Ethiopia boasts one of the longest-running continuous civilizations on the planet; even the origins of humanity have been traced back to Ethiopia. Ethiopian kingdoms date back to the days of the Bible, and mentions of Ethiopian monarchs can be found all throughout the historical record.
Early History and the Aksumite Empire
Historically, studies of Ethiopia, like those of other countries, tend to concentrate on events at or near the center of political power, and devote far too little attention to other areas. The present account attempts at least in part to redress the balance by shifting attention to the "peripheral" regions, which, while of central importance to their own inhabitants, tend to receive relatively little focus in studies of the Ethiopian region as a whole.
Key Historical Periods:
- Ethiopia's origin and the legendary Queen of Sheba
- The Aksumite Empire and the adoption of Christianity
A well-illustrated account of the early medieval culture of Aksum which flourished between the 1st and 7th centuries AD. Drawing on his own fieldwork, Phillipson examines archaeological and structural remains, burials, coins and evidence for Aksum's international trade.
The Solomonic Dynasty and Beyond
Ethiopia's Solomonic line stretches from King Solomon to Haile Selassie. There was a brief intermission of the Zagwe dynasty. Ethiopian emperors and how they ruled.
Key Dynasties and Rulers:
- Ethiopia's Solomonic line-King Solomon to Haile Selassie
- The brief intermission of the Zagwe dynasty
- Ethiopian emperors and how they ruled
Political and Economic Transformations
This book is an historical investigative account of the history of the expanding and often nebulous borders of Ethiopia beginning from ancient times to 1800. It deals with areas that have for years been contentious and problematic for the adjacent peoples in the region: land of the Bhar Nagasah, Ifat, Adal, Fatagar Daiwaro, Bali, Damot, Gurage, Waj, Gamo, Ganz, Gafat, etc.
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The Italian Invasion of Ethiopia
Although the Ethiopians had beaten the Italians at their own game in the 1898 Battle of Adwa, when Italian armored divisions began pouring out of Italian-controlled Eritrea in 1935, the situation seemed almost impossible to overcome. This was not 1898 when the Italians were ill-equipped and ill-advised in their undertakings. The Italians had made sure they were guaranteed the upper hand.
Why did Italy attack Ethiopia in 1935?
Modern Ethiopia
Ethiopia's communist takeover and Modern Ethiopia.
In this eminently readable, concise history of Ethiopia, Harold Marcus surveys the evolution of the oldest African nation from prehistory to the present. For the updated edition, Marcus has written a new preface, two new chapters, and an epilogue, detailing the development and implications of Ethiopia as a Federal state and the war with Eritrea.
Key Events in Modern Ethiopia:
- Ethiopia's communist takeover
- Development and implications of Ethiopia as a Federal state
- The war with Eritrea
Harold G. Marcus: A Historian of Ethiopia
Harold G. Marcus (1936-2003) was Professor of History and African Studies at Michigan State University. His books include Haile Sellassie I: The Formative Years, 1892-1936 (California, 1986), Ethiopia, Great Britain, and the United States, 1941-1974: The Politics of Empire (California, 1983) and The Life and Times of Menelik II: Ethiopia 1844-1916 (1975).
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Bahru Zewde: Historian and Author
Author Bahru Zewde is Emeritus Professor of History at Addis Ababa University and founding Fellow and Vice President of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences. He has authored many books and articles, notably A History of Modern Ethiopia, 1855-1974, Pioneers of Change in Ethiopia: The Reformist Intellectuals of the Early Twentieth Century and The Quest for Socialist Utopia, finalist for the Bethwell A.
Ethiopia: A Cultural History
Ethiopia: A Cultural History captures Ethiopia's multifaceted cultural life and the indigenous achievement of the Ethiopian people in this extensive survey of Ethiopian language and literature, music, architecture, painting and applied arts, pedagogy, and education.
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