Egyptian invasion of Hararghe

The Egyptian occupation of Hararghe was a small conflict between the Sultan of Aussa/Oromo, Somali tribesmen, and the Khedivate of Egypt from 1874 to 1885.[3] In 1874 the Egyptians attempted to invade the Hararghe province, however this was not long lasting, but the Egyptians did manage to take over the province for 11 years.[4] The conflict resulted into a power vacuum, and Hararghe being occupied by the Turco-Egyptian khedive temporarily,[5] and in 1885 were forced to leave. The Egyptians also managed to occupy the neighbouring Zeila, and Berbera cities in modern-day Somaliland/Somalia.[6]

Egyptian-Hararghe war
Part of Ethiopian-Egyptian War
Date1874–1885
Location
Hararghe
Result
  • Temporary occupation of Hararghe
  • British Egyptian forcers retreat to Zeila, and Mount Hakim[1]
  • Egyptian/British Hararghe disestablished in 1885
Territorial
changes		 Hararghe is occupied by the Egyptians, and northern parts split off such as Afar
Belligerents
Khedivate of Egypt Hararghe, Imamate of Aussa
Commanders and leaders
  • Orfo Jilo Biko,
  • Sultan Adam Asahabiyye[2]
  • Muhammed Hanfadhe

Background

After the Egyptian power vacuum, they decided to focus south, and aimed to take full control over the Nile.[7] After annexing Darfur they aimed for Eritrea then known as Ethiopia. The Egyptians, and Ethiopians were not on good terms at the time. The Egyptians failed many attempted invasions of the Bogos/Hamasien provinces which are located in modern-day Eritrea, these attacks were unsuccessful, and they were repelled by Emperor Tewodros II.[8] Around the same time the Oromo under Muhammad ibn 'Ali 'Abd ash-Shakur were prospering, and controlled Harar. The Emir of Harar is said to have persecuted his own people, and favoured the Oromo tribes over the Harari people. So the Harari people reached out to the Egyptians who had already annexed Zeila, and Berbera. Asafa Jalata described this as betrayal, because the Harari were the ones that invited the Egyptians to colonise Harar it's self.[9] The Egyptians used this as a reason to invade Harar.

Battle of Aussa

The battle of Aussa was a battle between the forcers of the Egyptians, and the sultan of Aussa. in 1875 Munzinger Pasha was defeated at Gondet by the Ethiopian Emperor Yohannes IV, and after his great defeat he was instructed to lead his forcers elsewhere. Munzinger arrived in Aussa in 1875 and defeated the Afar forcers leaving The Egyptian army victorious.[10]

Battle of Tadjoura

The battle of Tadjoura was one of the most important and historical battles in Afar history. From the account given by survivors on the 5th of October Munzinger pasha along with his wife and child arrived in Tadjoura with there errands being to open up the roads between Ankober, and Tadjoura to enter into communication with King Menelik of Showa. He was also instructed to annex the Afar Sultanate of Aussa, and March further into areas like Wollo.[11] his forces consisted of 350 soldiers, 2 guns, and 45 camels. On the 14th of November upon reaching Aussa the Egyptian forcers were attacked at night by a large number of Gallas. The Afar and Galla forces under sultan Muhammed Hanfadhe managed to subdue the Egyptian army, and destroyed there army leaving only a small number left which fled to Massawa. Amongst the Egyptian casualties was the Martyrs of there leader Munzinger his wife, and child.[12][13][14]

Battle of Hakim

The battle of Hakim was a historical battle between the Egyptians, and the Harar Oromo tribes. According to the Oromo, the Oromo elite were told to come near mount Hakim to make peace between the Oromo and the Egyptians. However, this was a trap to kill all the Oromo elite Inorder to scare the other Oromo in the area. According to the Oromo sources not one man survived, and the Egyptians had slaughtered every Oromo leader in Hakim.[15][16]

Battle of Dire Gofile

The battle of Dire gofile was the most important battle between the Oromo of Harar and the Egyptians. After the battle of Hakim under the orders of Ra'uf Pasha the Egyptians rushed to Dire gofile which was deep in Nole territory (east of Harar) in a attempt to scare the Nole Oromo, he also took advantage of the Oromo leader Orfo Jilo Bikos presence in the area. Orfo had left his main force in the Ogaden desert which at the time was fighting the neighbouring Issa (clan) Somali. Even though the Oromo were small in numbers they didn't surrender easily, and made it hard for the Egyptians to enter Harar, however after the Oromo cavalry fell they surrendered, and the Oromo leader Orfo Jilo Biko was captured, and sent to Egypt.[17] After the battle the Egyptians marched into Harar with no resistance except some Galla tribes.[18]

Aftermath

After the Oromo defeat at Dire Gofile all the Oromo tribes surrendered. The Raba dori (Oromo constitution of Hararghe) never recovered after the battle of Dire gofile because the other Oromo were so ashamed, and established the Abaan institution. The Oromo Jarso which were ruled by their Garad Adam Ashabbiye made peace with the Egyptians. The Garad even made a poem praising the Egyptian general Rauf Pasha.[19] After the loss at Dire gofile many Oromo converted to Islam and followed the teachings of prophet Muhammed. The Oromo men were all circumcised and had their hair cut off and some were taken to Egypt to study. The last Raba (Ruler) of the Oromo from Harar Orfo was converted and changed his name to Omar. He also helped the Egyptians convert the Oromos and encouraged the Oromos to convert.

British occupation 1883-1885

After annexing the Egyptian Khedive the British had took full control over Hararghe. The British sent expeditions to the Obora Oromo as they were the only Oromo who resisted the British occupation.[20] The son of Emir Abd ash Shakur 'Abd Allah II ibn 'Ali 'Abd ash-Shakur Abdallah was the first ever Harari to depose the British and Egyptians, and with Oromo support managed to push out of Harar the Egyptians, and British to Mount Hakim.[21] In 1885 the British and Egyptian forcers left Hararghe, for it to be invaded by the king of Showa Menelik II.

Notes
  1. Caulk, Richard A. (1971). "The Occupation of Harar: January 1887". Journal of Ethiopian Studies. 9 (2): 1–20. JSTOR 41967469.
  2. Ben-Dror, Avishai (23 August 2018). Emirate, Egyptian, Ethiopian: Colonial Experiences in Late Nineteenth-Century Harar. ISBN 9780815654315.
  3. Kohn, George Childs (2013-10-31). Dictionary of Wars. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-95494-9.
  4. Ben-Dror, Avishai (2018-08-23). Emirate, Egyptian, Ethiopian: Colonial Experiences in Late Nineteenth-Century Harar. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 978-0-8156-5431-5.
  5. Jalata, Asafa (2005). Oromia and Ethiopia: State Formation and Ethnonational Conflict, 1868-2004. Red Sea Press. ISBN 978-1-56902-246-7.
  6. Dumper, Michael (2007). Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-57607-919-5.
  7. ethiopianhistory.com. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  8. Reid, Richard J. (2011-03-24). Frontiers of Violence in North-East Africa: Genealogies of Conflict Since C.1800. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-921188-3.
  9. Jalata, Asafa (2020-02-28). The Oromo Movement and Imperial Politics: Culture and Ideology in Oromia and Ethiopia. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-7936-0338-8.
  10. Kohn, George Childs (2013-10-31). Dictionary of Wars. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-95501-4.
  11. Poluha, Eva (2016-01-28). Thinking Outside the Box: Essays on the History and (Under)Development of Ethiopia. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN 978-1-5144-2223-6.
  12. Wylde, Modern Abyssinia, p. 25.
  13. Britain), Royal Geographical Society (Great (1876). Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of London. Edward Stanford.
  14. Edward Ullendorff, The Ethiopians: An Introduction to Country and People, second edition (London: Oxford University Press, 1965), p. 90. ISBN 0-19-285061-X.
  15. Hecht.
  16. Ben-Dror, Avishai (2018-08-23). Emirate, Egyptian, Ethiopian: Colonial Experiences in Late Nineteenth-Century Harar. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 978-0-8156-5431-5.
  17. Ben-Dror, Avishai (2018-08-23). Emirate, Egyptian, Ethiopian: Colonial Experiences in Late Nineteenth-Century Harar. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 978-0-8156-5431-5.
  18. J. Spencer Trimingham, Islam in Ethiopia (Oxford: Geoffrey Cumberlege for the University Press, 1952), pp 120f.
  19. Ben-Dror, Avishai (2018-08-23). Emirate, Egyptian, Ethiopian: Colonial Experiences in Late Nineteenth-Century Harar. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 978-0-8156-5431-5.
  20. CAULK, RICHARD A. (1971). "The Occupation of Harar: January 1887". Journal of Ethiopian Studies. 9 (2): 1–20. ISSN 0304-2243. JSTOR 41967469.
  21. Ben-Dror, Avishai (2018-08-23). Emirate, Egyptian, Ethiopian: Colonial Experiences in Late Nineteenth-Century Harar. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 978-0-8156-5431-5.
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