Recalling the history of Sultan Mohammed Hanfare “Illaltaâ€: Was he a democratic Sultan of Aussa in Afar, Ethiopia?
October 2017
Recalling past history is pertinent to constructively rewrite the history of the future. Thus, recalling the history of Aussa Sultans best examines and analyzes their leadership style and development endeavors. This study aims to analyze the democratic nature of Sultan Mohammed Hanfare “Illalta”, his political lifespan vis-à-vis the leadership styles of his predecessors and successors. After a...
The Nigerian child in war and peace, 1960 to 2010
August 2017
Peace as the absence of both direct and indirect violence in Nigeria has eluded the Nigerian child. From the perspective of direct violence, the Nigerian child has not been spared the horrors of wars that have dotted Nigeria’s geographical space since independence. From the perspective of indirect violence, the Nigerian child has been thrown to the center stage of structural and cultural violence. This has...
Missionary education: An engine for modernization or a vehicle towards conversion?
July 2017
It is now 460 years since the arrival of the first Jesuits who came to implant Catholicism in Ethiopia. In order to promote their evangelical activities, these Catholic missionaries managed to open the first mission schools in the country. The Jesuits are, therefore, regarded as pioneers of missionary education in Ethiopia. Their missionary work was not, however, successful for the introduction of Catholicism resulted...
The religious cycle in Sudan history: Case study on the Sudanese religious conflicts up to 1983
June 2017
This article aims to give an insight to the role of religion in Sudanese history through the centuries before the birth of Christ to the present time by discussing; (a) Impact of Ancient Egyptian religions. (b) Judaism and its influence on Sudanese social transformation. (c) Entry of Christianity and its role in dividing the Nubian society into three kingdoms between two denominations Catholic and Orthodox. (d) Entry of...
A note on Abebe Reta’s role in the Ethio-Swedish contacts
May 2017
Persons who are in one way or another had been involved in the Ethio-Swedish contacts, have not been well studied. The research behind the present study has purposes. First and foremost, it intends to trace personal files and memories with information significant to understand the Ethio-Swedish contacts, which could not be gotten from official archives. Secondly, to gain authentic sources which could not be obtain from...
Mahebär: Dynamics of a social self-help association
April 2017
The paper examines the dynamics of a socio-religious self-help association by looking at the celebration of Mahebär, a religious-oriented association, in Adi Ei’rä, Ethiopia. Mahebär is an indigenous socio-religious organization of individuals who pledge as members to treat one another as equals. It is dedicated to honor a particular sacred religious figure. Like Equb and Edir, Mahebär is by...
Introduction of evangelical Christianity in Oromia: The five major expeditions
April 2017
This study tried to discuss the introduction of Evangelical Christianity in Oromia in five major expeditions attempts that foreign and local missionaries have made to reach the Oromo people with Gospel. To this end, the necessary information were collected from written documents related to the topic, and then chronologically ordered and narrated. As discussed in this article, the Western missionaries had given much...
Change and continuity in the indigenous institution of Qoollee deejjoo ritual practice and its role in forest resource management among the Kafecho: The case of Gimbo Woreda
March 2017
This ethnographic article explores the changes and continuities of indigenous Qoollee Deejjoo ritual practice, and its role in forest resource management among Kafecho peoples. The Kafecho people, who live in Southwestern Ethiopia have enormous indigenous intangible ritual practices which have never been well investigated and recognized clearly. This study focuses on Qoollee deejjoo ritual practice in Gimbo woreda. The...
The gender factor in post-World War I Africa: The development of the oil palm industry in Nigeria’s Benin province
February 2017
In spite of the evidence that African Women under the post-World War I economy were subjected to brutal exploitation and underdevelopment as much as their male counterparts, Women Studies has remained a neglected theme in the historiography of post-World War I Africa. In fact, Nigeria’s Benin economic and development history typifies and reflects this reality of neglect across all its historical epochs. This study...
Contending views on land tenure system in Ethiopia: Historiographical essay
January 2017
Land issue in Ethiopia is associated with the socio-economic and political aspects of both the people and the state. Land was said to be owned by the peasants, the church and the nobility in the form of gult and rest while later the ownership type officially changed to private and state property. Thus it is comprehend that governments in Ethiopia have made inconsistent and controversial land tenure policies....
Prophets and prophecy as a response to crises: Prophet Esa in traditional religion of Wolaitta (1920-1928)
December 2016
This article explores the socio-political and economic context of Prophets and prophecy in Wolaitta, with specific reference to the Prophet Esa and his prophecy, which emerged in the context of traditional religions of Wolaitta, from 1920 to 1928. The article examines how the prevalence of crisis related to socio-political and economic influence, and the factors that determine who has access to such influence, can...
A paradox: Post-modern, postcolonial Guelwaar
December 2016
Post-modern in its critique of language, contesting of binaries, and resistance to closure, Sembène’s 1993 film Guelwaar, later made into the novel of the same name, calls for real political change, constituting a paradoxically post-modern work with postcolonial political intentions and goals. Despite the apparent contradiction of styles and worldviews, the coincidence of the post-modern and postcolonial...
The historical background to the Takyiman disputes with Asante
November 2016
This paper examines the historical background to the Takyiman disputes with Asante. The study reveals that cordial relations originally existed between Takyiman and Asante. Asante defeat of Takyiman in 1723 notwithstanding, Takyiman dutifully served the Asantehene as a vassal state. Under British colonial rule, Takyiman asserted its autonomy but in 1949 failed to have nine of its villages Asante seized in the 19th...
Ubuntu: A phantasmagoria in rural Kwazulu-Natal?
November 2016
Ubuntu is a value system that is known to be found in African communities. Like other values within African communities, it is perceived to have transcended the colonialist rule which changed the landscape of Africa including its socio-cultural makeup. Although KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is credited for the initiation of Ubuntu, the erosion of certain cultural values has been found to be more acute in...
Revisiting history of Gafat: Was emperor Tewodros’s military reform an attempt at “translative adaptation†of western technology?
October 2016
Gafat is now a desolate spot located a few kilometers Northeast of Dabra Tabor, capital of South Gondar. Some one hundred and fifty years ago, it was a busy village. It was there that Emperor Tewodros II (1855 to 1868) set up his foundry to produce modern arms. Gafat did witness the production of many mortars including the largest one named “Sebastopol.” The purpose of this study is to evaluate the...
Why Somalis cried at President Nasser's death
August 2016
African unity was one of the most important matters discussed during the fifties and sixties. The Egyptian President, Nasser had a great role in this matter, by his support for the liberal movements in Africa, including Somalia. There have been commercial relations between Egypt and Somalia since ancient times. The relationship between the two countries continued until recent days. The most important phase of the...
A historical survey of hotel services in Bahir Dar Town Since 1930s: Challenges and prospects
July 2016
The development of tourism sector was essential in the socio-economic development of nations. In a developing country like Ethiopia, the development of tourism industry is closely linked with the development of hotel sector because the majority of customers of this sector come from international tourists. Bahir Dar located along the Historic Route, the town and its environ are endowed with both natural and...
Methodological misjudgements: The myth of ‘clan cleansing’ in Somalia
January 2016
This article explores recent controversial and flawed book, Clan cleansing in Somalia: The ruinous legacy of 1991 by Kapteijns (2013) and, by closely assessing through critical and content analysis, reveals how and why the book is a new myth in the making (Malkki, 1995). Using fictional works (novels) as a basis to construct a non-fiction work, Kapteijns uses violence as a tool to arrest the political opponents of the...
Mapping the socio-cultural landscape of the Gumuz Community of Metekel, Northwestern Ethiopia
December 2015
This study critically examined the socio-cultural practices and beliefs of the Gumuz community of the Metekel such as the process of the traditional medical treatment strategies, dietaryhabits, marriage practices, and agricultural activities, social and religious institutions. These traditional practices and beliefs symbolize the societal cultures performed by members of Gumuz community and give them sense of...
May Fourth: Historical misunderstanding?
November 2015
While China is looking up at the Western scientific achievements, seeing in it the way through independence, the European intelligentsia to the pretentious positivist understanding of the world answered declaring the bankrupt of the Western civilization. It is true that the technological progress of the last century surpassed the achievements of three thousand years prior this period, but science brought catastrophes....
Attitudes of Christian missionaries towards African traditional religious beliefs in East Africa during the British colonial rule
October 2015
This article focuses on the religious encounter between European Christian Missionaries and the African traditional religious beliefs in East Africa. The area of study is Buganda in Uganda. The scope of the study is 1877-when Christianity was first introduced in Uganda to 1962 when Uganda got her independence; the period when Christian missionaries lost influence together with the colonial rulers. Using the qualitative...
The ethnographic analyses of “Zulu Womanâ€: A book review
September 2015
This book review brings once more to the spot light the work of Rebecca Hourwich Reyher, American feminist, the Zulu Women about which not too many before this work has dealt with. The book by women which have no similitude with the Zulu women of South Africa except her feminist zealotry for women emancipation and her sex divulging in a field of study not of her professional commitment gives us one vital piece of...
Decolonizing place-names: Strategic imperative for preserving indigenous cartography in post-colonial Africa
September 2015
Indigenous cartography existed in various forms in pre-colonial Africa. Unfortunately, the indigenous cartographic heritage of the continent suffered a major setback during the period of imperialism and colonialism. A foremost threat to the traditional cartographies of the African people has been the colonization and deformation of original local geographical names. As an enduring legacy, toponyms are revered by the...
From disillusionment to protest: Poems by Haile Selassie I University students
August 2015
This paper analyzes Amharic poems written in the 1950s and 1960s during annual College Day competitions held by students of the then Haile Selassie I University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The contemporary global and local socio-political situations are given as background to help understand the context in which the poems were written. The poems have been grouped into two categories, as poems of disillusionment and poems...
Skewed rural development policies and economic malaise in Zimbabwe
July 2015
Rural development hinges on the dictates of the growth poles theory. François Perroux introduced the idea of economic Growth Poles in 1949 whose central notion is based on the concept of abstract economic space. The theory argues that decentralization of activities from the centre to the periphery enables the general populace to access services and opportunities better and helps to curtail migration to the...
The contributions of Ilorin scholars to Islam in West Africa: A study of Alfa Salaudeen (a.k.a. Alfa Parakoyi) in Ijesha land
July 2015
Despite the fact that, the actual date of the introduction of Islam to the Yoruba speaking people of south western Nigeria is not known, it is believed that the Muslim empires in West Africa knew of Yoruba land long before its introduction to Islam. The spread of Islam to other areas is very important in Islam and this serves as a challenge to all Islamic scholars to champion the course of evangelizing the non-believers...
Syncretism of Basotho traditional religion and Christianity: Gateway to the syncretistic teaching of Basotho traditional religion and Christianity in Lesotho schools
July 2015
The article recommends that the teaching and learning of religious education in Lesotho schools should capitalize on the existing syncretism of Basotho Traditional Religion and Christianity in the church to extend it to the classroom setting. The discussion begins with a brief history leading to the acceptance of syncretism in the Church, then argues for the use of the term “syncretism” instead of the...
Animated graphic film for the rejuvenation of a fading culture: The case of an African oral heritage
June 2015
Many Nigerian folk heritages including that of the Igbo race are going extinct. The oral nature of folklore is largely responsible for this gradual extinction. One way of preserving such heritage is by making folk stories accessible to the very young because generational transfer of folk heritage ensures that cultures do not die out. Therefore, a paradigm for transmitting culture to the children must be developed and...
The impact of colonial rule on the agricultural economy of Mbaise, Imo State, 1500-1960
June 2015
At present, there is no reasonably full account of the economic history of Mbaise in Imo State, Nigeria. The reason for this is obvious. Among others, enough attention has not been given to economic and social developments of mini-polities that dot Igbo land, east of the Niger. Existing historical studies in the area though valuable, are politically biased as early scholars on African past concentrated on documenting...
Theophanu Evangelium: Greco-Egyptian treasure of the North
May 2015
In the Frankish period of the 7th and 8th centuries, settlements along the Dussel (thusila or Doson) included farming and fishing outposts where the tributary flowed into the Rhine. The women's community in Gerresheim, Dusseldorf was a foundation of the Frankish nobleman Gerricus, established towards the end of the 9th century. The Magyar invasion of Gerresheim in 919 led to a transition of leadership of the female...
“Troubled and troubling souls: The case of african churchesâ€
May 2015
The African [Initiated] Churches has shown a phenomenal growth in the past century and today as people speak of the ‘Christian South’ or shift of the centre of gravity of christianity from the West to the South they definitely include these churches in their category. Their growth in the Sub-Sahara Africa has increasingly manifested a great challenge to European mission churches. The emergence and expansion...
The Breton Lai as protest, mirror and proverb
May 2015
A Breton lai or lay is a lyrical, narrative poem written in couplets and refrains and is based on Greek, Arabic and Persian poetic structures and themes. Lais were mainly composed in France, England, the Pays-Bas and Germany during the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries. The Breton lai was similar in purpose to Skolion σκÏŒλιον or Roman Fescennine which were songs sung by invited guests at...
The Kamerun society: A missing link in the independence struggle in the British Southern Cameroons, 1956–61
April 2015
The history of the liberation struggle in Cameroon is a half written story. Like in the history of Africa, many of the actors in this struggle have been deliberately or inadvertently written off and/or forgotten. This explains why the Kamerun Society (KS) is seldom mentioned in most colonial Cameroon historiography. In passing, some actors in the politics of the period made reference to the KS dismissing it as a group...
An assessment of potential resources of tourism development in Ethiopia: The case of Dejen Wereda
April 2015
The main purpose of this paper is conduct survey study so as to reveal extent to which Dejen Wereda, which is one of the Weredas of East Gojjam Administrative Zone, has numerous tourist attraction sites. This study uncovers that the absence of research works in this Wereda, however, affected the development of tourism in the area. It recommends the preservation of the precious resources in Wereda so that they could be...
States creation since 1967: An imperative of the military contribution to nation-building in Nigeria
March 2015
The structural defects in the creation of the Nigerian state by the colonialists which suited their interest of continued subjugation and exploitation of Nigeria were inherited by the civilian leadership. This class that appropriated state power to further their economic interest played down the prospects of nation-building. It is against this background that this work assesses the role of the military in tackling the...
The postponed discourse in Habasha identity: Real or performance?
March 2015
Founded on different written sources and personal accounts, this article aims to caution the taken for granted suppositions behind Habasha identity. The term Habasha is challenged that it does not really denote a unitary identity, culturally or historically. The history of Habasha, its origin and representation somehow has been written and rewritten on ideological positions that are often incompatible. Three...
A social institution of slavery and slave trade in Ethiopia: Revisited
March 2015
Ethiopia was the last strong hold of slavery. Slavery and slave trade were abolished by the active intervention of the British in the middle of 18th century. However the institution of slavery and slave trade continued in the eastern part of Africa until the middle of 19th century. The objective of this paper is to show the institutional feature of slavery in Ethiopia in general and the historical kingdom of Jimma in...
Re-Africanizing the educational system of Ethiopia
February 2015
This paper tries to show the evolutionary development of education in Ethiopia along with its historic dysfunctions on the prospect of social transformation. The historical backdrop that centered on traditional educational system, which was predominantly ecclesiastical, is also briefly outlined for the sake of coherent understanding of the link and the miss-link in the educational system of the country. Ethiopia had...
Historiographical review of the current debate on Ethiopian land tenure system
February 2015
During the period of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia (TGE), that took power following the downfall of the Socialist Derg Government, the issue of land tenancy has hotly debated among politicians. At the ratification of the 1995 Constitution, though the ruling party, EPDRF, made attempt to formally end this debatable agenda by formally enshrining state ownership in the 1995 constitution, the ruling party is not...
The humanity of the foetus: A Yoruba perspective
February 2015
The question of when life begins in the foetus remains a serious philosophical debate which cuts across philosophies and philosophers of all intellectual traditions. Principally, the question has led to the evolution of different schools of thought in western bioethics discourse. However, in spite of the numerous responses generated in reaction to the personhood of the foetus, no particular answer has been accepted,...
British colonial reform of indigenous medical practices amongst the Asante people of the Gold Coast, 1930-1960
February 2015
This paper focuses on the influence of the colonial administration on indigenous medical practices amongst the Asante people of the Gold Coast. The extent of the influence caused the indigenous medical practitioners to form herbalist unions and associations among others. The British Colonial administration further introduced through some advanced native heads, the registration of indigenous healers. These, among other...
Inter-ethnic relation among Awi and Gumuz, Northwestern Ethiopia since 1974: A shift from hostile to peaceful co-existence
February 2015
Longstanding relationship (amicable and hostile) has existed between Awi andGumuz nationalities since Aksumite era. Their early relationship had been full of pain because of the fact that the successive highland kings had appointed Awi chiefs to run state affairs in Gumuz community, which left bad seed on the future relation between two generations. As time went on, a shift from hostile to friendly relation marked...
Prosperity, penury and polarization: Disaggregating the peasantry in the historiography of colonial Zimbabwe
January 2015
Underdevelopment and modernization theorists have long agreed that peasant agriculture was not universally damaged and curtailed, but the two schools remain very much at odds over the general trajectory of peasant agriculture during the colonial period. This dichotomy, however, is unwarranted. In the canonical literature there is a pervasive ambiguity surrounding the term “peasant,” an ambiguity that allows...
Is culture a restraining or a driving force for entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka?
January 2015
Being entrepreneurial is vital for a country to ensure sustainability. Sustainability is ensured by high levels of opportunity recognition of ventures. Given this, this paper seeks to investigate context specific problems. Does entrepreneurship exist in a country like Sri Lanka? Are entrepreneurial activities limited due to the inherent culture in Sri Lanka? And does culture act as a driving force or a restraining force...
Globalization, Culture mutation and new identity: Implications for the Igbo cultural heritage
January 2015
The paper engages in globalization debate to explore culture mutation and resurgent new identity in the periphery societies of Africa. It focuses on the Igbo of Eastern Nigeria. The study of Igbo culture mutation is particularly interesting because 'traditional' scholarship presents the people as 'acephalous','egalitarian' and “republican”. It locates culture mutation within a social...
A Short Political Biography of Kibur Ato Haddis Alemayehu
January 2015
The main purpose of this paper is to reconstruct the political biography of Kibur Ato Haddis Alemayehu who was one of the senior officials of Ethiopia during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie I and the author of the most accomplished Amharic novel, Feqer Eska Meqaber (“Love unto Grave”). In order to undertake this study, both primary and secondary sources were used. The source analysis revealed that after...
Can the centre hold for Arnstein’s ladder of participation in Zimbabwe?
December 2014
One of the most contentious issues in Zimbabwe’s post-colonial history has been the law and practice of democracy. Electoral processes as a tenets of democracy has continued to produce contested and disputed electoral results. Politically-motivated violence has also reared its ugly head on Zimbabwe’s political landscape. The dictates of Arnstein’s Ladder of Participation which presents a normative...
The ripple effects of electoral experience in a frontier community in Nigeria: A study of a micro revolution in Ilorin, 1955-1959
December 2014
The adoption of Arthur Richards Constitution in 1946 and its implementation from the 1st January, 1947 translated to different things in different parts of the present day parts of Nigerian. Being an imperial order that extended the electoral principle in Nigeria, beyond Lagos and Calabar that have been having elected representatives in the European dominated councils in their respective areas since 1922, it was bound...
Socio-economic and family planning aspects of rural people in Bangladesh: A case study of Comilla District
December 2014
The main focus of this study is to investigate the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of some villages in a particular area of Bangladesh. Since Bangladesh is a rural based country, it is essential to study a village in particular to conclude on the socio-economic characteristics and family planning of Bangladesh as a whole. For this study, some villages have selected from Comilla District. Initially, the...
Land reform and deforestation in the Gish Abbay Area: A historical perspective
December 2014
The Gish Abbay area is among one of the environmentally most affected areas where environmental deterioration has prevailed. A lot of factors have contributed to this negative development. The major ones are rapid population growth, poverty and inappropriate forest and land related laws and legislations. Among others, however, this paper attempted to highlight how government land policy over many years was responsible...
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