Unless you make me change my mind and convince me with
facts, I believe the Abyssinian "history" affects all of us,
"Habeshas" whether we are Amhara, Tigrean, or Eritrean (all 9
nationalities). That aside, I have learnt about another "Alula".
He was Abdullah of Harrar (I do not know if he is the Ahmed GraN
that I heard about in oral history). In my quest to know
and catch up with the recent discussions in Dehai, I was reading
a book. I have come across a brave act by one Emir Abdullah of
Harrar that happened in 1885. I had not heard about this man
before. He has played a role during the era of the "Scramble of
Africa", which I think should have been included to Adowa's
victory over the Italians or, at least, as important as Gur'a or
Gundet's success by another "Habesha". It was decisive in
deterring the Italian expansion in Africa. I must confess that I
have been so ignorant about the history of the Horn of Africa
until my interest was aroused by discussions in Dehai. I believe
that's what Dehai is all about and I intend to take advantage of
it. I will "sap" the minds of our knowledgeable Dehaiers and
learn from them using this medium. When I was going to School,
we learnt only about the "Renaisance", the "Industrial
Revolution", etc. about Europe. I did not know that, Egyptians
had occupied Harrar as early as until 1885, for example.
Discussing the subject, a Somali colleague and friend of
mine told me that he knows one of the local Emir's descendents
now alive and living in present day Ethiopia. I found the story
intereesting and I copied the following 2 paragraphs to share
with you from a book titled, ETHIOPIA, A Pawn in European
Diplomacy by Mr. E. Work:
"Seeing that Massowah had been occupied so easily and held
with so little objection, Italy cast about to find some
more territory exposed to seizure. Probably the most attractive
point left exposed to eager expansionists by the withdrawal of
the Anglo-Egyptian forces after the fall of Khartum in 1885, was
the flourishing trade center of Harrar. When this post was
evacuated, the British left in control there a rather fanatical
Mohammedan, the Emir Abdulla. Abdulla wished to shut out all
European traders from the markets of Harrar. He observed that
most of the Europeans were engaged in a sort of wholesale
business. To be able to shut them out and still keep the
semblance of law, he discovered that "wholesale trade" might be
classed, according to his mind, as usury. Since his religion
forbade usury as sin, all he had to do, therefore, to exclude
European traders from the Harrar markets was to enforce the
Mohammedan law against usury. It would seem that Europeans, like
children forbidden an object, desired the more to trade in
Harrar. The Italians were no exception in this respect and in
1886, under the leadership of one Gaetano Sacconi, an Italian
Jew, they undertook to secure the trade. Sacconi got into
trouble with Abdulla by dealing wholesale in Harrar coffee. When
in trouble Sacconi carried his case back to Italy where he gained
the attention of a group of colonial minded compatriots who
regarded this particular time, when Egypt was withdrawing from
the Harrar and as yet no other European Power had appropriated
it, a most desirable time to gain its trade with an opportunity
eventually to take over the Emir and his territory. This group
formed a society known as the "Society for the Commercial
Exploration of Africa". This society fitted out an expedition
and started for Harrar. This expedition, though small, gave the
appearance of a military undertaking, and even in Aden, it was
looked upon with suspicion. When the men composing this
expedition reached the frontiers of Abdulla's teritory they were
ordered by this ruler not to enter, but protesting that they came
bearing presents to Abdulla, they refused to heed his command and
proceeded. Whereupon they were surrounded by the Emir's
followers and were cut down to a man.
Since the first efforts to deliver presents to the Emir of
Harrar had met with such unfortunate results, Italy gave up, for
the moment, her efforts there and concentrated upon the region
about Massowah." it goes on......(very interesting)
___________________
The above tells us that the Italian expansion had faced
other "Alula"s. This was in Harrar in 1885. In my ignorance,
and until my "Ogadeni" colleague drew my attention, I had always
thought that Harrar, as the birthplace of Emperor Haile Sellasie
was in the hands of Emperor Menelik in the 1880s and certainly
in 1885. I think our amateur Historians should enlighten us in
the history of the Horn of Africa in general and not limit us to
the legend of the 3,000 years of Axumite history.
Saleh Gadi, I agree with my "Ogadeni" friend who says: how
dare you say that colonialism is not to blame when a people is
divided into British, Italian, French Somaliland then sliced to
fit other African spots as "the Northern Frontier District" in
Kenya and Ogaden in Ethiopia. No other people is hurt as the
Somalis and the Kurds. The Druze are the smartest, they leave in
peace with their occupiers, be they Lebanese, Israeli or
Syrians.. The Somalis and Kurds, on the other hand, cannot even
live with eachother; in this I sadly agree with you, Gorebet.
May God protect us from the fate of the Somalis and the Kurds.
Fisseha Habte