Amhara
Total population
25,176,300 Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Regions with significant populations
Ethiopia: 24,909,000[1] Eritrea: 26,000[2] Egypt: 5,200[3] Germany: 5,700[4] Israel: 53,000[5] Canada: 16,000[6] Yemen: 8,600[7] Sudan: 74,000[8] Djibouti: 2,800[9] Somalia: 76,000[10]
Language(s)
Amharic
Religion(s)
Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, Islam
Related ethnic groups
Tigray, Tigre, Gurage, Argobba, Agaw, Somali, Beta Israel, Oromo

Amhara (Amharic: አማራ, Ge'ez: አምሐራ) is an ethnic group in the central highlands of Ethiopia, numbering about 23 million, making up 30.1% of the country's population according to the most recent 1994 census.^[11] They speak Amharic, the working language of the federal authorities of Ethiopia, and dominate the country's political and economic life. Note: This article contains special characters. ... Ethiopian Church in jerusalem The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (in transliterated Amharic:Yäityopya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan) is an Oriental Orthodox church in Ethiopia that was part of the Coptic Orthodox Church until 1959, when it was granted its own Patriarch by Coptic Orthodox Pope of... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... The Tigray-Tigrinya are an ethnic group who live in Eritrea and the northern highlands of Ethiopias Tigray province. ... The Tigre are an ethnic group of Eritrea who speak the Tigre language. ... Gurage is an ethnic group in Ethiopia. ... Argobba is an Ethiopic language that was spoken in an area north-east of Addis Ababa. ... The Agaw are a people of Ethiopia. ... The Beta Israel (Geez ቤተ፡ እስራኤል BÄ“ta Isrāēl, modern BÄ“te Isrāēl; ‎), also known by the term Falasha (Amharic for Exiles or Strangers, as they were called by non-Jewish Ethiopians — a term that is considered pejorative) are Jews of Ethiopian origin. ... For the language, see Oromo language. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ...

Etymology

The derivation of the name "Amhara" is debated; according to some it comes from the word amari, meaning "pleasing, agreeable, beautiful and gracious" (also mehare, "gracious", containing the same m-h-r root as the verb to learn), while some Ethiopian historians such as Getachew Mekonnen Hasen say it is an ethnic name connected with Himyarites.^[12] Still others say that it derives from Ge'ez, meaning "free people" (i.e. from Ge'ez ዓም "ʿam" meaning "people," and ሓራ "h.ara" , meaning "free" or "soldier"), though others, such as Donald Levine, have dismissed this as a folk etymology.^[13] Ultimately, however, the name for the language and ethnic group come from the medieval province of Amhara, located in central Ethiopia in modern Amhara Region and the pre-1995 province of Wollo. A state in ancient Yemen dating from 115 BCE. Conquered neighbouring Saba in 25 BCE, Qataban in 50 CE and Hadramaut 100 CE. It was the dominant state in Arabia until the sixth century. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... Amhara (also known as Bet Amhara, The house of Amhara) was the name of a medieval province of Ethiopia, located in present day Amhara Region, and the pre-1996 province of Wollo. ... Map of Ethiopia highlighting the Amhara region. ... Wollo was a province in the north-eastern part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Dessye. ...

Agriculture

About 90% of the Amhara are rural and make their living through farming, mostly in the Ethiopian highlands. Prior to the 1974 revolution, absentee landlords maintained strict control over their sharecropping tenants, often allowing them to accumulate crippling debts. After 1974, the landlords were replaced by local government officials, who play a similar role.

Barley, corn, millet, wheat, sorghum and teff, along with beans, peppers, chick-peas and other vegetables are the most important crops; in the highlands one crop per year is normal, while in the lowlands two are possible. Cattle, sheep, and goats are also raised. Binomial name Eragrostis tef (Zucc. ...

Religion

Their predominant religion for centuries has been Christianity, with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church playing a central role in the culture of the country and of the Amharic ethnic group. According to the 1994 census, 81.5% of the Amhara Region of Ethiopia (which is 91.2% Amhara) were Ethiopian Orthodox, with 18.1% being Muslim, and 0.1% being Protestant.^[14] The Ethiopian Orthodox Church maintains close links with the Egyptian Coptic Church. Easter and Epiphany are the most important celebrations, marked with services, feasting and dancing. There are also many "fast" days throughout the year, when only vegetables or fish may be eaten. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Ethiopian Church in jerusalem The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (in transliterated Amharic:Yäityopya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan) is an Oriental Orthodox church in Ethiopia that was part of the Coptic Orthodox Church until 1959, when it was granted its own Patriarch by Coptic Orthodox Pope of... Map of Ethiopia highlighting the Amhara region. ... Ethiopian Church in jerusalem The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (in transliterated Amharic:Yäityopya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan) is an Oriental Orthodox church in Ethiopia that was part of the Coptic Orthodox Church until 1959, when it was granted its own Patriarch by Coptic Orthodox Pope of... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Pentay or Pentay (Amharic- ፔንጤ) is a slang term widely used in modern Ethiopia, and among Ethiopians living abroad, to describe Ethiopian Christians who are not members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo, Ethiopian Orthodox Tehadeso, Roman Catholic or Ethiopian Catholic churches. ... Jesus Christ in a Coptic icon. ... This article is about the Christian festival. ... The Wise Men (Magi) adoring the infant Jesus. ...

Marriages are often arranged, with men marrying in their late teens or early twenties. Traditionally, girls were married as young as 14, but in the 20th century, the minimum age was raised to 18, and this was enforced by the Imperial government. Civil marriages are common, although some marry in churches. After a church wedding, divorce is not considered possible. Each family hosts a separate wedding feast after the wedding.

Upon childbirth, a priest will visit the family to bless the infant, and circumcise him if he is a boy ^{[dubious – discuss]}. The mother and child remain in the house, for forty days after birth of a boy, eighty for a girl, before going to the church for baptism. This article is about the Christian religious act of Baptism. ...

Art

Ethiopian art is typified by religious paintings. One of the most notable features of these is the large eyes of the subjects, who are usually biblical figures.

History

Certain Semitic-speaking tribes, notably the Agazyan, built the Kingdom of Aksum around two millennia ago, and this expanded to contain what is now Eritrea and northern Ethiopia, and at times, portions of Yemen and Sudan. The Amhara inherit their religion and monarchical tradition from Axum, as do Tigrayans. 14th century BC diplomatic letter in Akkadian, found in Tell Amarna. ... The Kingdom of Aksum (or Axum, Geez አክሱም), was an important trading nation in northeastern Africa, growing from the proto-Aksumite period ca. ... The Tigray-Tigrinya are an ethnic group who live in Eritrea and the northern highlands of Ethiopias Tigray province. ...

The region now known as "Amhara" in the feudal era was composed of several provinces with greater or less autonomy, including Begemder, Gojjam, Qwara and Lasta. Begemder was a province in the north-eastern part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Gondar. ... Gojjam, or Gojam, was a province in the north-western part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debra Markos. ... ... Lasta is a city in the municipality of Vytina, Greece[1] ^ Lasta, Greece Page. ...

Some time in the late middle ages, the Amharic and Tigrinya languages began to be differentiated. Amhara warlords often competed for dominance of the realm with Tigrayan warlords. While many branches of the Imperial dynasty were from the Amharic speaking area, a substantial amount were from Tigray. The Amharas seemed to gain the upper hand with the accession of the so-called Gondar line of the Imperial dynasty in the beginning of the 17th century. However, it soon lapsed into the semi-anarchic era of Zemene Mesafint ("Era of the Princes"), in which rivalling warlords fought for power and the Yejju Oromo inderases (or regents) had effective control, while emperors were just as figureheads. The Tigrayans only made a brief return to the throne in the person of Yohannes IV, whose death in 1889 allowed the base to return to the Amharic speaking province of Shewa. Note: This article contains special characters. ... Tigrinya (Geez ትግርኛ tigriññā, also spelled Tigrigna) is a Semitic language spoken by the Tigray-Tigrinya people in central Eritrea (there referred to as the Tigrinya people), where it is one of the main working languages (Eritrea does not have official languages), and in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia (whose... Tigray was a province of Ethiopia. ... Overview of the city with Fasilides castle in the center. ... Some historians date the murder of Iyasu I, and the resultant decline in the prestige of the dynasty, as the beginning of the Ethiopian Zemene Mesafint (Era of the Princes,) a time of disorder when the power of the monarchy was eclipsed by the power of local warlords. ... This is a list of Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles used in Ethiopia until the end of the Monarchy in 1974. ... The Emperor (Geez ንጉሠ ነገሥት, , King of Kings) of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1975. ... ... Shewa (also spelled Shoa) is a historical region of Ethiopia. ...

Historians generally consider the Amhara to have been Ethiopia's ruling elite for centuries, represented by the line of Emperors ending in Haile Selassie. Many commentators, including Marcos Lemma, however, dispute the accuracy of such a statement, arguing that other ethnic groups have always been active in the country's politics. Haile Selassie I KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO (Geez: , Power of the Trinity; July 23, 1892 – August 27, 1975) was de jure Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974 and de facto from 1916 to 1936 and 1941 to 1974. ...

One possible source of confusion for this stems from the mislabeling of all Amharic-speakers as "Amhara", and the fact that many people from other ethnic groups have Amharic names. Another is the fact that most Ethiopians can trace their ancestry to multiple ethnic groups. In fact, the last Emperor, Haile Selassie I, often counted himself a member of the Gurage tribe on account of his ancestry, and his Empress, Itege Menen Asfaw of Ambassel, was in large part of Oromo descent. The expanded use of Amharic language results mostly from its being the language of the court, and was gradually adopted out of usefulness by many unrelated groups, who then became known as "Amhara" no matter what their ethnic origin. Note: This article contains special characters. ... Onomastics (Onomatology) is the study of proper names of all kinds and the origins of names. ... Haile Selassie Haile Selassie (Power of Trinity) (July 23, 1892 – August 27, 1975) was the last Emperor (1930–1936; 1941–1974) of Ethiopia, and is a religious symbol in the Rastafarian movement. ... Gurage is an ethnic group in Ethiopia. ... Empress Menen Asfaw (March 1889 - February 15, 1962) was the wife and consort of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. ... Ambassel is a mountain fortress in the Amhara highlands of Ethiopia. ... For the language, see Oromo language. ...

Validity of ethnic group status

Up until the last quarter of the 20th century, "Amhara" was only used (in the form amariñña) to refer to Amharic, the language, or the medieval province located in Wollo (modern Amhara Region). Still today, most people labeled by outsiders as "Amhara," refer to themselves simply as "Ethiopian," or to their province (e.g. Gojjamé from the province Gojjam). According to Ethiopian ethnographer Donald Levine, "Amharic-speaking Shewans consider themselves closer to non-Amharic-speaking Shewans than to Amharic-speakers from distant regions like Gonder."^[15] Amharic-speakers tend to be a "supra-ethnic group" comprised of "fused stock."^[16] Takkele Taddese describes the Amhara, Note: This article contains special characters. ... Amhara (also known as Bet Amhara, The house of Amhara) was the name of a medieval province of Ethiopia, located in present day Amhara Region, and the pre-1996 province of Wollo. ... Wollo was a province in the north-eastern part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Dessye. ... Map of Ethiopia highlighting the Amhara region. ... Gojjam, or Gojam, was a province in the north-western part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debra Markos. ... Shewa (also spelled Shoa) is a historical region of Ethiopia. ... Begemder was a province in the north-eastern part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Gondar. ...

The Amhara can thus be said to exist in the sense of being a fused stock, a supra-ethnically conscious ethnic Ethiopian serving as the pot in which all the other ethnic groups are supposed to melt. The language, Amharic, serves as the center of this melting process although it is difficult to conceive of a language without the existence of a corresponding distinct ethnic group speaking it as a mother tongue. The Amhara does not exist, however, in the sense of being a distinct ethnic group promoting its own interests and advancing the Herrenvolk philosophy and ideology as has been presented by the elite politicians. The basic principle of those who affirm the existence of the Amhara as a distinct ethnic group, therefore, is that the Amhara should be dislodged from the position of supremacy and each ethnic group should be freed from Amhara domination to have equal status with everybody else. This sense of Amhara existence can be viewed as a myth.^[16]

The master race (German: Herrenrasse, Herrenvolk) is a concept in Nazi ideology, which holds that the Germanic and Nordic people represent an ideal and pure race. It derives from nineteenth century racial theory, which posited a hierarchy of races placing African Bushmen and Australian Aborigines at the bottom of the...

References

See also

• Habesha
• History of Ethiopia
• Solomonic dynasty

The term Habesha (Geez ሐበሻ ḥabaśā, Amh. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Solomonid dynasty is the traditional royal house of Ethiopia, claiming descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, who is said to have given birth to the traditional first king Menelik I after her Biblically-described visit to Solomon in Jerusalem. ...

Bibliography

• Wolf Leslau and Thomas L. Kane (collected and edited), Amharic Cultural Reader. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz 2001. ISBN 3-447-04496-9.

Wolf Leslau (November 14, 1906 - November 18, 2006) was a scholar of Semitic languages and one of the foremost authorities on Semitic languages of Ethiopia. ...

Further reading

• Donald N. Levine, Wax & Gold: Tradition and Innovation in Ethiopian Culture (Chicago: University Press, 1972) ISBN 0-226-45763-X

External links

• Lemma, Marcos (MD, PhD). Who ruled Ethiopia? The myth of 'Amara domination'. Ethiomedia.com. Retrieved on February 28, 2005.