HOME | POLITICS | SPORTS | LIFE | SCI/TECH | OPEDS | HELPFUL TIPS
|
Mar. 25, 2005 In antiquity, the name Ethiopia did not denote what is today called Ethiopia, but instead referred to Nubia or Cush, which is mentioned in the Bible in various places and corresponds more nearly to today's Sudan, or part of it. There were some few references and legends possibly referring to today's Ethiopia from about 3000 BC, including the Biblical story of the Queen of Sheba, who is variously thought to have come from either Ethiopia or Yemen, if indeed she was a real person at all. Until the 20th century, Ethiopia was called Abyssinia. The very real kingdom of Axum flourished there from the 1st to the 7th centuries AD, and put an end to the neighboring kingdom of Cush, which had lasted nearly 2000 years, around 350 AD. Axumites accepted Christianity around 330 AD. With the rise of Islam, Muslims encircled the region. In the 15th, 16th and early 17th centuries, Abyssinia (Ethiopia) was not an integrated country, but consisted of a number of isolated realms and provinces, particularly Amhara, Tigray and Shewa, with Amhara sometimes dominant. The ruler of Amhara was called negus negusti (king of kings, emperor), but other chieftains appropriated that title too. In this period, Portuguese explorers, including Christovao da Gama reached Abyssinia, involving themselves in Abyssinian affairs and battles, and the Jesuits also founded missions there. The Jesuits, at first building churches, bridges and other public works, became unpopular eventually, and were expelled in 1633, whereupon a period of isolationism and antipathy to Europeans fell upon Abyssinia. Rivalry and contention marked 18th century Abyssinia, with numerous kings and emperors vying for power. Ultimately the country was unified under Emperor Wolda Selassie, who died in 1816. Emperor Téwodros II (lived 1818-1868; reigned 1855-1868), conquering Gojjam, Amhara, Shewa and Tigray, proclaimed himself negus negusti in 1855, and thus was the ruler of all Abyssinia. In the fighting that led him to power, he captured Menelik, the 11-year-old son of a rival chieftain, and Menelik became his ward. This boy would become Emperor Menelik II, who years later shocked the world by defeating the Italians. Téwodros built Ethiopia´s first road, introduced mail, established a foundry, manufactured Ethiopia's first cannon, and welcomed artisans and travelers from Germany, France and England. In 1864 Emperor Téwodros sent a letter to Britain's Queen Victoria offering an alliance, but, when, after two years, Victoria had not replied, Téwodros took offense and jailed the British consul Captain Charles Cameron and other Europeans, including other Englishmen. Victoria sent an envoy named Hormuzd Rassam to investigate the situation in Magdala, today called Amba Mariamam, where Téwodros had his capital. Téwodros jailed Rassam and about 60 in his party also. So Victoria decided on a punitive military expedition. Robert Napier, a Ceylon-born British military man, was appointed to lead the Abyssinian expedition. Sailing from India, with a contingent of men, horses and elephants, he landed at Zula, Abyssinia, in Annesley Bay, on October 30, 1867. A railroad was built from Zula to the coast, where piers were erected for the receipt of provisions and reinforcements. It took several months to assure a supply of food, water and clothes for the troops, as well as to outfit a transport corps to make the march upcountry. On January 25. 1868, British forces began the 420- mile march into the cool Ethiopian highlands. The terrain was so rugged that some of the elephants, carrying cannon and other heavy supplies, lay down and refused to work, whereupon they were shot. Forewarned of the British advance, the Ethiopians, with the help of German artisans founded a huge cannon that would shoot a 30-inch cannonball, perhaps the largest cannon ever built. It exploded the first time it was fired at British troops. When the British forces arrived, Téwodros also offered personal combat one-to-one with anyone in the British army. The most commonly shown picture of Téwodros shows him as a relatively fair, long-haired, bearded man resembling artists' conceptions of Jesus, but I have seen another picture of him, mounted on a horse, his half-naked body as black as black can be, huge, muscular and with a sullen scowlon his face, giving the impression he could have handled any two or three men in the British army, something like today´s Sudani rebel chieftain, John Garang. But, of course, the British were not interested in personal pride or prowess, or athletic glory; they were looking for a military victory, and they got it, being armed with newly- invented breech-loaded rifles against Ethiopian muskets. The ensuing fight is known as the Battle of Magdala. Hundreds of Ethiopians were slain. Others fled. The hostages were rescued. Emperor Téwodros had maintained a storehouse, which was loaded with weapons, rare sabers, artwork, liquor, silkens, spices and other valuables. The British looted this, seizing everything, distributing some to those Ethiopians who had collaborated with them and keeping some for themselves. Emperor Téwodros committed suicide by shooting a pistol into his mouth. For his efforts, Robert Napier, till then a commoner, was ennobled by Queen Victoria, and thereafter was known as Lord Robert Napier of Magdala, a baron. This is considered a great disgrace among Ethiopians. Of course, it was entirely unnecessary. If Queen Victoria had simply been gracious enough to reply to Téwodros' letter in the first place, all the carnage and waste might have been avoided. It's hard to rue the passing of the British Empire. ------------ About the author Thomas Keyes: I have written two books: A SOJOURN IN ASIA (non-fiction) and A TALE OF UNG (fiction), neither published so far. I have studied languages for years and traveled extensively on five continents. Email: udikeyes@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
