The Kingdom of Wej was a prominent historical kingdom located in the modern south-eastern Ethiopia, known for its strategic position in the region. During its peak, Wej was an influential polity that interacted with several neighboring kingdoms, including the Christian highlands of Ethiopia and various Muslim Sultanates. It was one of the smaller, but significant, regional powers within the larger context of Ethiopia’s medieval history.
Location
The Wej Kingdom occupied an area near Lake Zway, west of Fatagar and Dawaro, and east of Hadiya. It is currently located in the West Arsi Zone.
Origins
Early Arab writers documented the presence of the Oromo people in the region, noting that they were established in various parts of what is now Ethiopia long before the spread of larger empires in the area. Among the areas they inhabited was the region known as Wej, which, according to these sources, was one of the numerous kingdoms founded by the Oromo people during this early period. These Oromo settlers were instrumental in shaping the political landscape of the region, creating vibrant societies and establishing several kingdoms that would later play significant roles in the history of Ethiopia.
According to historian Mohammed Hassen, the inhabitants of the Wej Kingdom were most likely the Waji Oromo, a subgroup of the larger Arsi Barentu tribe. The Arusi Barentu are part of the broader Oromo ethnic group, one of the largest and most influential groups in Ethiopia’s history. The Waji Oromo, as a sub-clan, were known for their distinct social and political structures, which contributed to the formation of kingdoms like Wej in the southwestern highlands. Their settlement in this area is seen as an important moment in the historical development of the region, as the Waji Oromo established themselves as one of the key forces in the southwestern territories of Ethiopia.
History
Enrico Cerulli suggested that the people of the Kingdom of Wej had rulers whose lineage could be traced back to the eleventh-century Muslim Queen Badit of the Makhzumi dynasty. This connection highlighted the deep historical and cultural ties between Wej and the broader Islamic world, reflecting its significance as a kingdom with a distinct political identity in the medieval period. The Makhzumi dynasty, known for its strong Muslim roots, likely influenced the leadership and governance of Wej, further intertwining the region’s history with the larger developments across the Horn of Africa.
According to historian Pankhurst, the Kingdom of Wej played a pivotal role as an ally of the Ethiopian Emperor Yekuno Amlak during his struggle for the throne in the 13th century. Yekuno Amlak, who is credited with restoring the Solomonic dynasty in Ethiopia, found in Wej a key supporter in his campaign to secure and expand his reign over Abyssinia. As a tributary state, Wej contributed resources and military support to the emperor’s cause, cementing its position within the broader political landscape of the time. The kingdom was ruled by a governor named Zebadar, who oversaw its administrative and military affairs, ensuring its loyalty to the Ethiopian crown.
In addition to its role in supporting the Ethiopian Empire, Wej’s military contributions are also noteworthy. One particularly significant figure from the kingdom was Asmaddin, a warrior from Wej who played an important role in assisting Emperor Sarsa Dengel during the Battle of Endagabatan. This battle, which occurred in the late 16th century, was a key conflict in the Ethiopian Empire’s history, and Asmaddin’s involvement underscores the kingdom’s ongoing military significance in the region.
During the era of Abuna Yaqob, the Ethiopian Church took an active interest in Wej, sending Christian missionaries to the kingdom on an annual basis. Abuna Yaqob, an important ecclesiastical figure, sought to strengthen the Christian presence in the southwestern regions of Ethiopia. As part of this effort, he dispatched Abba Iyosyas, a prominent religious figure, to supervise not only Wej but also the neighboring regions of Almale and Gurage. These efforts were part of a broader strategy to ensure religious oversight and maintain the influence of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in areas that were home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, reflecting the complex religious and political dynamics of the time. Through this system of religious missions and supervision, the Ethiopian Church sought to integrate these regions more closely into the larger Christian Ethiopian state.
Zway (Zay) Era 1400s-1498
After the Fall of Ifat many ethnicities and kingdoms fell weak amongst them the Oromo Muslims, so the Zay people expanded from there homeland Enderta.
When the Oromo first met the Zway people's they did not know what they were doing due to there smart modern fishing and sailing techniques. The Oromo gave them the name Laqi which means Paddler. The Oromo, and the Zway became friends and later protected each other.
The Oromo and Zway lived in the area until the Maya expansion were many Oromo and Zway were displaced. Brakumper states the Zay were a branch of the Harla.
One noted ruler of the Zay dynasty of Wej is Ras Amdu a powerful king who annexed many Muslim provinces, the Abyssinians were so scared of him as well as the Muslims. One chronicle records this statement from the Court of Abyssinia.
“let us also have the Protection of the Muslims so that we can achieve our aims, and bring them in so that our religion may not be changed. But there is Ras Amdu as long as he lived the Moslims are weak and scared.”
In order to weaken him in the eyes of the people the Abyssinian court spread rumour that he slept with Queen Eleni of Abyssinia when the people of Abyssinia heard this Amdu was furious, and he campaigned against the Maya, and Fetegar he in his campaign he invaded the two provinces. according to Tadesse Tamrat he ruled the whole of the Maya, Genz, Fatagar, Wej, and Lake Hayq.
King Eskender supported the Muslims the Negus captured and killed Amdu. When the news spread that the second most powerful monarch of Ethiopia died, Welde Silus, Amdu’s nephew swore to kill Eskender. After Amdu’s death Welde ascended the throne, under his rule the Maya and Zway we’re subjugated, Welde led his forces to Enderta, Eskender responded by attacking them. Welde’s forcers consisted of Maya archers which used arrows dipped in poison. He himself killed Eskender. The chronicle states that he swore not to spare the king, this would lead to Fetegar and Wej expanding, Wej and Fetegar invaded the Genz and Ifat province's and took their cattle. Fetegar and Wej became one of the most powerful kingdoms in the Horn of Africa. They would also convert all the inhabitants of Genz and Shewa to islam. Welde moved his capital to Zway then known as Jarecho.
Ethiopian-Adal War
Wej became a Christian kingdom and was later one of the first to be invaded by Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi due to its religion and eastern location. Emperor Lebna Dengel received news of this invasion while at Geberge in Wej, but dismissed the threat as a series of raids. He left the city after appointing Wasan Sagad as king.
Two noblemen of Wej, Azmach Fanil and Yonadab, took prominent roles in holding back the invading forces, and soldiers from the kingdom led a campaign against the Maya, who had recently converted to Islam. Later in Imam Ahmad's invasion, he sent his trusted general and advisor Mojhad to compel Wej to surrender, which it did before he even reached the kingdom. He established a poll tax in the area. After hearing of Mojhad's success, Imam Ahmad traveled to Wej and established a stronghold at Jog.
The current king of Wej, Eslam, had refused to capitulate and retreated to Gurage. However, when Yodab surrendered to Damot, Eslam sent his son and a nobleman named Asebo to make peace. When asked why they had returned, Asebo replied, "We have come to save our country and our churches." They agreed to pay the poll tax in exchange for safety from persecution. Eslam's son became a Muslim, as did all the courtiers and advisors of Wej, but Imam Ahmad allowed Eslam to remain a Christian.
References
- Meroid Wolde Aregay. Huntingford. 1974. pp. 272–3.
- A river of blessings essays in honour of Paul Baxter. Snippet view: David Brokensha,Paul William Trevor. 1994. p. 52.
- The Journal of Oromo studys. Snippet view: Brakumper. 2008. p. 210.
- Hassen, Mohammed (2015). The Oromo and the Christian Kingdom of Ethiopia: 1300-1700. Boydell & Brewer. ISBN 978-1-84701-117-6.
- Braukamper, Ulrich (2002). Islamic History and Culture in Southern Ethiopia: Collected Essays. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 45. ISBN 9783825856717.
- Pankhurst, Richard (1997). The Ethiopian borderlands : essays in regional history from ancient times to the end of the 18th century. Red Sea Press. ISBN 0-932415-19-9. OCLC 36543471.
- Kropp, Manfred (1990). "MÄLÄSAY: SELBSTBEZEICHNUNG EINES HARARINER OFFIZIERSKORPS UND IHR GEBRAUCH IN ÄTHIOPISCHEN UND ARABISCHEN CHRONIKEN". Paideuma. 36. Frobenius Institute: 108. JSTOR 40732663.
- Pankhurst, Richard (1997). The Ethiopian borderlands : essays in regional history from ancient times to the end of the 18th century. Red Sea Press. ISBN 0-932415-19-9. OCLC 36543471.
- Islamic History and culture in southern Ethiopia. Hamburg uni: Brakumper. 2002. p. 18. ISBN 9783825856717.
- Church and state in Ethiopia. (Oxford Clarendon Press): Taddesse Tamrat. 1972. p. 286.
- Lincei, Accademia Nazionale dei (1974). Problemi Attuali Di Scienza de Cultura Quaderno. Snippet view. p. 549.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Problemi Attuali. Snippet view. 1974. p. 550.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Problemi Attuali. Snippet view. 1974. p. 551.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Problemi Attuali. Snippet view. 1974. pp. 551–552.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Basset. Hunting ford. 1989. p. 128.
- Basset. Huntingford. 1958. p. 183.
- ^ Pankhurst, Richard (1997). The Ethiopian borderlands : essays in regional history from ancient times to the end of the 18th century. Red Sea Press. ISBN 0-932415-19-9. OCLC 36543471.