Argobba people

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Argobba
Total population
140,134 (2007 census)
Arabic, Afar
Religion
Predominantly Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
AmharaGurageHarariTigrayans •

The Argobba are an ethnic group inhabiting Ethiopia. A Muslim community, they are spread out through isolated village networks and towns in the north-eastern and eastern parts of the country. Group members have typically been astute traders and merchants, and have adjusted to the economic trends in their area. These factors have led to a decline in usage of the Argobba language.[3][4] Argobba are considered endangered today due to exogamy and destitution as well as ethnic cleansing by the Abyssinian state over the centuries.[5][6]

History

Argoba gate of Harar named in honor of those who fled Ifat
.

According to Girma Demeke, some time after the 9th century AD, the Argobba diverged from their closest relative, the Amharas, probably due to religious differences as the Argobba adopted Islam.[7] According to scholars, the Kingdom of Aksum's army moved south beyond Angot, encountering a nomadic people named Galab in eastern Shewa, who are supposedly the precursors to Argobba.[8] This ethnic group would become known as Argobba after their conversion to Islam in the 10th century. Modern Argobba claim they originate from the Arabian Peninsula through Zeila in what is now Somaliland and before settling in Ifat.[9] Argobba have historical links with Harari and Harla people.[10] Argobba people consider the inhabitants of Doba their ancestors.[11]

After the collapse of

gate of Argobba.[14]

The Argobba and the Harla people seem to have relied on each other in the Islamic period.[15] A power struggle erupted between the Abadir dynasty of Harari and the Walashma dynasty of Argobba throughout the Islamic period until Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi took control of Adal Sultanate by executing the Walashma sultan Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad in the 16th century.[16][17][18][19]

Due to the wars between the

Somalis and Hararis, led by a bold and fanatical chief named Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi, entered the province of Ifat-Argobba and had already forced the inhabitants to embrace Islam again.[23]

In the late sixteenth century, Argobba were involved in several conflicts with the

Oromo migrations, and due to the withdrawal of Adal from Ethiopia, came partially under Ethiopian Empire rule losing land rights.[24][25]

In the nineteenth century, Emperor Yohannes IV ordered the forced displacement of Argobba for refusing to convert to Christianity.[26][27] Many Argobba were forcibly baptized in Shewa by Menelik II.[28] Due to expansions from two dominant ethnic groups, many Argobba speak either Amharic or Oromo in Wollo Province; however, those who self-identify as originally Argobba are substantial in the region. The last remaining villages of a once larger Argobba-speaking territory are Shonke and Ṭollaḥa.[29]

Under the new government of Ethiopia, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, ushered in the early 90s the Argobba obtained regional political power after launching Argoba Nationality Democratic Organization.[30]

Distribution

Argobba communities can be found in the

Oromia Regions, in and along the Great Rift Valley. They include Yimlawo, Gusa, Shonke, Berehet, Khayr Amba, Melka Jilo, Aliyu Amba, Metehara, Shewa Robit, and the surrounding rural villages.[31]

Abyssinian religious persecutions forced numerous Argobba to flee Ifat region in the 1800s, and migrate to the Emirate of Harar however the townsman were unwilling to accommodate them leading to Argobba people settling outside the walled city of Harar.[32] Argobba suffered from stigma in Harar. Harari children believe that the Argobba are were-hyenas and chant at Argobba women as they come to town, "Argobba, Argobba, night-time hyena, day-time human".[33] Urban legends regarding the Argobba exist among the Harari and Oromo in Harar region. It is said by them that the Argobba participate in cannibalism.[34]

Religion

Argobba are exclusive adherents to the

Muslim faith.[35] They are also widely believed to be the first to accept Islam collectively, in the Horn of Africa and vanguards for early Islamic expansion.[36] The Shonke Argobba reportedly forbid their children from attending school due to the possible unislamic influence it might have on them.[37]

Language

The Argobba traditionally speak Argobba, an Ethiopian Semitic language within the Afroasiatic language family. According to Getahun Amare, Argobba is not a dialect of Amharic as previous linguists believed, but a separate language.[38] Argobba language evolved from proto Amharic and Argobba.[39] In other areas, the people have shifted to neighboring languages for economic reasons. At this time there are only a few areas left where the Argobba are not at least bilingual in Amharic, Oromo or Afar.[4][dead link]

Notable Argobba

See also

References

  1. ^ "Census 2007" Archived March 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, first draft, Table 5.
  2. . The Horn of Africa encompasses the countries of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia. These countries share similar peoples, languages, and geographical endowments.
  3. ^ "Argobba of Ethiopia". Ethnic people profile. Joshua Project. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  4. ^ a b Leyew, Zelealem and Ralph Siebert. (2001) "Sociolinguistic survey report of the Argobba language of Ethiopia", SIL International (accessed 25 May 2009)
  5. .
  6. .
  7. .
  8. ^ A short history on Argobba. p. 174.
  9. ^ A short history on Argobba. p. 174.
  10. .
  11. ^ Asfaw, Aklilu. A short History of the Argobba. Annales d'Éthiopie. p. 179.
  12. .
  13. .
  14. ^ Abubaker, Abdulmalik. The Relevancy of Harari Values in Self Regulation and as a Mechanism of Behavioral Control: Historical Aspects (PDF). The University of Alabama. p. 44. Archived (PDF) from the original on Jun 6, 2023.
  15. JSTOR 42731359
    .
  16. ^ Begashaw, Kassaye. The Archaeology of Islam in North East Shoa (PDF). Proceedings of the 16th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03.
  17. ^ History of Harar and Hararis (PDF). Harar Tourism. p. 48.
  18. ^ Hassen, Mohammed. The Oromo of Ethiopia (PDF). University of London. p. 27.
  19. .
  20. .
  21. .
  22. . large sections of the local Amhara, Argobba and Afar population embraced Christianity
  23. ^ d'Héricourt, Charles E. Xavier Rochet (1841). Voyage sur le côte orientale de la mer Rouge: dans le pays d'Adel et le royaume de Choa (in French). A. Bertrand. pp. 206–207.
  24. ^ Vernacular Architecture of Argobba, Ethiopia. p. 41.
  25. ^ Enyew, Mehari. vernacular Architecture of Argobba, Ethiopia: The Case of Shonke Amba. Addis Ababa University. p. 43.
  26. ^ Ancel, Stephane. A Muslim Prophecy Justifying the Conversion of Ethiopian Muslims to Christianity during Yoḥannəs IV's Reign. A Text Found in a Manuscript in Eastern Tigray. p. 328.
  27. ^ Hailu, Tesfaye. History and culture of the Argobba : recent investigations. p. 197.
  28. .
  29. ^ Wetter, Andreas. Two Argobba manuscripts from Wällo. Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. p. 297.
  30. .
  31. ^ "Argobba: A language of Ethiopia", Ethnologue website (accessed 25 May 2009)
  32. JSTOR 24328618
    .
  33. .
  34. ^ Neumann, Oscar (1904). From the Somali Coast Through Southern Ethiopia to the Sudan. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 776.
  35. .
  36. ^ Begashaw, Kassaye. The Archaeology of Islam in North East Shoa (PDF). p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  37. ^ Sociolinguistic Survey Report of the Argobba Language of Ethiopia (PDF). SIL International. pp. 30–31.
  38. ^ Amare, Getahun (2017). Argobba and Amharic: Putting a Stop to a Quandary. Addis Ababa University.
  39. JSTOR 30028766
    .

External links

Further reading