Religions

Christianity

Rise and expansion of Christianity

 In 63 B.C., the Romans had conquered Judea, the southern part of Palestine where most Jews lived.

 The Jews believed in a monotheistic religion, Judaism. The Romans allowed them religious freedom.

 While most Jews were willing to live under Roman rule, others called zealots were not. They called on Jews

to revolt against Rome. Some believed that a messiah would soon appear to lead their people to freedom.

 The rebellion did not last long. In 70 A.D., the Romans crushed the revolt and then destroyed Jerusalem.

 Jewish religious teachers called rabbis have extended and preserved the Jewish law.

 As turmoil engulfed the Jews in Palestine, a new religion, Christianity, arose among them.

 It began among the followers of a Jew named Jesus.

 Almost all the information we have about the life of Jesus comes from the Gospel, the first four books of

the New Testament of the Christian Bible, which early Christians attributed the writing of these books to

four followers of Jesus named St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John.

 According to Jesus, a person‟s major duties were “to love the Lord your God with all your heart”.

 Some Jews welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem. Others regarded Him as a dangerous troublemaker. Jewish

priests, in particular, felt that he was challenging their leadership.

 To the Roman authorities, He was seen as a revolutionary who might lead the Jews in a rebellion against

Roman rule. At about 30 A.D., He was arrested and was tried and then condemned to death by crucifixion.

 The first Christians were Jews in Palestine and Syria.

 The head of each local Christian community was the bishop.

 In time, archbishops appeared who had spiritual authority over the bishops, other clergy.

 Then the rank of patriarch emerged. A patriarch had spiritual authority over the archbishops, bishops,

other clergy and laity of very large regions called patriarchates.

 There were five patriarchates: Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople and Jerusalem.

 Earlier, the Patriarch of Rome, also called the Pope, was claiming leadership over the other patriarchs.

 After 3rd C, monasteries where monks and nuns lived in separate communities were established.

 Monks who lived together had a leader called abbot and those monks who lived alone were called hermits.

 Doctrines condemned by the Church were called heresies and their followers were called heretics.

 The Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. established the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and this doctrine was

confirmed by the Council of Constantinople in 385 A.D. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity says that one God

exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit and that all these

persons are equal. The council condemned Arianism, a belief that rejected the divine nature of Jesus

 The Christians faced persecution from the Roman rulers because they would not make sacrifices in honor

of the emperor. But refusal to sacrifice was considered as political disloyalty by the Roman government.
 With the conversion of Emperor Constantine to Christianity, the persecution of Christians came to an end.

 The emperor issued the Edict of Milan, which guaranteed freedom of worship to all inhabitants of Rome.

 Later, the Emperor Theodosius I declared Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire and

repressed the practice of other faiths.

The competition b/n Rome and Constantinople

 During the early Christian era, Rome and Constantinople competed for religious power.

 The Pope or Bishop of Constantinople asserted authority over Church affairs in the East.

 They also had conflicting views on Church language and rituals.

 These disagreements finally created split in the Christian Church.

 In 1054 the Church split in to two distinct parts the Roman Catholic Church at Rome and Greek Orthodox

Church at Constantinople.

 The Greek Orthodox Church later split into a number of Eastern Orthodox churches.

 The Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Churches retain separate identities to this day.

 In 1517, a movement called the Reformation began and Western Christianity was divided into the Roman

Catholic Church and Protestantism.

Introduction of Christianity in Ethiopia

 Christianity was introduced into Ethiopia in the 4th century A.D from the eastern Mediterranean region.

 On the other hand, Christian tradition maintains that its introduction dates back to the first century A.D.

 The growth of Christianity as the state religion of Ethiopia came about not as a result of organized

evangelical activity, but because it was the desire of the kings.

 According to Rufinus, church historian, Frumentius was responsible for converting the Aksumite king

named Ezana (Abreha after baptism) to Christianity.

 The trilingual (written in Geez, Sabean, and Greek) inscription belonging to Ezana confirmed his conversion

when it says: “in the faith of God and the power of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.” Likewise, the

coins minted in the latter part of his reign bear the sign of the cross.

 Later, Frumentius went to Alexandria and told the whole affair before the newly- appointed patriarch,

Athanasius, begging him to appoint a bishop in Ethiopia.

 Accordingly, the patriarch consecrated Frumentius as the first bishop of Ethiopia. Frumentius was

succeeded by Minas who was apparently of Egyptian origin.

 From this time on Alexandrian church had jurisdiction over the Ethiopian Church. The Egyptians inserted

the 42nd Pseudo-Canon of the Council of Nicea that prohibits Ethiopians from occupying this position.
 Egyptian bishop remained at the head of the Ethiopian Church until 1959, the time when Abba Basilios was

ordained as the first Ethiopian born patriarch.

 Unlike the Roman Empire, in Ethiopia, Christianity was introduced first into the royal court, and from

there gradually penetrated among the common people.

 In Ethiopia, Christianity was voluntarily adopted. However, it was after the coming of the Nine Saints that

Christianity spread among a large section of the population.

 The 9 saints were :

o Abba Aregawi(Ze Mikael), Abba Penelewon, Abba Gerima (Yeshaq), Abba Aftse, Abba Guba, Abba

Alef, Abba Yem‟ata, and Abba Liqanos, and Abba Sehma.

o They came from different parts of the Eastern Roman Empire.

o They studied the Geez language and became familiar with the people and their customs. After

o Introduced monastic institutions.

o They translated the holy bible to Geez.

 The Nine Saints sustained no persecution in their effort to spread Christianity since they gained the

protection and support of the sovereigns.

 The creation of Ethiopian church liturgy and hymns is attributed to Saint Yared.

 The influence of the Nine Saints extended to art and architecture. The ruins of basilicas in the ancient

cities of Aksum, Adulis, and Hawlti show resemblance to Syriac churches of Eastern Mediterranean.

 Debre Damo is the oldest existing example of Christian architecture in Ethiopia. Due to political or

religious problems, contacts were sometimes not possible for long periods.

 The Coptic Abuna was largely responsible for ordinations and theological issues.

 The abbot of the monastery of Debra Libanos in Shewa, called Echege, was responsible for the

administration of the properties of the church.

 Today, the patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has the title of Archbishop of Aksum

and Echege of the See of Saint Tekle Haymanot.

Islam

 Islam is a religion preached in Arabia by Muhammed in the 7th C. He was born in Mecca about 570 A.D.

 Muhammed preached that there is only one God; that is, Allah, and he, Mohammed, was His messenger.

 Islam is an Arabic word for submission to the will of Allah, and Muslims are those who believe in this

preaching.

 Muhammed began his preaching in Mecca around 610 A.D, and gathered around him community of followers.

 Soon, the Quraysh Arabs and wealthy merchants in Mecca considered his teachings as a threat to their

privileges.
 There was a fear that Mecca might lose its importance as the center of traditional religion because of the

new preaching. The annual pilgrimage to the Ka`aba (holy shrine in Mecca) by Arabs from all over Arabia

has been a source of considerable income for the merchants of Mecca.

 Thus, Muhammed and his followers faced persecution, and several attempts were made to kill him.

Because of this, in 622 A.D Muhammed and his followers retreated into the town of Yatrib, later renamed

as Madinat al-Nabi (city of the Prophet) or Medina. This event is known as Hijira (retreat) and the

Muslim era dates from the Hijira by which 622 became year one in Islamic calendar.

 The inhabitants of Medina came to be known as the Ansars (Helpers), and those who undertook the Hijira

were known as Muhajirun (Emigrants). These two groups formed the Sahaba (companions of the Prophet).

They formed the Umma (community of Muslims).

 In 630 A.D, after fighting battles with the Quraysh and their allies, Muhammed victoriously entered

Mecca. He rededicated the Ka`aba to Allah and it became the most holy place in Islam.

 In the next two years, Muhammed established control over much of Arabia through both diplomacy and

war. He died in 632 A.D, but the faith that he proclaimed continued to spread.

 The prophet`s immediate successors were called caliphs. The first four caliphs were Abu Bakr, Umar,

‘Uthman and Ali, all of whom were tied to the Prophet through marriage.

 When the third caliph, „Uthman, was murdered by a group of Muslims who had revolted because they were

offended by some of his policies, Ali was elected caliph (Imam) of Medina. His election was not however

accepted by some of the companions, particularly Muawya, governor of Syria.

 This resulted in a civil war between the followers of Ali and those of Muawiya. Ali agreed to the formation

of an arbitration committee of 2 members, representing him and Muawiya. But many of Ali`s followers

rejected the idea of arbitration. They came to be known as Kharijites (those who withdrew).

 Eventually, Ali was murdered in 661 A.D by the followers of Muawiya. Before his death, the Prophet had

practiced and indicated that governing the community should be based on Shura (mutual consultation).

 When he died, Muslims disagreed about who should be chosen to be the leader of the community. One

group of Muslims felt that Muhammed had designated his son- in-law, Ali (husband of Fatima), as his

successor. They were known as Shi’at Ali (the party of Ali) or Shi`ites.

 The Shi`tes rejected the consensus of the community and replaced it with the doctrine that there was in

every age an infallible Imam to whom alone Allah entrusted the guidance of humankind. They preferred the

term Imamate to caliphate and Imam to caliph. The first Imam was Ali.

 Another group felt that any pious male Muslim from Muhammed`s tribe could lead the community since

there could be no prophet after Muhammed. This successor, called a caliph, was without any divine

functions. They were called Sunnis because they followed the Sunna, that is, the way of the prophet.
 From the struggle among Muslims the Sunnis emerged victorious. Like the split between Roman Catholic

and Eastern Orthodox Christians, the division between Sunni and Shi`ite Muslims has survived to the

present day, with profound impact on later Islamic history.

 Today, Sunnis or Sunnites comprise 90% of the world`s total Muslim population. Most Shi`ite live in Iran,

Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.

 The major doctrinal differences between Sunni and Shi`ite Islam are the followings:

o Sources of Sunnite law are the Quran, the Hadith, the consensus of the community and analogy.

o The four bases of the Shi`ite law are the Quran, the Hadith of the Prophet and of the Imams,

the consensus of the Imams, and reason.

o Sunni Islam accepts the belief in the coming of the Mahdi who restores justice.

 The Kharijites also developed into a religious sect and revolted against the caliphs of the Umayyad and

Abbasid dynasties in Iraq, Arabia and Iran in the course of the 7th and 8th centuries. They insisted that

anyone, even a black slave, could be elected as the head of the community if he had the necessary

qualifications.

 They also asserted that anyone guilty of a serious sin was an unbeliever and an apostate, and should

therefore be put to death. Nevertheless, the Kharijites were not supported by the majority of Muslims.

 Therefore, the Kharijites remained minorities in the eastern lands of the caliphate. In the Maghrib, the

Kharijites had considerable followers among the Berbers who were dissatisfied with the Umayyad regime.

 Islamic traditions influence ethical behaviour and family relations. Muslim scholars developed the Sharia.

The term Sharia refers to a body of Islamic law that includes the interpretation of the Quran, examples

of behaviour from Muhammed`s life, and Muslim traditions.

 It applies religious principles to legal situations that govern every aspect of individual and community life.

 In the course of the 8th and 9th C, different interpretations of what Islamic law should be were reflected

in the emergence of different fiqh (schools of thought) or ways of studying and practicing Islam.

 Within Sunni and Shi‟a Islam there are six main schools of Islamic law. The Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi and

Hanbali schools of thought belong to Sunni Islam. The Zaydi and Ja`fari are the two important Sh`a

schools in Shi`te Muslim countries.

 The Hanafi School is dominant in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, central Asia and northern India/Pakistan.

 The Maliki School has followers in North Africa, Muslim Spain and western and central Sudan.

 The Shafi School is found in areas of Indian Ocean from South Arabia and East Africa to Indonesia.

 The Hanbali was formerly dominant in Syria and Iraq, but now it is restricted only to Saudi Arabia. In

Ethiopia, the Shafi and Hanafi Schools of Islamic law are dominant.
 The Rise of Islamic Empire
 Muslim Arabs expanded outside Arabia under the first four caliphs. Motivated by economic and political

objectives, the Muslim Arabs won a series of victories over the Byzantine and Persian armies.

 They crushed the Byzantine army and occupied Syria and Palestine, including Jerusalem in the campaign of

634 to 636 A.D. Arab armies also occupied Byzantine Egypt between 639 and 642 A.D.

 The Battle of Qadisiyya in 637 opened the fertile lowlands of Iraq to Muslim Arabs. From their military

bases of Basra and Kufa, Arab armies penetrated the Iranian highlands.

 The last great battle at Nihawand (642) ended the Persian Empire. By 650 A.D, they reached the borders

of India, northern Iraq and Armenia (central Asia).

 The rapid successes of Muslim Arab armies were due to the mutual exhaustion of the Byzantine and

Persian empires as a result of long wars. Besides, the Byzantines were hated by their subjects because of

their harsh taxation.

 The Christian population in Iran hated the Persian ruling class because of religious differences. The

Persian Empire had also been weakened by dynastic wars before the conquest by the Arabs.

 The sense of unity Islam had created among its followers and the desire to glorify the new religion led the

Muslim armies to victory.

 After the murder of Ali in 661 A.D, Muawiya founded a new caliphate called Umayyad (661-750 A.D).

Muawiya was a member of the aristocratic Meccan family of Umayyah, from which the caliphate took its

name. The Umayyads transferred the capital from Medina to the ancient city of Damascus in Syria.

 Muslim Arab armies under the Umayyad caliphs won new victories. They fought Turkish tribes in central

Asia, sent an expedition into Sindh in India and reached the borders of China. They also captured Sicily

and completed the conquest of North Africa.

 The Umayyads then invaded Spain in 711 A.D. Within one hundred years since the death of the Prophet,

Muslim Arabs established an empire that included enormous territory. They brought many non-Arab

peoples under their rule.

 Early Umayyads imposed a special tax on non-Muslims which was vital to support Arab troops. They allowed

Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians to practice their own faith and follow their own laws.

 However, Arab troops who settled in conquered areas in time formed a ruling class throughout the empire.

But to govern their empire, the Umayyads often relied on local officials. Many non-Muslims played key

roles as officials and tax collectors, doctors, translators and tutors at the court.

 In later centuries, Turkish and Mongol converts helped spread Islam across Asia, as the Berbers did in

North and West Africa. An enormous amount of wealth flowed into Umayyad hands in the form of tax and

tribute.
 Eventually, the contradictions between the politically and economically privileged minority and the

unprivileged majority led to the downfall of the Umayyad dynasty and the establishment of another

dynasty by the Abbasids. ,

 The leader of the Abbasid revolution was Abu al-Abbas, who had descent from the Prophet. Supported by

dissatisfied elements mostly of Shi`ites and non- Arab Muslims, he captured Damascus in 750 A.D.

 Abu al-Abbas then established the Abbasid dynasty centered in Baghdad, which lasted until 1258.

 Under the early Abbasids, the Arab military upper class lost its privileges, discrimination against non-Arab

Muslims ended, the caliphate reached its greatest wealth and power and Muslim civilization flourished.

 By 820 A.D. the power of the Abbasids was so extensive that it was felt throughout the Islamic empire.

However, by 920 A.D, the power of the caliph had already diminished.

 There were internal and external factors for the gradual decline and collapse of the Abbasid caliphate.

 The internal factor was most important. The conquered people were exploited and overtaxed. This led to

rebellions and civil wars among clans and followers of different religious sects.

 Externally, the Seljuk Turks from central Asia expanded and established a vast empire. They became

Muslims and controlled Baghdad making the Caliph the figure head of the Seljuk Sultan. The threat the

Seljuk posed to the Byzantine Empire also led to the Crusades.

 In February 1258 Mongol troops led by Hulagu (grandson of Genghis Khan) burned and looted Baghdad to

the ground, killing the last Abbasid caliph. The fall of Baghdad marked the end of the caliphate.

Legacy of Muslim Civilization

 Medieval Islamic civilization borrowed freely from the Greeks, Persians and Hindus. Arabs, Jews, Persians,

Turks, Egyptians, Berbers and Spaniards all contributed to the development of medieval Muslim culture.

 Arabic grammar, law and theology are some aspects of civilization with a typically Muslim character.

 Merchants were respected in Muslim culture. They served as agents for the spread of products, cultures.

 Muslim Arabs were also especially interested in agriculture. Therefore, both the Umayyad and Abbasid

rulers took steps to preserve and extend agricultural land by organizing massive irrigation projects.

 Muslim scholars wrote treatises on the means of improving the soil and promoting the growth of trees,

vegetables and fruits. Farmers cultivated food crops (dates and grain) as well as cash crops, including

sugar cane, cotton, medical herbs and flowers.

 Settled farmers and the mobile nomads of the deserts still maintained economic ties. Nomads bought food

items from farmers, while settled communities obtained meat, wool, hides and pack animals from pastoral

nomads. Great advances were made in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, botany, chemistry, medicine,

history and geography in the Islamic world.

the Quran. Schools of religious instruction and Islamic law offered higher level learning.

 Baghdad, Cairo, Cordoba and Timbuktu were among the renowned centers of higher level scholarly learning

in various fields. They also translated Persian, Sanskrit, and Greek texts into Arabic.

 Hellenistic philosophy also flourished in several Middle Eastern schools including the Academy of

Alexanderia in Egypt and the great medical school of Jundi-Shapur in Iran.

 Among others, In Cordoba, the philosopher Ibn Rushd (known in Europe as Averroes) put all knowledge,

except the Quran, to the test of reason.

 Arabic numerals were of Hindu invention, but Arabs introduced them to Europe. Muslim scholars

introduced the decimal fraction.

 In medicine, Hunayn ibn Ishaq developed the science of optics. Physicians studied botany and chemistry in

order to discover curative drugs and remedying various poisons.

 It was Muhammad al-Razi, a leading Persian physician at Baghdad`s chief hospital, who wrote many books

on medicine including his inventive study on smallpox from measles.

 Another Persian physician, Ibn Sina, known in Europe as Avecina, was a doctor to the Persian nobility. His

scientific writing was the Canon on Medicine which was a medical encyclopedia translated into Latin and

remained a standard text book for European medical students until the 17th century.

 Muslims, like other peoples, thought that heavenly bodies affected the lives of people, cities and states.

So, many caliphs kept court astrologers as advisers. Muslim scientists also used astrolabes (devices for

measuring the height of stars) and built primitive versions of the telescope.

 Muslim scientists knew that the earth was round and that it revolved around the sun, long before

Copernicus or Galileo.

 Much of what we know about Sub Saharan Africa from the 9th – 13th C comes from the writings of Arabs.

 History was another major discipline. Rulers demanded chroniclers either to publicize their own

accomplishments or to learn from the successes and failures of their predecessors.

 Above all, the philosopher and historiographer from Tunisia, Ibn Khaldun, set the rules for the scientific

study of history. He advised historians to thoroughly examine sources before using them to write history.

 In architecture, the domed mosque with arches and high minarates was symbolic of Muslim architecture.

Muslim architects originally adapted it from Byzantine architecture.

 Muslim architects also showed their talents in the construction of palaces, schools and other buildings.

Early Muslim artists illustrated manuscripts with abstract designs. Islamic artists also developed a highly

stylized calligraphy that was used for decorating the walls of public buildings as well as manuscripts.
Introduction of Islam in Ethiopia

 As the persecution became worse, in 615 A.D., the prophet decided to send some of his followers,

including one of his daughters, Fatuma, to the kingdom of Aksum.

 The leader of this emigration was the cousin of the prophet, Jafar. The Prophet believed that if his

followers moved to a place where Christianity was practiced, they would be adequately cared for.

 This was not a mistake on the prophet‟s part. They were warmly welcomed by the Aksumite king and

were offered the much sought asylum at Aksum. When the Quraysh Arabs heard this, they were very

much annoyed and decided to follow them.

 They came to Ethiopia and accused them of trouble making in Arabia. In the ensuing debate between

the two parties that was held in the presence of the king of Aksum, the Quraysh were defeated by

Jafar, the representative of the Muslims.

 Back home, the Quraysh had to resist the ever increasing power of the prophet and his followers.

However, Jafar and his friends stayed in Ethiopia peacefully under the king‟s protection until the

Prophet Mohammed entered Mecca triumphantly in 634 A.D.

 As a result of this, the prophet Mohammed gave orders to his followers to the effect that they

should not attack and convert the Ethiopians by force in the future.

 Unlike the situation in other parts of the world, Islam entered to Ethiopia peacefully. After these

early contacts, Islam then began to enter Ethiopia and the Horn on a larger scale through two

directions: Dahalak Islands on the Red sea, and the port of Zeila on the Gulf of Aden.

 By the beginning of the 8th century A.D., Islam was firmly established in the Dahlak Islands. Two

centuries later, the prosperous Muslim community on the islands developed into a sultanate.It was

from this coastal center that Islam gradually spread among the predominantly pastoral communities of

the interior, largely through the agency of preachers and traders.

 The Dahalak trade route, however, played a minor role in the introduction of Islam to the interior.

Because, Christianity was deeply seated in the northern part of Ethiopia, long before the introduction

of Islam. However, the introduction of Islam into the interior parts of Ethiopia through the port of

Zeila was significant.

Imposition of Catholicism in Ethiopia

 After the end of the supremacy of Adal over much of the Ethiopian region in 1543, Portugal and the Pope

of Rome wanted to convert the Ethiopian king and his people to Catholicism.

 Portugal allegedly claimed that, in return for military assistance, King Libne Dingil have promised in his

1535 letter to the king of Portugal to give a third of his kingdom and to be converted, together with his

people, to Catholicism.
 In the meantime, Jesuit missionaries came to Ethiopia as fathers, patriarchs and bishops, their ultimate

goal being to convert the people to Catholicism. The Jesuits were members of the Society of Jesus,

founded in Spain in 1540 by Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

 King Gelawdewos wrote a letter of objection to the Portuguese governor of India. The governor, on his

part, sent a young Catholic priest by the name Rodríguez to Gelawdewos so as to persuade him.

 Soon after his arrival, Rodriguez openly criticized the Orthodox Christian practices such as circumcision,

food taboos, fasting and the observance of Saturdays as heresies. However, Gelawdewos rejected the

demand for his conversion and Rodriguez returned to Goa (India).

 The Portuguese made another attempt to meet their objective by sending a bishop by the name of Andre

de Oviedo from Goa. But Oviedo failed to convince the king.

 Indeed, the king wrote a book called “Confessions of Gelawdewos,” in which he defended the practices of

the Orthodox faith.

 After the death of Gelawdewos in 1559, Oviedo moved to the north and joined Bahire Negash Yeshaq, who

had rebelled first aginst King Minas, and then Sertse Dingil. Later, he went to Goa, and died in 1597

without any success in his mission.

 In 1603 a new bishop named Pedro Pa`ez arrived at Massawa. But, before he reached the royal court,

Ya`ekob was deposed and replaced by Ze Dingil.

 Ze Dingil was fully aware of the political problems faced by his predecessors. Therefore, he was

determined to get rid of the disloyal soldiers and their commanders, as well as the clergy, whom he

thought were the sources of the weaknesses of the monarchy. When Pa`ez understood this attitude of

the king, he directly told Ze Dingil that if he agreed to be converted to Catholicism, he could get

Portuguese military assistance.

 Soon Ze Dingil began to take measures like banning the observance of Saturdays to satisfy the demands

of Pa`ez. Ze Dingil had already been suspected of being secretly converted, and consequently, he faced

strong opposition from the Orthodox Church. In the civil war that followed, Ze Dingil was killed in 1604.

 In the same year, Ya‟ekob was restored to power, and Pa`ez continued the same deal with him, but

Ya`ekob was killed in 1607. Ya`ekob was succeeded by Susinyos (r.1607-32). The reign of Susinyos saw the

success of the long effort of the Jesuit bishops.

 Pa`ez was particularly successful in converting many influential dignitaries of the kingdom, including King

Susinyos. Just like his immediate predecessors, Susinyos leaned towards Catholicism in order to get

Portuguese military assistance.

 The first important convert was Susinyos‟s brother, Ras Si’ile Kristos, who was publicly baptized in 1611,

followed by many others. Beginning in 1612, a series of public debates on Catholic principles were held in

the court.
 In the meantime, the Orthodox Church practices such as circumcision, fasting on Fridays and Wednesdays

and the observance of Saturdays as Sabbath days were condemned as heresies. The Orthodox clergymen

who stood against Catholicism also faced mistreatment in the court.

 In 1622, Susinyos himself was officially converted to Catholicism and made Catholicism the official state

religion. A few months later, Paez died. In June 1625 Alfonso Mendez arrived to Ethiopia.

 The first peasant rebellion against Susinyos and Catholicism broke out in 1617, and from 1626 to 1632

Susinyos fought many battles. This was mainly because of the hasty imposition of the new religion on the

peasants.

 Eventually, Susinyos came to understand that he could not suppress the opposition easily. In the

meantime, the Portuguese soldiers and firearms which he had hoped to obtain from Portugal failed to

arrive.

 So, after his last battle that took place in 1632, he decided to abandon Catholicism. In the same year, he

abdicated in favour of his son, Fasiledes.

 Fasiledes took the following measures to restore peace and stabilitiy.

o Restoration of the Orthodox Church to its former position.

o Ras Si‟ile Kristos, who was publicly hanged.

o Expulsion of the Jesuit missionaries from the country.

 Fasiledes made an alliance with the Muslim states on both sides of the Red Sea. He signed treaties with

the Imams of Yemen and the Pashas of Swakin and Massawa, who agreed to prevent or report the coming

of any European to the Christian highland kingdom.

 Fasiledes introduced the closed-door policy, which was to continue until the beginning of the 19th C. During

this long period of isolation, only two Europeans succeeded in reaching the Christian court at Gondar. They

were the French physician named Charles Jaques Poncet and the Scottish traveler, James Bruce.

Indigenous Religions

Waqefanna

 It is one of the indigenous religions in Ethiopia practiced by the Oromo people.

 Aperson has to be born in a particular society in order to be follower of the religion of the society to

which he/she belongs there is no element of conversion or evangelization.

 Among the Oromo, the Qallu (the male) and Qallities (the female) priests hold places of honor. The

position of Qallu/Qalliti is much like that of a high priest.

 There is also another office that is of importance known as the Abba Muda, the spiritual leader whose

blessings took special place among the Oromos.

 The Oromo religion focuses on one God known as Waqa. Waqa is infinite and omnipresent.
 Waqa is not the only spiritual being recognized by the Oromo religion. There are numerous divinities called

Ayyana, which are manifestations of Waqa‟s creative spirit. These are not additional gods, but rather part

of the divine essence of Waqa.

 The Qallus/Qallities maintain a line of communication between the Ayyana and the Oromo community in

which they serve.

 The continued adherence to the shared religion that worshiped Waqa, the recognition of the Qallu/Qalliti,

and the recognition of a place where the Abba Muda dwell were strong mechanisms that allowed the

Oromo to maintain a unified identity.

 Pilgrimage to the Abba Muda is an important aspect of Oromo indigenous religion. The pilgrims to Abba

Muda were delegates, who were the representatives of Oromo confederacies.

 Those who went to Abba Muda received his blessings and anointments on the ceremonial practice of Jila.

Jila was considered the link between the spiritual father and the nation. Abba Muda anointed the Jila and

commanded them to be righteous, not to recognize any leader who tried to get absolute power.

Religion of the Hadya people

 The Hadya also had an equivalent to the Oromo Waqa known as Waa, followed in the hierarchy by spirits

who attracted most of the prayers and the sacrifices.

 The sun and the moon are perceived as the eyes of the Waa.

 The Hadiya known by the name Worqimene, are believed to have the power to send rain in droughts.

 Fandanano (singular, Fandancho) practice is believed to be introduced by spiritual leaders, Itto and Albaja,

or Boyamo, father of five Hadiya clans.

 Kambata, Guraghe, Walayta, Kafa, Nuer, and Konso practiced a much similar religion to Oromo and Hadya.

Judaism

 Traditions in the early churches of Ethiopia maintain that much of the country once held Jewish beliefs

and culture as part of its religious legacy.

 Judaism entered Ethiopia as early as the 8th C B.C. Although not written until the early medieval era, it is

around this time that the story of the affair of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba emerged.

 Eager to see the wisdom of King Solomon, the legend goes on to say, the Queen made a pilgrimage to

Jerusalem. On having seen her, the king felt in love with her. Then she bore King Menelik I from Solomon.

 Menelik I, in his second journey to Israel that he made to visit his father, he came back to Ethiopia

escorted by Jewish priests and soldiers.

 The Judaized people of Ethiopia claim to be descended from the companions of Menelik I and also from

those Jews who fled to Egypt during the Babylonian Captivity of the 6th century B.C.