Ethiopia and the Red Sea: The Rise and Decline of the Solomonic Dynasty and Muslim European Rivalry in the Region

Author(s): Mordechai Abir
Language: English
Pages: 251
Published: 1980

This book "Ethiopia and the Red Sea" explores the Solomonic dynasty's rise and fall alongside Muslim-European rivalry in the region. The book challenges traditional views of the Oromo people, highlighting their advanced Gada system and resilience against Amharization. Abir connects the Oromo's 16th-century invasion to the weakening of the Amhara and the subsequent facilitation of Imam Ahmed Gragne's incursions. He argues that Gragne's jihads were motivated by Ethiopian threats to Muslim trade and fears of a Christian-European alliance, capitalizing on the Solomonic dynasty's internal weaknesses. The book analyzes the complex relationships between Christian Ethiopia, its Islamic neighbors, and the Oromo, emphasizing the Solomonic ruling class's struggles for survival and conquests.