Haggai Erlich

Alula, ‘The Son of Qubi’: a ‘King's Man’ in Ethiopia, 1875–1897

Ras Alula played a significant role in the political history of northern Ethiopia during the period between the Egyptian invasion in 1875 and the Italian defeat at Adwa in 1896. Alula became well-known in Ethiopia and Europe for his role in shaping his countrys relations with its African neighbours and with European powers. But his role in the internal history of Ethiopia was no less significant. This son of a peasant managed to avoid the restricted local agrarian social ladder by becoming the best general of the Tigrean emperor Yohannes IV (1872–89). As the ‘kings man’, Alulas power was based on his position in the court and on the province (Eritrea) over which he was appointed. But the leading Tigrean families rejected him. When Yohannes died and Eritrea was lost to the Italians, Alula became the most powerful champion of Tigrean independence from the new Shoan emperor, Menilek II. A Tigrean court seemed to be his only opportunity to maintain his position of a ‘kings man’, without which he would have to return to the local agrarian social ladder. After four years of resistance to the new Shoan hegemony, Alula submitted to Menilek and was rewarded with the long-desired position of ‘the kings man’. His recognition of Menilek may be regarded as a fatal blow to Tigrean independence.

Islam, War, and Peace in the Horn of Africa

Islam had, from its very insipience, a dual conceptualization of Christian Ethiopia. One set of traditions carried a strong legacy of good neighborliness and peace. The other set recycled a legacy of enmity and a war for Islamic victory.

The Nile: Histories, Cultures, Myths

Contributors, consisting of historians and other scholars from Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Europe, Israel, Sudan, and the US, trace the complex intercultural relations that have revolved around the Nile River throughout recorded history. The volumes 20 articles focus on four themes: peoples and identities in medieval times; the Nile as seen from a distance (such as from Europe and as a gateway for missionary activity); mid-century perspectives; and contemporary views including the Aswan High Dam and revolutionary symbolism in Egypt.

British Internal Security and Egyptian Youth

The internal security problems posed by Britain’s presence in Egypt during the period between the two world wars were not basically of a military nature. After conquering the country in 1882, the British had for all practical purposes neutralised the Egyptian army. The command of this army was assumed by British officers who recruited the politically unaware sons of the peasantry. The Egyptian nationalist movement, when it emerged at the turn of the century, therefore lacked a power base for armed struggle.