Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Abyssinia

ABYSSINIA, a country of easternAfrica, bounded by the Sudan and Nubiaon the W. and N., and by the Italianterritory on the E.; area, about 350,000square miles; formerly called Ethiopia.At present it includes the kingdoms ofTigré (with Lasta), Amhara, Gajam,and Shoa, besides several outlyingdependencies.

The country consists of a hugetableland with a mean elevation of 7,000feet, and crossed by high mountainranges.

Topography. — The declivity to thebordering tract on the Red Sea is abrupt;toward the Nile basin it is more gradual.The main mass has been cut into anumber of island-like sections by thestreams, which have worn their channelsinto ravines of vast depth — as muchsometimes as 4,000 feet. The principalare the head-streams of the Blue Nile,issuing from the great Lake Tzana,Tana, or Dembea, and the Atbara, also atributary of the Nile; less important arethe Mareb and the Hawash. Isolatedmountains, with naked, perpendicularsides, present the most singular forms.The Samen mountains have summits risingto the height of 15,000 feet. Theclimate, notwithstanding its tropicalposition, is on the whole moderate andpleasant owing to its elevation, thoughin the river valleys and swamps the heatand moisture are suffocating andpestilential. As a whole, the country isexceedingly fruitful; and its productionsare of the most varied nature, from thepines, heaths, and lichens of north Europeto the choicest tropical plants. Two, andin some places three, crops can be raisedin one year.

Government. — The political institutionsare feudal, like those of mediæval Europe.Education is confined to teaching carriedout by the secular and regular clergy.Justice is administered by governors,landed proprietors, and petty cbiefs. Inaddition to the local chiefs and theirfollowers, the king maintains a permanentarmy called “Wotader,” consisting ofinfantry, artillery, and cavalry, armed withrifles and numbering about 110,000 men.

Peoples. — The population numberssome 8,000,000 and consists of variouselements, the chief being the Abyssiniansproper — a brown, well-formed peoplebelonging to the Semitic stock. TheAbyssinians are composed of Ethiopians,Falashas, Gallas, etc. There are a multitudeof dialects, but the prevailing language,called Amharic or Amharigna, is Semitic,with a mixture of African words. Cattle,sheep, and goats are largely raised.Indigo, cotton, coffee, and the sugar-caneare cultivated to some extent.

Religion. — This is a debased Christianity;but the Gallas and other alientribes are mostly Mohammedan, andpartly also pagan. The head of thechurch is a Copt, appointed by the Patriarchof Alexandria, as are also thebishops.

History. — Abyssinia is a part of whatwas anciently called Ethiopia; Ityopya isstill the Abyssinian name of the country.The first king, according to the nativetradition, was Menilehek or Menelek, theson of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.The kingdom of Axum, namea from thecapital, was the nucleus of the state, andattained its greatest extent in the 6thcentury. The modern history ofAbyssinia has been mainly struggles betweenthe princes of various districts forsupreme power. About 1850 an Amharicadventurer, Ras Ali, regent of Gondar,obtained dominion over successiveprovinces, and in 1855 had himself crowned,under the name of Theodore, as Negus.He conceived a violent hatred forEuropeans, and, in November, 1864, heimprisoned the French and English politicalagents and several missionaries in thefortress of Magdala. Diplomatic effortsproving fruitless for their liberation,Lord Napier invaded the highlands and,in April, 1868, reached Magdala with3,500 men. The king made a sortie, butwas repulsed. Then, after a futileattempt to treat, he sent his prisoners tocamp. On April 13, the British stormedthe castle, but the king had meantimeblown his brains out. In July, 1871,Kasa, King of Tigré, defeated his chiefrival Gôbazê and was solemnly crownedas Negus, and took the name of JohannesII. He conquered Menelek and broughtall the Abyssinian provinces under hisscepter. In 1885 began the complicationswith Italy, owing to the murder of thetraveler Bianchi. The Italian troopsinvaded the Abyssinian territory. InJanuary, 1887, Ras Akula, supported by theNegus himself, fell upon the Italianoutposts on the heights of Sahati, nearDogati. Only 82 wounded Italiansescaped. Italy immediately sent a largeforce to regain the lost positions, andthe Abyssinians withdrew. In the meantimethe Mahdists invaded the countryin the west, and Johannes, who went toresist them, was killed in the two days'battle near Metahemeh in Kalabat. KingMenelek, of Shoa, who had been Johannes'secret ally, now seized the throne, and inthe spring of 1890 was crowned Negusof Ethiopia, under the name of MenelekII., and concluded in the same year atreaty of mutual protection with Italy,which made Abyssinia to some extent anItalian protectorate. This, however, wasrepudiated by Menelek in 1893, and soonafterward difficulties with Italy arosewhich culminated in 1896 in a disastrousdefeat of the Italian forces. By theconvention of Adis Abeba, Oct. 26, 1896,the independence of Abyssinia wasunreservedly recognized, and Abyssiniareserved to Italy the strip along the coast180 miles broad. In 1898, Great Britainceded to Abyssinia by treatv about 8,000square miles of British Somaliland, andMenelek declared the Mahdists hisenemies and pledged himself to do all hecould to prevent arms and ammunitionreaching them through his territory.

Menelek died in December, 1913, andwas succeeded by his grandson, Lij Yassu.On Sept. 27, 1916, the Emperor wasdeposed during his absence from the capitalby a faction headed by the MetropolitanAbuna Mathaeos. Waizeru Zauditu,daughter of Menelek, was chosen as rulerin his stead. During the World War,Abyssinian troops were allied with theBritish in the East African campaign.On July 14, 1919, an Abyssiniandelegation arrived in Washington and wasreceived by President Wilson. Theybrought gifts and letters from theEmpress and the Heir Apparent, Ras Taffari,congratulating America on the victoriousoutcome of the war.