Oromo people
File:Dej Balcha Aba Nefso.jpg | |
Regions with significant populations | |
---|---|
Ethiopia | |
Languages | |
Oromo | |
Religion | |
Sunni Islam, Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, Protestant, Traditional | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Afar, Agaw, Amhara, Beja, Hadiya, Sidama, and Somali |
The Oromo are an indigenous African ethnic group found in Ethiopia and to a lesser extent in Kenya . They are the largest single ethnic group in Ethiopia, at 32.1% of the population according to the 1994 census, and today numbering around 25 million.[1] Their native language is the Oromo language (also called Afaan Oromoo, and Oromiffa).
History
The Oromo are one of the Cushitic speaking groups of people living in Eastern and North Eastern Africa. Cushitic speakers have inhabited parts of north-eastern and eastern Africa for as long as recorded history. Oromos are found predominantly in Ethiopia (99%), but are spread from as far as northern Ethiopia (southern Tigray Region) to (mainly northern) Kenya, even as far south as Lamu island. The Oromo represent one of largest of the Cushitic groups inhabiting the Horn of Africa. Their physical features, culture, language and other evidences unequivocally point to the fact that they are indigenous to this part of Africa. Available information clearly indicates that the Oromo existed as a community of people for thousands of years in East Africa (Prouty at al, 1981). Bates (1979) contends, "The Gallas (Oromo) were a very ancient race, the indigenous stock, perhaps, on which most other peoples in this part of eastern Africa have been grafted".
While further research is needed to precisely comprehend the origin of Oromo people, it is well known that Oromo people come from a line of pastoralist/nomadic group and/or semi-agriculturalist group. It is likely that they have existed for a longer period of time side by side with their northern Semitic-speaking neighbors. There is a wealth of oral history that describe interactions between the two group dating back as early as the 6th century. [citation needed].
During the 16th century, following the wars between the kingdom of Ethiopia and the neighboring Sultanate of Adal, which resulted in the exhaustion of both states, Oromos moved north into their territories. The Ethiopian monk Bahrey, writing in 1593, attributed the Oromo success to the existence of too many non-fighting classes in the ruling Ethiopian hierarchy, as opposed to the Oromos, whom he described as having a homogeneous warrior class.[2] Bahrey also explained their spread into northwestern areas such as Arsi, Shewa, Welega, and Gojjam and northeastern areas like Hararghe and Wollo as result of their inhospitable homeland.[3] Harold G. Marcus suggests northwest Borena as the original homeland of the Oromo.[4]
Settled Oromo started to integrate with their Amharic-speaking neighbors at least from the 17th century on. Also, several Oromo chieftains obtained power in government of the monarchy. Particularly Emperor Iyoas I (1730-55), who was half Oromo, favored his mother's Oromo kinsmen and allies, and in his era, the Oromo language was the language of the court in Gondar.
By the late 18th century, the power of the central government of Ethiopia had waned, and local governors and kings enjoyed greater autonomy. During this era (which lasted until 1855), known as the Zemene Mesafint, the Oromo dynasty of chiefs of Yejju were the most important continuous line of warlords to dominate the figurehead emperors of Ethiopia. They became sub-kings of Begemder, Enderases (Regents) of the empire, as well as imperial father-in-laws. Ras Ali I of Yejju achieved this dominance in 1779, and it continued, although contested by other warlords, until the 1855 defeat of Ras Ali II of Yejju by the upstart Kassa Hailu (who in that year became Emperor Tewodros II). Due to the powerlessness of the Emperor of Ethiopia during the Zemene Mesafint, the Yejju Oromo were effectively the rulers of Ethiopia.
Other tribes and chiefs of the Oromo people were also prominent, such as lady Menen of Wollo who became Empress in 1800s; Ras Mohammad of Wollo who became Ras Mikael, later Negus of Siyon and father of Emperor Iyasu V; and another lady Menen, of Ambassel, who became Empress consort of Haile Selassie.
In order to integrate with the imperial power and family, a large share of the Oromo converted to Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity during these centuries. As one of the last such developments, in late 1800s Emperor Yohannes IV ordered the Oromo tribe of Wollo to convert to Christianity within six months at the threat of losing their property. Such a threat had caused many Wollo Oromos to leave their homeland and migrate further to the South. Their leader was Ras Mohammed who became Ras Mikael and later made an imperial marriage, becoming the father of Emperor Iyasu V.
Subgroups
The Oromo are divided into 16 subgroups. From west to east, these subgroups are:
- The Welega Oromo, who live in the Oromia Region west of the Didessa River;
- The Macha Oromo, living between Dindessa River and the Omo River, and south into the Gibe region;
- The Tulama Oromo, who live in the Oromia Region around Addis Ababa;
- The Selale Oromo,who live in the Oromia Region north of Addis Ababa;
- The Wollo Oromo, who are the northernmost group, and live predominantly in the Oromia Zone of the Amhara Region, as far north as Lake Ashenge, with whom the Raya Oromo and the Yejju Oromo are often grouped;
- The Ittu Oromo, who live in the Oromia Region from the Awash River east to a line drawn south of Dire Dawa;
- The Ania Oromo, who live south of the Ittu and west of the Erer River;
- The Ala Oromo, living west of the city of Harar and the Erer River, and between the Ittu and Ania Oromo;
- The Nole Oromo, who live east of Dire Dawa and north of Harar;
- The Babille Oromo, who are one of the easternmost subgroup, living east of the Erer River in the Oromia Region, and south of the other easternmost subgroup,
- The Jarso Oromo, who live in the northeastern corner of the Misraq Hararghe Zone of the Oromia Region;
- The Arsi Oromo, who live in the part of the Oromia Region named for them, the Arsi Zone; and
- The Borena Oromo, who are the southernmost subgroup of the Oromo, and live in the southern parts of the Oromia Region and in Kenya.[5]
- The Oborra Oromo
- The Qallu, who live between the Awash River and Dire Dawa.
- The Guji Oromo, who are the southern part subgroup of the Oromo, inhabiting neighboring the Borena Oromo.
And the small subgroups like
- The Gabra Oromo
- The Garii Oromo
- The Bicidyahan Oromo
Society and culture
Oromo society was traditionally structured in accordance with gadaa, a social stratification system partially based on an eight-year cycle of age sets, but over the centuries the age sets grew out-of-alignment with the actual ages of their members, and some time in the 1800s another age set system was instituted. Under gadaa, every eight years the Oromo would hold a popular assembly called the Gumi Gayo, at which laws were established for the following eight years. A democratically elected leader, the Abba Gada, presided over the system for an eight-year term. Gadaa is no longer in wide practice but remains influential.
In a short article ('Bull Leaping as Inititation Ritual',Liverpool Classical Monthly18 (1993) 114-116) Geoffrey W. Arnott described an Oromo rite of passage in which young men run over the backs of bulls surrounded by the village community. Bruce Parry filmed the same practice among the Hamar people for his BBC television series 'Tribe' transmitted in July 2006. Arnott's interest lay in making a comparison with bull-leaping at Knossos in the Aegean Bronze Age.
Religion
In the 1994 Ethiopian census in the 85% Oromo region of Oromia, 44.3% were Muslims, 41.3% Orthodox Christians, 8.6% Protestants, 4.2% Traditional, and the remaining 1.6% constitute other religious groups. In urban Oromia Orthodox Christians constitute 67.8% of the population, followed by Muslims 24.0% and Protestants 7%.[6]
Politics
A number of political organizations have been formed to promote the interests of the Oromo. The first was the Mecha and Tulama Self-Help Organization, founded in January 1963, but was disbanded by the government after several increasingly tense confrontations in November, 1966.[7] Later groups include the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), the United Liberation Forces of Oromia (ULFO), the Islamic Front for the Liberation of Oromia (IFLO), the Oromia Liberation Council (OLC), the Oromo National Congress (ONC) and others. Another group, the Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO), is one of the four parties that form the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition. However, these Oromo groups do not act in unity: the ONC, for example, was part of the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces coalition that challenged the EPRDF in the Ethiopian general elections of 2005.
A number of these groups seek to create an independent Oromo nation, some using armed force. Meanwhile the OPDO and several opposition political parties in the Ethiopian parliament believe in the unity of the country which has 80 different ethnicities that have been intermarrying and living together for centuries. Also there are believed to be around 2.4 million other Ethiopians who have mixed ancestries with the ethnic Oromo.
Nomenclature
The Oromo were historically called Galla, therefore one may encounter this name in older texts, but Oromos do not use this term to refer to themselves. However, when Charles Tutschek, writing in the mid 19th century, researched the Oromo, "his informants, according to their published letters, used Galla as a term of self-reference."[8] The name has fallen into disfavor and is now considered to be pejorative, possibly because of a folk etymology for "Galla" (that it came from Qal la, pronounced similar to Gal la, Arabic for "he said no") that implies they refused Muhammad's offer to convert to Islam. In the Somali language Galla means pagan or non-muslim, possibly referring to their old religion . The etymology of the word is still disputed and unsolved, but Cornelius Jaenen offers possible roots derived from words in the Oromo language:
The Galla who call themselves Oromo, are as uncertain about the origin of their name as are the anthropologists. Orma means a foreigner who is not a relative; galà means a stranger who is a guest, galla is a stranger who joins a tribe; gala, an imperative, means 'go home'; gala a noun, means one who goes home, also provisions for travelling. The Galla language gives us no further hint. The history of the people is indeed a tale of nomadic strangers & guests who are seeking a home. Now they have found that home but they are still designated as guests (Jaenen 1956:172).[9]
Notable Oromos
- Ahmad Taqi Sheikh Mohammed Rashid (better known as Hundee) - The First Commander of Oromo Liberation Forces, who helped Gen. Taddese Birru to escape from house arrest, and died at The Battle of Tiro (Gelemso) while fighting the government army together with Elemo Kiltu.
- Ali Birra - Singers, composer and songwriter
- King Abba Jifar II - ruled Jimma and surrounding areas
- Abebe Bikila - first African and Ethiopian to receive a gold medal in the Olympics (marathon; ran barefoot)[citation needed]
- Ras Ali II of Yejju, Enderase or Regent of the Ethiopian Emperor, and effectively the ruler of Ethiopia
- Berhane Adere- won the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
- Derartu Tulu - Long Distance runner and Gold Winner at the Olympics
- Fatuma Roba - Long Distance runner and 1996 marathon winner.
- Gete Wami - cross country and track runner.
- Haile Gebrselassie - King of Long distance running and marathon runner.
- Kenenisa Bekele - Ethiopian long distance runner
- Mamo Wolde - Ethiopian long-distance runner, winner of the marathon at the 1968 Summer Olympics
- Onesimos Nesib - evangelist and translator of Bible into the Oromo language
- Teferi Benti - former Ethiopian president
- Tilahun Gessesse - famous Ethiopian singer
- Tirunesh Dibaba - Ethiopian long-distance runner
Gen. Waqo Gutu - leader of the United Liberation Forces of Oromia (ULFO)
- Abdus Ibrahim - American soccer (football) player, plays for FC Dallas.
See also
References
- ^ Central Intelligence Agency (2007-11-01). "Ethiopia (People)" (HTML). The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
Population: 76,511,887… Ethnic groups: Oromo 32.1%
- ^ Bahrey, "History of the Galla" (1593). Translated by C.F. Beckingham and G.W.B. Huntingford in Some Records of Ethiopia 1593-1646 (London: The Hakluyt Society, 1954). This is the earliest known account of the Oromo.
- ^ Marcus, Harold G. A History of Ethiopia. (University of California Press, updated edition: 2002), pp. 37. ISBN 0-520-22479-5
- ^ Marcus, A History of Ethiopia, p. 35.
- ^ Distribution and locations is based on the map in G.W.B. Huntingford, The Galla of Ethiopia; the Kingdoms of Kafa and Janjero (London: International African Institute, 1955).
- ^ FDRE States: Basic Information - Oromia, Population (accessed 26 March 2006)
- ^ Bahru Zewde, A History of Modern Ethiopia: 1855-1991, 2nd edition (Oxford: James Currey, 2001), pp. 261f.
- ^ Baxter, P.T.W.; Hultin, Jan; Triulzi, Alessandro. Being and Becoming Oromo: Historical and Anthropological Enquiries. (United States:Red Sea Press, Inc.: 1996), p.107.
- ^ Baxter, et al., Being and Becoming Oromo, p.106.oromo people like to suck dick
Further reading
- Mohammed Hassan, The Oromo of Ethiopia, A History 1570-1860. Trenton: Red Sea Press, 1994. ISBN 0-932415-94-6
- Herbert S. Lewis. A Galla Monarchy: Jimma Abba Jifar, Ethiopia 1830-1932. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1965.
- "RIC Query - Ethiopia". INS Resource Information Center. Retrieved October 8.
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