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Ethnicity as a Hindrance for Understanding Ethiopian History: An Argument Against an Ethnic Late Nineteenth Century*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 October 2016

Brian J. Yates
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Abstract:

Despite its present ethnic federalism, Ethiopian history has been marked by provincial or cultural identities, which twentieth century notions of identity have obscured. This essay gives three major reasons why ethnicity is not an effective lens to understand Ethiopia’s complex history. One, there is no agreement among either popular and academic writers on what ethnic identities in Ethiopia represents, either currently or historically. Two, a focus on ethnicity obscures the rationale behind the actions of the state and key actors during the nineteenth century. Three, an ethnic lens brings much needed scholarly attention away from key moments in the nineteenth century.

Résumé:

En dépit de son fédéralisme ethnique actuel, l’histoire éthiopienne a été marquée par des identités provinciales ou culturelles rendues inintelligibles par les notions d’identité du XXe siècle. Cet article donne trois raisons principales pour lesquelles le concept d’ethnicité n’est pas un prisme efficace pour comprendre l’histoire complexe de l’Éthiopie. Premièrement, les auteurs populaires et universitaires ne sont pas d’accord sur ce que représentent les identités ethniques en Éthiopie que ce soit actuellement ou dans le passé. Deuxièmement, l’accent mis sur l’appartenance ethnique amoindrit le rôle joué par l’État ou des personnages-clefs au cours du XIXe siècle. Troisièmement, une lecture ethnique détourne l’attention des chercheurs des moments-clefs du XIXe siècle.

Type
Critical Historiography
Information
History in Africa , Volume 44 , June 2017 , pp. 101 - 131
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 2016 

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