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150
Aksum becomes capital of the major state Eritrea
The Aksumite Kingdom was located in a fertile place, controlled one of the most important trade routes and was the center of the ancient world. They were very diverse in religion and ethnicity. The people of Aksum wrote the characters and spoke the language of Semitic, the longest continuous literate tradition in Africa. The Asumite religion derived from the Arabs. They believed in polytheistic gods that controlled the natural forces of the universe. Traditions of Aksum are still alive today. -
300
Aksum is declared the first Christian state in the world
The people who followed this religion believed Christ had only one form unlike the Greeks. This is called Monopysite Christianity. They believed that their ancestors were Hebrews who were also Semitic and that they had inherited the covenants. King Ezana had converted Aksum under the insruction of the Syrian bishop, Frumentious. -
Jan 1, 700
The Rise of Islam
The rise of Islam in the surrounding regions reduced the power of Aksum and its relationships with other regions. The conquests of the Muslims were many and continued to isolate the church in Aksum. It threatened maritime contacts and then lost trade routes. In response to this expansion, the Aksumites split up into to many groups inhabiting the northern Ethiopian highlands and the great empire of Aksum was lost. -
Jan 1, 1137
The great artistic era of the Zagwe Dynasty
The dynasty was made up of Cushitic- and Semitic- speaking people from the northern highlands. They devoted themselves to the construction of churches and monasteries. The most famous is the St. George Church. Emperor Lalibela ordered 11 churches to be hewn out of living rock. Artisans sculpted it inside and out straight from solid bed rock. It formed the shape of a cross and is surrounded by the rock of which it was made. -
Jan 1, 1550
The Migration of the Oromo
With its government already weakened by the invasion of the Muslims, the Christian kingdom was fragmented by the northern movements of the Oromo, a Cushitic-speaking pastoralist people located in the south of Ethiopia. Their social organization was well suited for warfare and although the Oromo had no intention of establishing an empire, their migration diminished the Christian as well as the Muslim kingdoms. Oromo is now one of the largest ethnolinguistic groups in Ethiopia. -
The Era of Princes
Also known as the Zamana Masafent, the Era of Princes was a brief time in Ethiopian history filled with confusion and turmoil. The central government in Ethiopia was destroyed and the country split up into three different provinces: Amhara, Shoa and Tigray. Ethiopia survived this era because of Tigray and Shoa's gaining steady power. There were many battles fought during this period; many of which were fought with Egypt. Surprisingly, Britain was more interested in Ethiopia after this era. -
The Italo-Ethiopian War
This dispute began as a fight for the wells in Welwel, which was ended with the Tripartite Treaty. This treaty was then rejected by Italy. Italy invaded Ethiopia in a war that lasted seven months. On May 9, 1936, Italy announced its takeover of Ethiopia. Later in 1941, with the help of a British-led army, Ethiopia finally broke free of Italy's reign. -
Maskal Festival
This is a spectacular religious holiday celebrating the arrival of spring and the discovery of the True Cross of Christ. Maskal has been celebrated in Ethiopia for over 1,600 years and over 100,000 people come to watch the parade each year. In addition to the parade, there is dancing, feasting, and salutes. At sunset, the crowd gathers to throw torches onto a tall bonfire which burns all night. This ceremony is observed in the capital as well as in town squares and villages.
