This book is organized around 26 themes, contains Ethiopian proverbs, axioms and witty anecdotes. As noted in the Preface, the book represents an endeavor "to share with the outside world the wit and wisdom of Ethiopia which is too good to be kept bottled up in the native language of one land." Now that Ethiopia is the original locus and habitat of the earliest homonids-homo afarensis/ramidus every human being is in effect an Ethiopian and can therefore proudly claim the heritage of Wit and Wisdom presented in this volume.

Wit and Wisdom of Ethiopia

Reference

Ayele, Negussay

Encyclopedias & Subject Guides

TSEHAI Publishers

This book features an original manuscript diary account by a leading Victorian journalist, William Simpson. It recounts his experiences during a military expedition by the British army into the heart of Ethiopia (then called Abyssinia) in 1868. The introductory materials by Richard Pankhurst, Peter Harrington and Frederic A. Sharf, and the explanatory notes by Richard Pankhurst, give context and historical background to make the account meaningful to the modern reader. The Expedition to Magdala of 1867-8 was a memorable event in British military history, in the history of warfare in general, and in the history of Ethiopia. Meticulously planned and executed, the campaign was a triumph for its commander, Sir Robert Napier. It was notable for the use of elephants imported from India, the building of a port railway and the use of breech-loading rifles, the first time they employed in war. The expedition sealed the fate of the Ethiopian Emperor Tewodros, or Theodore, II, who committed suicide rather than to fall in the hands of his enemies. The British, by supplying arms to the ruler of Tegray, through whose territory they passed, enabled him to win the ensuing struggle for succession. Manuscripts and other loot taken from Magdala subsequently contributed significantly to the advancement of Ethiopian studies in Europe, but restitution to Ethiopia is now actively demanded. William Simpson, an artist of distinction who accompanied the Expedition on behalf of the Illustrated London News, recorded its day-by-day progress in this diary, as well as in numerous sketches, which were duly published as engravings. His pictures are not of military interest, but also depict the country’s dramatic landscape, and introduce us to its unique churches, as well as to the life of the people.

Diary of a Journey to Abyssinia, 1868: The Diary and Observation of William Simpson

Engineering & Transportation

Simpson, William

Engineering

"Although many of the works in this superb publication appeared at the time in the Illustrated London News, for most readers this will be their first opportunity to see them in colour. Indeed, several of the sketches have never before been published in their original form – notably William Simpson’s drawing of Prince Alemayehou, which was executed only a few days after the death of his father, the Emperor Tewedros, and of whom very few images have been handed down to us. Readers are also treated to a number of fascinating tidbits, such as the methods practiced by publishers’ studio staff to enhance landscape sketches with the addition of human figures, and many will be intrigued to learn of the ‘cut and paste’ origins of the graphic cover used to illustrate John Pridham’s musical composition commemorating the battle. 
Professors Pankhurst and Northrup are to be congratulated not only for a succinct and readable presentation of the historical background, but for their insight into the relationship between Ethiopia and the outside world prevailing in the mid-19th century. Whereas previous writers have tended to portray events leading up to the ‘Abyssinian difficulty’ through European eyes; the reader can now begin to see them in the Ethiopian context. It is a sad irony that it is only in the 21st century that we begin to see that Tewedros’s cultural values had more in common with the pre-Renaissance world of Prester John than with post-industrial revolution Britain. Clearly the British government’s outrage at the imprisonment of its consul, and Napier’s subsequent refusal to accept anything less than total surrender – even after the release of the prisoners – would not have been anticipated or even understood by an essentially mediæval monarch. 
Both Ethiopianists and lovers of military art will be grateful to Frederic Sharf for a unique and important publication." Ian Campbell

Abyssinia 1867-1868: Artists on Campaign

Frederic A. Sharf

The Conquest of Abyssinia: Futuh Al Habasa

Sihab ad-Din Ahmad bin 'Abd al-Qader's account of the early sixteenth century Jihad, or holywar, in Ethiopia, of Imam Ahmad bin Ibrahim, better known as Ahmad Gran, or the Left handed, is an historical classic. The Yamani author was an eyewitness of several of the battles he describes, and is an invaluable source. His book, which is full of human, and at times tragic, drama, makes a major contribution to our knowledge of a crucially important period in the hisoty of Ethiopia and Horn of Africa. 'Futuh al-Habasa,' or 'Conquest of Abyssinia' - which undoubtedly reflects the situation as it seemed to its Yamani author at the time of its composition. The forces of Imam Ahmad bin Ibrahim had occupied the greater part of Ethiopia. The resistance of Emperor Lebna Dengel had virtually come to an end, and many Christians had chosen to convert to Islam. The victorious Imam's regime seemed there to stay. This was, however, far from the end of the story. The Imam was killed in battle on February 21, 1543, whereupon his army almost immediately disintegrated. Those of his soldiers who could do so made their way back to the East. Not a few Muslim converts reverted to their former faith. The Futuh thus refers to a relatively short, though crucially important, period in Ethiopia's long history. The book is nevertheless valuable, in that its author was an eye-witness of many of the events he describes, and writes, as far as we can judge, with a degree of objectivity rare for his time. * * * What people say about this book: "This book is the first ever complete English translation of the Arabic account on the campaigns of Imam Ahmad b. Ibrahim al-Ghazi (popularly known as Gran) as written by the Yemeni jurist, Shihab al-din Ahmad b. Abd al-Qadir b. Salim b. Uthman (also known as Arab Faqih)... it is a welcome addition to the rich corpus of Arabic literary and historical sources relevant to the sixteenth-century Ethiopia and the Horn. It is particularly useful for English-speaking researchers and established scholars who cannot read either the Arabic text or the authoritative French translation prepared by Rene Basset...both Stenhouse and Pankhurst, and the publisher, deserve high commendation, respectively, for producing such a valuable work that represents a major contribution to the history of Ethiopia and the Horn, and for making it available to the wider English-speaking readership and scholarship." -- Hussein Ahmed is a Professor of History at Addis Ababa University. He is a leading historian of Islam in Ethiopia. * * * "In the history of conflict in Africa and beyond, "few stories of drama and human tragedy equal" Imama Ahmad's conquest of the Christian kingdom of Ethiopia (1529-1543). His short lived spectacular victories and determination to replace Christianity by Islam and the remarkable survival of Christianity in Ethiopia" is a story of epic proportions" which still generates strong emotion among both the Christian and the Muslim population of Ethiopia. In other words, Imam Ahmad's jihadic war besides being legendary was a major turning point... This is truly a wonderful work, which is destined to remain an indispensable source for the history of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa during the first half of the tumultuous sixteenth century. Anyone interested in understanding the intensity and brutality of religious war will be rewarded by reading this classic." -- Mohammed Hassen is an Associate Professor of African history at Georgia State University in Atlanta. He is the author of The Oromo of Ethiopia: A History 1570-1860.

Futuh Al-Habasha: The Conquest of Abyssinia (Futuh Al-habasa)

History

Utman, Sihab ad-Din Ahmad bin Abd al-Qader bin Salem bin

Military

Sihab ad-Din Ahmad bin 'Abd al-Qader's account of the early sixteenth century Jihad, or holywar, in Ethiopia, of Imam Ahmad bin Ibrahim, better known as Ahmad Gran, or the Left handed, is an historical classic. The Yamani author was an eyewitness of several of the battles he describes, and is an invaluable source. His book, which is full of human, and at times tragic, drama, makes a major contribution to our knowledge of a crucially important period in the hisoty of Ethiopia and Horn of Africa. 'Futuh al-Habasa,' or 'Conquest of Abyssinia' - which undoubtedly reflects the situation as it seemed to its Yamani author at the time of its composition. The forces of Imam Ahmad bin Ibrahim had occupied the greater part of Ethiopia. The resistance of Emperor Lebna Dengel had virtually come to an end, and many Christians had chosen to convert to Islam. The victorious Imam's regime seemed there to stay. This was, however, far from the end of the story. The Imam was killed in battle on February 21, 1543, whereupon his army almost immediately disintegrated. Those of his soldiers who could do so made their way back to the East. Not a few Muslim converts reverted to their former faith. The Futuh thus refers to a relatively short, though crucially important, period in Ethiopia's long history. The book is nevertheless valuable, in that its author was an eye-witness of many of the events he describes, and writes, as far as we can judge, with a degree of objectivity rare for his time. What people say about this book: "This book is the first ever complete English translation of the Arabic account on the campaigns of Imam Ahmad b. Ibrahim al-Ghazi (popularly known as Gran) as written by the Yemeni jurist, Shihab al-din Ahmad b. Abd al-Qadir b. Salim b. Uthman (also known as Arab Faqih)... it is a welcome addition to the rich corpus of Arabic literary and historical sources relevant to the sixteenth-century Ethiopia and the Horn. It is particularly useful for English-speaking researchers and established scholars who cannot read either the Arabic text or the authoritative French translation prepared by Rene Basset...both Stenhouse and Pankhurst, and the publisher, deserve high commendation, respectively, for producing such a valuable work that represents a major contribution to the history of Ethiopia and the Horn, and for making it available to the wider English-speaking readership and scholarship." -- Hussein Ahmed is a Professor of History at Addis Ababa University. He is a leading historian of Islam in Ethiopia. * * * "In the history of conflict in Africa and beyond, "few stories of drama and human tragedy equal" Imama Ahmad's conquest of the Christian kingdom of Ethiopia (1529-1543). His short lived spectacular victories and determination to replace Christianity by Islam and the remarkable survival of Christianity in Ethiopia" is a story of epic proportions" which still generates strong emotion among both the Christian and the Muslim population of Ethiopia. In other words, Imam Ahmad's jihadic war besides being legendary was a major turning point... This is truly a wonderful work, which is destined to remain an indispensable source for the history of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa during the first half of the tumultuous sixteenth century. Anyone interested in understanding the intensity and brutality of religious war will be rewarded by reading this classic." -- Mohammed Hassen is an Associate Professor of African history at Georgia State University in Atlanta. He is the author of The Oromo of Ethiopia: A History 1570-1860.

Arabfaqih, Shihab Al-Din Ahmad

How did it happen that Ethiopia alone of all the old states in Africa preserved its independence throughout the era of European colonization? Why did Ethiopia alone survive the scramble for Africa as a free nation? In this book Professor Rubenson has devoted his attention to this fundamental question in the modern history of the ancient kingdom. His analysis of nineteenth-century contacts between Ethiopians and foreigners is based wherever possible on contemporary Ethiopian documents. It demonstrates that it was neither physical inaccessibility nor lack of determination by imperial powers to subdue the country that saved it from colonization. This book has much to offer to those interested in the mechanisms by which the Europeans created dependence in Africa. However, its main objective is to provide the Ethiopian side of the story: the growing awareness of the issue involved, the birth of a conscious and active foreign policy, and the determination to resist foreign tutelage and conquest whatever the cost.

The Survival of Ethiopian Independence

Sven Rubenson

Africa

Rubenson, Sven

The Liberation Campaign of 1940-1 was not only an event of unique importance in Ethiopia's age-old history, but also, more widely, a major 'turning-point' in World War II: the conflict fought out in East Africa between the Allies and the Axis Powers. The campaign, historically speaking, was no less significant as a decisive act in the overall drama of Africa's liberation from European colonial rule, and the ending of the foreign-imposed Scramble for Africa. This remarkable book provides a valuable account of how these momentous events appeared to an eye-witness of the time.

Ethiopia in Wartime, 1941-1942

Brian Fraser Macdona

The Sons of Sheba's Race: African-Americans and the Italo-Ethiopian War, 1935-1941 illustrates the response to the Italo-Ethiopian War of people of color who linked the Ethiopian struggle to their own battles against racism and imperialism. William R. Scott demonstrates the significance of Ethiopia as a historical symbol for African-Americans. They prayed, preached, and protested to help save the world's last outpost of authentic black rule from white control. The African-American response to the Italian invasion of Ethiopia provides a picture of black intellectual thought in America in the 1930s. William R. Scott challenges the view that the Great Depression virtually ended support for black nationalism, showing that elements of the nationalist creed remained crucial to black American ideology a decade after the decline of Garveyism and contributed to African-American sympathy for Ethiopia. Scott focuses on the pro-Ethiopian activities of the Harlem united front, which brought together black nationalists, communists, and civil rights moderates. He shows the extensive elite and grassroots interest in Ethiopia's fate and the widespread recognition that Ethiopia's independence was extremely important to black racial pride. The book also cogently examines the issue of Ethiopian racial identity, the controversy over this issue, and its effect on African-American support for the Ethiopian cause. Pan-Africanism, Africa and African-American relations, and the role of the religiopolitical concept of Ethiopianism all came into play in the doomed efforts to assist Ethiopia in its struggle against fascist tyranny. Scott concludes that black poverty and powerlessness impeded black American efforts to assist Ethiopia, but that prodigious pro-Ethiopian activism produced important new appreciations of Africa, the Western powers, and world race relations among the black American masses.

Sons of Sheba's Race, The: African-Americans and the Italo-Ethiopian War, 1935-1941

William R. Scott

This is a collection of twenty essays written over forty years between 1962 and 2004 on the Sudan, southern Sudan and Darfur. Four decades of civil war has cost more than two million dead and another six million refugees and Internally Displaced Persons. Now, after a decade of ambivalent and frustrating negotiations, a peace agreement between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the Government of the Sudan has finally been signed on 9 January 2005 leaving in its wake a devastated southern Sudan - its infrastructure completely destroyed, its fragile economy in ruins, and its people exhausted after nearly half a century of fierce fighting. Although these twenty essays include such topics as nation-building, the dynamics of racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious identity, the politics of oil, and the legacy of slavery, most of them are concerned with conflict in the Sudan, its participants, and the reasons why and it began and has continued for so long. These essays are presented here in chronological order, the aggregate becomes a unique history of the Sudan's terrible civil war that cannot be found elsewhere. the independent Sudan are woven into the text of each revealing new insights into the history of these tumultuous decades.

Civil Wars and Revolution in the Sudan

Robert O. Collins

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Books by TSEHAI Publishers

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Wit and Wisdom of Ethiopia

Diary of a Journey to Abyssinia, 1868: The Diary and Observation of William Simpson

Abyssinia 1867-1868: Artists on Campaign

Futuh Al-Habasha: The Conquest of Abyssinia (Futuh Al-habasa)

The Conquest of Abyssinia: Futuh Al Habasa

The Survival of Ethiopian Independence

The Survival of Ethiopian Independence

Ethiopia in Wartime, 1941-1942

Sons of Sheba's Race, The: African-Americans and the Italo-Ethiopian War, 1935-1941

Civil Wars and Revolution in the Sudan