Information AboutOromo |
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| ethnic groups in ethiopia | |
| ethnic groups in kenya | |
The Oromo, sometimes called ''Galla'' (this usage has now become pejorative, but was widely used into the 20th century) are an indigenous , or ''Afan Oromo''. HISTORY The Oromo developed as a distinct political and ethnic group some time in the 16th Century in what is now southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya. The migration of the Oromo throughout the Horn Of Africa affected Ethiopia. The Oromo tribes exhausted the Ethiopians in the latter part of the sixteenth century in war. While further research is needed to comprehend the origin of Oromo people, it is well known that Oromo people come from a line of pastoralist/nomadic group. It is more likely 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. The Oromo mostly settled in the southern areas of Ethiopia. Their settlement patters also sometimes separated Christian Amharic-speaking groups from each other. In the 16th century and early 17th century, following the defeat of as the original homeland of the Oromo.Marcus, Harold G. ''A History of Ethiopia'', p. 35. Settled Oromo started to integrate with their Amharic-speaking neighbors at least from the 18th century. Also, several Oromo chieftains obtained power in government of the monarchy. Particularly Emperor Iyoas I (1730-55) favored his mother's Oromo kinsmen and allies, and in his era, the Oromo language was the language of the court in Gondar. During 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 , Enderase s (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 emperor Tewodros II . Due to the powerlessness of the Emperor Of Ethiopia during this period, 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 1800's; Ras Mohammad of Wollo who became Ras Mikael , later Negus of Sion and father of an emperor; 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 christianity during these centuries. As one of the last such developments, in late 1800's Emperor Yohannes IV ordered the Oromo tribe of Wollo to convert to christianity within six months at the threat of losing their property. Their leader Mohammed became lord Mikael and later made an imperial marriage, becoming the father of Emperor Iyasu V . 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. 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%. FDRE States: Basic Information - Oromia , Population (accessed 26 March 2006) Politics A number of political organizations have been formed to promote the interests of the Oromo. They include the coalition that challenged the EPRDF in the Ethiopian General Elections Of 2005 . Several of these groups seek to create an independent Oromo nation, some using armed force. This proposed nation would share its name and borders with the current Ethiopian Region of Oromia where the majority of Oromo people live. 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."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. 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 . 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).''Baxter, P.T.W.; Hultin, Jan; Triulzi, Alessandro. ''Being and Becoming Oromo.'', p.106. REFERENCES BIBLIOGRAPHY
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