Everything about The Oromo totally explained
The
Oromo (
Ethiopic:ኦሮሞ)are an
African ethnic group found in
Ethiopia and to a lesser extent in
Kenya . They are the largest single ethnic group in
Ethiopia, at 32.1% of the population according to the 1994 census, and today numbering around 25 million. Their native language is the
Oromo language (also called Afaan Oromoo, and Oromiffa).
History
The Oromo are one of the
Cushitic speaking groups of people living in Eastern and North Eastern Africa. Cushitic speakers have inhabited parts of north-eastern and eastern Africa for as long as recorded history. Oromos are found predominantly in Ethiopia (99%), but are spread from as far as northern Ethiopia (southern
Tigray Region) to (mainly northern) Kenya, even as far south as
Lamu Island. The Oromo represent one of largest of the Cushitic groups inhabiting the Horn of Africa. Their physical features, culture, language and other evidences unequivocally point to the fact that they're indigenous to this part of Africa. Available information clearly indicates that the Oromo existed as a community of people for thousands of years in East Africa (Prouty at al, 1981). Bates (1979) contends, "The Gallas (Oromo) were a very ancient race, the indigenous stock, perhaps, on which most other peoples in this part of eastern Africa have been grafted".
While further research is needed to precisely comprehend the origin of Oromo people, it's well known that Oromo people come from a line of pastoralist/nomadic group and/or semi-agriculturalist group. It is likely that they've existed for a longer period of time side by side with their northern
Semitic-speaking neighbors. There is a wealth of oral history that describe interactions between the two group dating back as early as the 6th century. .
During the 16th century, following the wars between the kingdom of
Ethiopia and the neighboring
Sultanate of Adal, which resulted in the exhaustion of both states, Oromos moved north into their territories. The Ethiopian monk
Bahrey, writing in 1593, attributed the Oromo success to the existence of too many non-fighting classes in the ruling Ethiopian hierarchy, as opposed to the Oromos, whom he described as having a homogeneous warrior class. Bahrey also explained their spread into northwestern areas such as
Arsi,
Shewa,
Welega, and
Gojjam and northeastern areas like
Hararghe and
Wollo as result of their inhospitable homeland. Harold G. Marcus suggests northwest
Borena as the original homeland of the Oromo.
Settled Oromo started to integrate with their Amharic-speaking neighbors at least from the 17th century on. Also, several Oromo chieftains obtained power in government of the monarchy. Particularly Emperor Iyoas I (1730-55), who was half Oromo, favored his mother's Oromo kinsmen and allies, and in his era, the Oromo language was the language of the court in Gondar.
By the late 18th century, the power of the central government of Ethiopia had waned, and local governors and kings enjoyed greater autonomy. During this era (which lasted until 1855), known as the
Zemene Mesafint, the Oromo dynasty of chiefs of
Yejju were the most important continuous line of warlords to dominate the figurehead emperors of Ethiopia. They became sub-kings of
Begemder,
Enderases (Regents) of the empire, as well as imperial fathers-in-law. Ras
Ali I of Yejju achieved this dominance in 1779, and it continued, although contested by other warlords, until the 1855 defeat of Ras
Ali II of Yejju by the upstart
Kassa Hailu (who in that year became Emperor Tewodros II). Due to the powerlessness of the
Emperor of Ethiopia during the Zemene Mesafint, the Yejju Oromo were effectively the rulers of Ethiopia.
Other tribes and chiefs of the Oromo people were also prominent, such as lady Menen of Wollo who became Empress in 1800s; Ras Mohammad of Wollo who became Ras
Mikael, later Negus of Siyon and father of Emperor
Iyasu V; and another lady Menen, of
Ambassel, who became Empress consort of
Haile Selassie.
In order to integrate with the imperial power and family, a large share of the Oromo converted to Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity during these centuries. As one of the last such developments, in late 1800s Emperor
Yohannes IV ordered the Oromo tribe of Wollo to convert to Christianity within six months at the threat of losing their property. Such a threat had caused many Wollo Oromos to leave their homeland and migrate further to the South. Their leader was Ras Mohammed who became Ras Mikael and later made an imperial marriage, becoming the father of Emperor Iyasu V.
Subgroups
The Oromo are divided into two major branches that break down into an assortment of clan families. From west to east, these subgroups are:
The Borana which include:
And countless subdivisions.
The Barento/Barentuma which include:
The Wallo Oromo, who are the northernmost group, and live predominantly in the Oromia Zone of the Amhara Region, as far north as Lake Ashenge, with whom the Raya Oromo and the Yejju Oromo are often grouped;
The Ittu Oromo, who live in the Oromia Region from the Awash River east to a line drawn south of Dire Dawa;
The Karrayu Oromo, who live along the Awash valley in east Shawa as well as West Hararge
The Aniya Oromo, who live south of the Ittu and west of the Erer River;
The Afran Qallo which refer to the 4 decedents of Qallo, which are:
-- Ala Oromo, living west of the city of Harar and the Erer River
-- Oborra Oromo, living between Ituu and Ala Oromo
-- Babille Oromo,living east of the Erer River in the Oromia Region
-- Dagaa Oromo (Nole and Jarso):
-Nole who live east of Dire Dawa and north of Harar;
-Jarso who live in the northeastern corner of the of the Oromia Region;
The Arsi Oromo, who live in Bale zone as well as the part of the Oromia Region named for them, the Arsi Zone otherwise known as Dida'a; and
The Qallu, who live between the Awash River and Dire Dawa.
And countless subdivisions.
Society and culture
Oromo society was traditionally structured in accordance with gadaa, a social stratification system partially based on an eight-year cycle of age sets, but over the centuries the age sets grew out-of-alignment with the actual ages of their members, and some time in the 1800s another age set system was instituted. Under gadaa, every eight years the Oromo would hold a popular assembly called the Gumi Gayo, at which laws were established for the following eight years. A democratically elected leader, the Abba Gada, presided over the system for an eight-year term. Gadaa is no longer in wide practice but remains influential.
In a short article, Geoffrey W. Arnott described an Oromo rite of passage in which young men run over the backs of bulls surrounded by the village community. Bruce Parry filmed the same practice among the Hamar people for his BBC television series "Tribe" transmitted in July 2006. Arnott's interest lay in making a comparison with bull-leaping at Knossos in the Aegean Bronze Age.
Religion
In the 1994 Ethiopian census in the 85% Oromo region of Oromia, 44.3% were Muslims, 41.3% Orthodox Christians, 8.6% Protestants, 4.2% Traditional, and the remaining 1.6% constitute other religious groups. In urban Oromia Orthodox Christians constitute 67.8% of the population, followed by Muslims 24.0% and Protestants 7%.
Politics
Historically the Oromo people used the indigenious Gadaa system of governance that's relatively more democratic than other forms of governance in the region. During the last century, Oromos have not had fair political power inside Ethiopia. However, ethnically mixed Ethiopians with Oromo background made up a high percentage of Ethiopian generals and leaders. Notably Iyasu V was the designated but uncrowned Emperor of Ethiopia (1913 - 1916) while Haile Selassie I was the was de jure Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. Both these Ethiopian Emperors are ethnically mixed with Oromo parents and lineages. Other famous leader of Ethiopia with mixed Oromo background was Ras Makonnen Woldemikael Gudessa, the governor of Harar who served as the top general in the First Italo–Ethiopian War, playing a key role at the Battle of Adwa.
Presently, a number of ethnic based political organizations have been formed to promote the interests of the Oromo. The first was the Mecha and Tulama Self-Help Organization, founded in January 1963, but was disbanded by the government after several increasingly tense confrontations in November, 1966. Later groups include the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM), the United Liberation Forces of Oromia (ULFO), the Islamic Front for the Liberation of Oromia (IFLO), the Oromia Liberation Council (OLC), the Oromo National Congress (ONC, recently changed to OPC) and others. Another group, the Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO), is one of the four parties that form the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition. However, these Oromo groups don't act in unity: the ONC, for example, was part of the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces coalition that challenged the EPRDF in the Ethiopian general elections of 2005.
A number of these groups seek to create an independent Oromo nation, some using armed force. Meanwhile the OPDO and several opposition political parties in the Ethiopian parliament believe in the unity of the country which has 80 different ethnicities that have been intermarrying and living together for centuries. Also there are believed to be around 2.4 million other Ethiopians who have mixed ancestries with the ethnic Oromo.
Nomenclature
The Oromo were historically called Galla, therefore one may encounter this name in older texts, but Oromos don't use this term to refer to themselves. However, when Charles Tutschek, writing in the mid 19th century, researched the Oromo, "his informants, according to their published letters, used Galla as a term of self-reference." The name has fallen into disfavor and is now considered to be pejorative, possibly because of a folk etymology for "Galla" (that it came from Qal la/كَل, pronounced similar to Gal la, Arabic for "ney/no way") that implies they refused Muhammad's offer to convert to Islam. In the Somali language Galla means pagan or non-muslim, possibly referring to their old religion.
Notable Oromo
Ali Birra - Singers, composer and songwriter
King Abba Jifar II - ruled Jimma and surrounding areas
Abebe Bikila - first African and Ethiopian to receive a gold medal in the Olympics (marathon; ran barefoot)
Ras Ali II of Yejju, Enderase or Regent of the Ethiopian Emperor, effectively the ruler of Ethiopia 1915-1930
Berhane Adere- won the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
Capt. Aster Tolossa Ethiopian Jet Pilot (1st woman pilot to shoot down a jet in air-to-air warfare)
Derartu Tulu - Long Distance runner and Gold Winner at the Olympics
Fatuma Roba - Long Distance runner and 1996 marathon winner.
Gete Wami - cross country and track runner.
Haile Selassie I- Emperor of Ethiopia, 1930-1974
Tilahun Gessese - Famous Ethiopian Singer
Kenenisa Bekele - Ethiopian long distance runner
Mamo Wolde - Ethiopian long-distance runner, winner of the marathon at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Onesimos Nesib - evangelist and translator of Bible into the Oromo language
Teferi Benti - former Ethiopian president
Tilahun Gessesse - famous Ethiopian singer
Tirunesh Dibaba - Ethiopian long-distance runner
Ras Gobena - famous and controversial 1800s Oromo figure who allied with Emperor Menelik II
Abdus Ibrahim - American soccer (football) player, plays for FC Dallas.Further Information
Get more info on 'Oromo'.
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