Wolane people

Wolane
Regions with significant populations
 Ethiopia160,000
Languages
Wolane
Religion
mainly Islam[1]

The Wolane people are an ethnic group in southern Ethiopia.[2] Wolane people speak a Semitic language which is closely related to Sil'te, Zay and Harari languages.[3]

History

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Tradition states some of the Wolane people's ancestors were Kabir Hamid who arrived from Harar as well as saint Aw Barkhadle.[4][5] Wolane are considered as once an extension of the ancient Harla people including Silt'e and Harari people prior to the Oromo expansions of the sixteenth century.[6]

In the thirteenth century, Wolane were historically associated with the Muslim state of Hadiya Sultanate and designated Hadiya people alongside other ethnic groups in the region.[7] In the 1600s, their leader Garad of Hadiya Sidi Mohammed defeated the troops of Emperor Susenyos I at the Battle of Hadiya thus protecting their frontier from Abyssinian annexation for the next three hundred years.[8]

Wolane’s territory was annexed into Gurage after Abyssinian forces of Menelik invaded in the 1800's following the defeat of Qebena leader Hassan Enjamo. Wolane domain today remains under the Gurage zone's eastern most district, however there has been calls by the Wolane to push for a separate Wolane region.[9][10]

Wolane Community

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The Wolane community consists of 160,000 people. A remarkable number of Wolane is living in Addis Ababa. The Wolane in the countryside live mostly in higher places, called "Däga". These places are very suitable for the cultivation of Enset, which is one of Wolane people stample foods.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "Wolane in Ethiopia". Joshua Project.
  2. ^ Wolters, Alissa. Wolane (Ethiopian-Semitic): A Seven Vowel System. California State University. p. 5.
  3. ^ Sjors, Ambjorn (9 January 2018). Historical Aspects of Standard Negation in Semitic. BRILL. p. 32. ISBN 978-90-04-34855-4.
  4. ^ Musa, Hussein. Silt'e as a Medium of Instruction (PDF). Addis Ababa University. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-04-17. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  5. ^ Wolane. Encyclopedia Aethiopica.
  6. ^ Braukamper, Ulrich (2002). Islamic History and Culture in Southern Ethiopia. LitVerlag. p. 18. ISBN 978-3-8258-5671-7.
  7. ^ Gosudarstvennyĭ, Ėrmitazh (2002). Христианский Восток. Алетейя. p. 459.
  8. ^ Aregay, Merid. Southern Ethiopia and the Christian kingdom 1508-1708 with special reference to the Galla migrations and their consequences. University of London. pp. 438–439.
  9. ^ Meyer, Ronny. Wolane. Rudiger Koppe Verlga.
  10. ^ Wolane. Encyclopedia Aethiopica.
  11. ^ Crass, Joachim; Meyer, Ronny (2001). "The Qabena and the Wolane: Two peoples of the Gurage region and their respective histories according to their own oral traditions". Annales d'Éthiopie. 17 (1): 175–182. doi:10.3406/ethio.2001.997.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Crass, J. & Meyer, R. (2001). The Qabena and the Wolane: Two people of the Gurage Region and their Respective Histories according to their Own Oral Tradition.