Tǝgrāy

Names

General information

description: A historical province in the Ethiopian-Eritrean highlands, to the south of the river Takkaze↗ (hence sometimes referred to as Takkaze Mǝllaš).

History

history: The origins of Tǝgrāy and its population are ancient and complex, with Cushitic, Semitic, South Arabian and Sabaic elements and interactions. Pre-Aksumite inscriptions show that the area of historical Tǝgrāy was marked by a Sabaic-influenced kingdom, which had merged with a local culture. In later Aksumite times migration again linked both sides of the Red Sea, with Aksumite settlements also on the Arabian side. A variant of the term Tǝgrāy first appears in a 10th-century ^{notBefore: 0900 notAfter: 0999} gloss to Cosmas Indicopleustes , although its origin and meaning are unclear. Probably three main phases in the development of the toponym "Tǝgrāy" (toponym probably of ethnic origin) can be identified. 1) HISTORICAL TƎGRĀY: Historical Tǝgrāy was the most important northern province of Ethiopia↗ due to its symbolic, economic and strategic power. It encompassed ʿAdwā↗ , ʾAksum↗ and Yǝḥa↗ , but it also extended and controlled adjacent territories, periodically including other areas beyond its central core. Territories that were often and for long periods of time subject to Tǝgrāy's control include Ḥawzen↗ and Ǝnṭiḉḉo↗ and sometimes also Šire↗ and Tamben↗ . Tǝgrāy was densely populated since ancient times and the source of migration movements towards other areas. The capital of historical Tǝgrāy changed over time: Ḥawzen↗ was capital for periods of time in both the 17th ^{notBefore: 1600 notAfter: 1699} and the 19th century ^{notBefore: 1800 notAfter: 1899}; ʿAdwā↗ became capital in the 18th century ^{notBefore: 1700 notAfter: 1799} and competed for this role with Maqala↗ in the last decades of this century. Tǝgrāy owed part of its importance to the sacred town of ʾAksum↗ that was part of its territory, although enjoyed its own self-government. During the Zamana masāfǝnt, Tǝgrāy was one of the most important self-governed provinces. 2) TƎGRĀY PROVINCE: Yoḥannǝs IV (1871 ^{when: 1871}-1889 ^{when: 1889}) and his successors unified historical Tǝgrāy and other northern territories, so that in the 20th century, historical Tǝgrāy became a province of its own within a larger administrative province also called Tǝgrāy/Tǝgre. After Yoḥannǝs IV , Tǝgrāy lost importance and was subject to outside pressure and challenges. Much of Tǝgrāy was briefly occupied by the Italians in the foremath of the 1896 ^{when: 1896} Battle of ʿAdwā↗ and it was one of the major battle grounds during the Italian War (1935 ^{when: 1935}–1936 ^{when: 1936}). During the Italian occupation, Tǝgrāy was incorporated into the Eritrean Colony and after 1941 ^{when: 1941} was again reunited with Ethiopia↗ , although it was increasingly marginalized and victim of centralization, political suppression, forced resettlement and famines. In 1946, Tǝgre became one of 12 ṭaqlāy gǝzāts with capital Maqala↗ and the governors of this province maintained strong political ties with their provinces also in the late 1960s. After the Revolution of 1974, Tǝgre changed name to Tǝgrāy and administratively became a kǝfla hāgar. With the promulgation of the 1987 Constitution, Tǝgrāy became one of five "autonomous regions" (yarās gaz ʾakkābābi) Tǝgrāy was the cradle of resistance movements that took power in 1991 ^{when: 1991}. 3) TƎGRĀY KƎLLƎL: Tǝgrāy went through several administrative changes through its history, until in 1991 ^{when: 1991} it changed its administrative status becoming one of Ethiopia↗ 's kǝllǝl and came to incorporate territories that had previously not been part of the historical province (as well as losing others). See Tǝgrāy National Regional State↗ .

Secondary Bibliography

• Smidt, W. 2010. ‘Tǝgray’, in S. Uhlig and A. Bausi, eds, Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, IV (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2010), 888a–895a.

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• Wolska-Conus, W., ed., 1968. Cosmas Indicopleustès. Topographie Chrétienne, I:  Livres I–IV, tr. W. Wolska-Conus, Sources chrétiennes, 141 (Paris: Cerf, 1968).

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• Mantel-Niećko, J. 2003. ‘Administrative division’, in S. Uhlig, ed., Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, I (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2003), 97b–103a.

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