Where to start if you want to write about Ethiopian history?

Near Lake Turkana and the Awashriver fossils of bones were found dating back 4 million years. With the many findings slowly but certain a line becomes clear about men's evolution. 'Lucy' the oldest complete skeleton; Ethiopians prefer to call her Dinquinesh (Thou art Wonderfull), can be seen in the National Museum in Addis Ababa.

In Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, near Yeha a temple is located which shows great resembles with comparable buildings in Yemen. They estimate this building being from the 5th century BC.

In the 14th century Ethiopian history became written down for the first time in the 'Kebra Naghast' (The Glory of the Kings). It's about the Solomonic dynasty that starts with the birth of Melenik 1st, child of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Sheba travelled to Palestine to meet Solomon , famous for his wisdom, and out of there short affair the first King of Ethiopia, Menelik 1st was born. According to this legend the last Emperor Haile Selassie was a straight descendant from Menelik 1st.

Or shall we start with the 19th century founding fathers of the modern Ethiopia, the Emperors Tewrodos, Yohannes and Menelik 2th, who strove to unity of the by violent conflicts torn country.

The founding of the Empire of Axum in the 5th century BC is often taken as the starting point of the Ethiopian civilisation. The Kingdom maintained trading relations both with the Greec-Roman world and with India and China during it's most prosperous times. During the Axumite times the old Ge-ez became the official language and it is still used in the Ethiopian church. The origin of this language can be found with the South-Arabic that groups of people spoke, who came from Yemen long before Axumite times. Axum had a rich architecture as appears from the big obelisks, still to be seen, and still a inspiration for modern builders. Axum continued to be the crowning place for the Royals up until Ras Tafari, Emperor Haile Selassie. The church St Mary of Zion is the place where, according to tradition, and later researched by the journalist Graham Hancock in the book 'The Sign and the Seal', the Ark of the Covenant resides. The decline of the Axum started with the rising of Islam in Arabia and the growth of it in Africa and Asia. Axum got shut off from her trading partners and populations in the region revolted against a weakening centre.

About the history between the 8th and the 12th century barely anything is known. They call it the dark ages of Ethiopia. 'This tells more about the ignorance then about the significance. The growing apart of the Semitic peoples apparently appeared during this period and the existence of two interchanging dominate ethnic groups in the Abessinic politics, the Amharinya and Tigriniya speaking groups, goes back to this period. '(Nahru Zewde, director Institute for Ethiopian Studies, University of Addis Ababa).

In the 12th century the Zagwe dynasty developed in the highlands. A remaining of it are the monolithic churches of Lalibela, a city named Roha but later on was renamed after the Zagwe King Lalibela. With there six Kings and one Queen this dynasty only ruled for 150 years but left us these imposing monuments. Lalibela is considered to be a new Jerusalem. Because a pilgrimage to the real Jerusalem wasn't possible they build a replica with the eleven out of rock hewn churches. It's sometimes called the 8th world wonder.

This dynasty is overthrown by a Amharic chief Yekunno-Amlak. He claimed to be a direct descendant of Menelik 1st, the child of Queen Sheba and King Solomon. This legend appeared at the end of the Axumite period but was written down in the Kebra Naghast in the 14th century. The period between 1270 and the 16th century is considered as the Ethiopian middle ages, this to distinguish it from the old periods of Axum and Zagwe. The from 1314 until 1344 governing King Amda Tseyson 1st fought varies battles and not only succeeded in calling his own aristocracy to order but also defeated numerous Moslimleaders of Kingdoms whom in the east of the country were formed. Its in this period that Court literature appeared and mend the start of an endless sequence of chronicles. The second half of the 14th century Abuna (patriarch) Salama 2nd commissioned the translation of a lot of Christian scripts from Egypt which were written in Arabic, to Ge-ez. These scripts belong to the religious heritage of the country.

It's typical for Ethiopia that ( later on declared Holy) missionaries in the first instance were monks who lived like hermits. There emanation of holiness because of there intense live of praying drew the attention of the people who converted out of admiration. The founder of the famous Dabra Libanos, Takla Haymanot is usually portrayed praying standing on one leg, while the other leg lays on the ground. The legend tells that he stood on one leg for such a long time that the other fell off, which didn't withhold him to keep on praying.

During the reign of Emperor Zar'a Ya'cob from 1434 until 1468 the first contacts between Ethiopia and Western Europe started. This Emperor was very interested in theology. He tried to resolve a theological conflict that let to a schism (Should the Jewish Sabbath be equal to the Sunday of the Christians), and wrote a number of theological books. He send Ethiopian monks to the Conciliate of Firenze (1439-1443), where the interest for Ethiopia awoke. The Europeans called it 'the land of Prester John' assuming that the Emperor was a priest.

Perhaps it were not only theological motives why the Emperor approached Rome. The country was surrounded by Islamic states and peoples, and all the reason to fear that on a certain day they would create an alliance against him.

It was with the help of Portuguese under the leadership of Christovao da Gama ( the son of Vasco Da Gama, the famous seaman ) that the raid of the Islamic Imam Ahmed Gurey was brought to a standstill and withdrawal. The Imam invaded the country with firearms which he got from Ottomanian Turks. Up until that time firearms were unknown to the Ethiopians. That's why Gragn or 'the left handed', as he was called by the Ethiopians, could leave a trail of destruction in the churches and there treasuries, and drove the Emperor back to Eritrea, and converted the people to the Islam.

With the Portuguese army, missionary's appeared and for a while it looked like that with the conversion of Emperor Susenyos (1607-1632) ,Catholicism could be imposed to the population, but it let to a revolt among the people. The Emperor had to decline in favour of his son Fasilidas, who's first concern it was get rid of the Portuguese and Jesuits. 'Ethiopia would keep on remembering this terrible experience, and kept an instinctive distrust to westerners and specially to Catholic missionary's ' (Ugo Zanetti, Professor language and Literature of the Christian East, University of Leuven, Belgium. )

A consequence of the rivalry between the missionary's and the Ethiopian priest was that whereas the Jesuits publicised there catechism and propaganda in Amharinya, the local church was forced to take over the language of the court and the people. The first religious works in Amharinya appeared.

Up until then the Emperors and there court lived in tents of military camps, which if necessary were replaced from one place to another. Fasilidas broke with that tradition and established himself in Gondar. Still the European style castles and the churches are architectonic and artistic wonders. Also he was the founder of a new foreign policy aimed at friendly relations with Moslem neighbours on both sides of the Red Sea.

Gondar remained a centre for Culture and trade for two centuries. Around the shore and on the islands of lake Tana, new monasteries flourished, with their own theological schools, which still exists. Many foreigners came to Gondar. While Gondar came to a unknown cultural richness the political power of the Emperors declined.

From the south a new population invaded the country, they called themselves Oromo. The depopulation of the south because of slave raids, made a gradual growth possible of the Oromo to the north . So in the beginning of the 19th century five Oromo trade states appeared. Momentarily the Oromo is the biggest language group in Ethiopia. Nevertheless in historiography they have a marginal place because almost always the Amharic and Tigray ras (royals) dominated politics.

Above all Oromo Chiefs founded a dynasty that would later on be known as the Yajju dynasty. The Emperors of Gondar were merely marionettes. The power of these chiefs who gave themselves the title of Bitwaddad (the most privileged ) was challenged by the Tigray Ras (prince) Mikael, who assumed an increasing backstage importance. He was responsible for two assassinations of Emperors and replacing them with others of his choice. This era knows many wars and is known as Zamana Masafent, the era of the princes. In the middle of the 19th century Ethiopia was a hotchpotch of fighting fiefdoms of local dynasties, with a powerless Emperor.

The unity of the country was not only threatened by those internal battles. Egypt strove to complete control of the Nile, up until her source, Lake Tana.