted to Christianity
for political advantages, changed his name to Gabra Selassie, and became a Fitawrari in the Ethiopian Empire.
Gibe region
The Gibe region is used to indicate a historic region in modern southwestern Ethiopia, to the west of the Gibe and Omo Rivers, and north of the Gojeb...
of Ethiopia
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...
that emerged in the 19th century. It shared its eastern border with Jimma
Kingdom of Jimma
The Kingdom of Jimma was one of the kingdoms in the Gibe region of Ethiopia that emerged in the 19th century. It shared its western border with Limmu-Ennarea, its eastern border with the Sidamo kingdom of Janjero, and was separated from the Kingdom of Kaffa to the south by the Gojeb River. Jimma...
, its southern border with Gomma
Kingdom of Gomma
The Kingdom of Gomma was one of the kingdoms in the Gibe region of Ethiopia that emerged in the 18th century. It shared its northern border with Limmu-Ennarea, its western border with Gumma, its southern border with Gera, and its eastern border with Jimma...
, and its western border with Gumma
Kingdom of Gumma
The Kingdom of Gumma was one of the kingdoms in the Gibe region of Ethiopia that emerged in the 18th century. Its eastern border was formed by the bend of the Didessa River, which separated it from Limmu-Ennarea to the northeast, and Gomma and Gera to the south. Beyond its northern border were...
. Beyond its northern border lay tribes of the Macha Oromo. Jimma was considered the most civilized of the Gibe kingdoms, which had a population in the 1880s between 10,000 and 12,000. It was converted to Islam
Islam in Ethiopia
According to the latest 2007 national census, Islam is the second most widely practised religion in Ethiopia after Christianity, with over 25 million of Ethiopians adhering to Islam according to the 2007 national census, having arrived in Ethiopia in 615...
by missionaries from Harar
Harar
Harar is an eastern city in Ethiopia, and the capital of the modern Harari ethno-political division of Ethiopia...
in the first half of the 19th century; C.T. Beke
Charles Tilstone Beke
Charles Tilstone Beke was an English traveller, geographer and Biblical critic. Born in Stepney, London, the son of a merchant in the City of London, for a few years Beke engaged in mercantile pursuits...
, writing in 1841, reported that its "king and most of his subjects are Mohammedan." Its capital was at Saqqa
Saqqa
Saqqa is a town in southwestern Ethiopia, and capital of the former Kingdom of Limmu-Ennarea. Located in the Jimma Zone of the Oromia Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of ....
.
The location of this former kingdom has a north to south central elevation between 1,500 to over 2,000 metres (5,000 to over 6,500 feet), and is covered with forests. The population of this kingdom was estimated in 1880 to have been about 40,000, including slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
s. However, this was after an epidemic of plague
Pandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
in the late 1840s, and Mordechai Abir estimates the population before that calamity to have been around 100,000.
History
The kingdom of Limmu-Ennarea was a continuation of the older kingdom of Ennarea, which successfully resisted for many decades the encroaching OromoOromo 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...
, who had overrun other kingdoms tributary to the Ethiopian Emperor including Bizamo and Konch. Despite this, as Mohammed Hassen observes, Ennarea eventually drifted into an extended period of civil war and by "the middle of the second half of the seventeenth century, Ennarya not only lacked a single leadership, but also her feuding leaders probably fought more with each other than with their common enemy." In 1704, when Emperor Iyasu the Great
Iyasu I of Ethiopia
Iyasu I , also known as Iyasu the Great, was of Ethiopia, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty...
campaigned south of the Abay River, and reached Gonga, the stronghold of Ennarea on the Gibe River
Gibe River
The Gibe River is a tributary of the Omo River. Located in southwest Ethiopia, it is not navigable, like almost all rivers in the country.-Overview:...
, he was met by two rival leaders of the crumbling kingdom. In the years following the Emperor's expedition to Ennarea, the warring potentates gradually fled south to the Kingdom of Kaffa
Kingdom of Kaffa
The Kingdom of Kaffa was an early modern state located in what is now Ethiopia, with its capital at Bonga. The Gojeb River formed its northern border, beyond which lay the Gibe kingdoms; to the east the territory of the Konta and Kullo peoples lay between Kaffa and the Omo River; to the south...
. The remaining Sidamo
Sidama people
The Sidama people of southern Ethiopia are an ethnic group whose homeland is in the Sidama Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region of Ethiopia. They number 2,966,474 of whom 149,480 are urban inhabitants, the fifth most populous nation in Ethiopia...
population was absorbed by the Oromo, who as a practice made no distinction in ethnic ancestry for inclusion into their society.
Eventually a powerful war leader, Bofo the son of Boku
Boku
Boku may refer to:*The Cuban name for the Ashiko, a type of drum*Boku , a juice carton drink.*Bōku, a board game.*BOKU, the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, in Austria....
, came to dominate the Limmu Oromo by his military prowess and charisma; Mohammed Hassen dates this development between 1800 and 1802. He formed a dynastic bond with the daughter of Abba Rebu
Abba Rebu
Moti Abba Rebu was king of the Gibe Kingdom of Jimma . He was the son of Abba Jifar I.Abba Rebu was a warlike king, and said to have been tyrannical. He defeated his older brother and designated heir Abba Gommol for control of the throne, and exiled him to the Kingdom of Kaffa...
, who traced his ancestry to both the earlier dynasty that ruled Ennarea, as well as a Portuguese soldier from Cristóvão da Gama
Cristovão da Gama
Cristóvão da Gama was a Portuguese soldier, who led a Portuguese army of 400 musketeers on a crusade in Ethiopia and Somalia against the far larger Somali Muslim army of Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi aided by the Ottoman Empire...
's army who had come to live in Ennarea. Abir also notes that another tradition states that this marriage was a political union between two rival clans, the Sapera and the Sigaro. In either case, due to this Portuguese influence, the kings of Limmu-Ennarea called themselves supera, unlike the other Gibe kings who used the Oromo word "Moti
Moti
Moti is a common short name for "Mordechai" in Israel.It may refer to:*Moti Lugasi, Israeli taekwondo athlete* Moti Island* Julian Moti* Cosmin Moţi - Romanian football player...
" which originally indicated the office of the war leader (also called Abba Dula) during the cycle of his Gadaa
Gadaa
Gadaa is the traditional social stratification system of Oromo males in Ethiopia and northern Kenya; it is also practiced by the Gedeo people of southern Ethiopia. Each class, or luba, consists of all of the sons of the men in another particular class...
.
In 1825, Bofu abdicated in favor of his son, Abba Bagibo, under whose rule Limmu-Ennarea reached the peak of its existence. Due to wars in neighboring Jimmu, merchants used the trade route through his kingdom to gain access to Kaffa. Abba Bagibo made a concerted effort to promote this trade, both with beneficial policies (e.g., offering security from bandits to traders, and lower tariffs) and with coercive ones (requiring merchants from Gondar
Gondar
Gondar or Gonder is a city in Ethiopia, which was once the old imperial capital and capital of the historic Begemder Province. As a result, the old province of Begemder is sometimes referred to as Gondar...
, Adwa
Adwa
Adwa is a market town in northern Ethiopia, and best known as the community closest to the decisive Battle of Adowa fought in 1896 with Italian troops. Notably, Ethiopian soldiers won the battle, thus being the only African nation to thwart European colonialism...
, Derita and Dawe to meet their counterparts from Kaffa and further south at Saqqa).
During Abba Bagibo's reign, the kingdom of Limmu-Ennarea converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, for political reasons rather than out of conviction: when Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
missionaries opened a mission in the kingdom in 1846, the king told them that "had you come thirty years ago, not only I but all my countrymen might have embraced your religion, but now it is impossible."
Jimma's eventual success at conquering the Badi-Folla in 1847, reopened the trade route between Kaffa and Shewa
Shewa
Shewa is a historical region of Ethiopia, formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire...
, which merchants found was a much better route, and brought an end to Limmu-Ennarea prosperity, despite Abba Bagido's later actions. On his death in 1861, Abba Bagido was succeeded by his "untalented and fanatic Muslim son", who hastened the kingdom's decline.
Limmu-Ennarea was secured for Shewa by Ras Gobana Dacche following the decisive Battle of Embabo
Battle of Embabo
The Battle of Embabo was fought 6 June 1882, between the Shewan forces of Negus Menelik II and the Gojjame forces of Negus Tekle Haymanot. The forces fought to gain control over the Oromia Region south of the Gibe River. The Gojjame forces under Tekle Haymanot were defeated...
, without a single blow being struck; however, when Ras Gobana fell from power a few years later in the mid-1880s, the entire Gibe region erupted in revolt. Dejazmach Wolde Giyorgis then re-conquered the kingdom by force; the Dejazmach afterwards built a church dedicated to St Marqos near the royal palace. Abba Bagibo, the son of the last king, Abba Gomoli, converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
for political advantages, changed his name to Gabra Selassie, and became a Fitawrari in the Ethiopian Empire.