À partir de XVIIIᵉ siècle
Ethiopian highlands
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
The Masafent was the early nineteenth-century phase of Ethiopian political fragmentation in which imperial authority became largely nominal and regional feudal lords exercised effective power. The Christian highlands divided into Tigré, Amhara, and Shoa, alongside smaller political units, while warfare impoverished provinces, disrupted agriculture and trade, and reduced Gondar’s urban and cultural importance. The period preceded the later consolidation of authority by powerful regional rulers.
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Le récit
At the opening of the nineteenth century, Ethiopia’s once-centralized Christian state had declined almost to dissolution. Emperors retained nominal sovereignty and provided a semblance of unity, but feudal lords had become virtually independent and continually fought one another. Warfare impoverished provinces such as Bagemder, while peasants abandoned their farms, agriculture declined, and caravans became smaller and less frequent.
The political crisis also affected urban and cultural life. Gondar, the only substantial urban agglomeration, lost population and demand for the products of its craftsmen. Reduced royal patronage meant fewer commissions for works of art, while chroniclers lamented the loss of imperial authority and praised the warlords who had replaced the monarchs as effective rulers.
Ethiopian historians called this situation the period of the Masafent, a name linked to the biblical Book of Judges and its image of a society without effective kingship. The Christian highlands were divided into three independent states—Tigré, Amhara, and Shoa—besides several smaller political units. Their rulers controlled regional resources, trade routes, and firearms, and their rivalries shaped the political history of the highlands.
À partir de XVIIIᵉ siècle
Ethiopian highlands
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
The Masafent was the early nineteenth-century phase of Ethiopian political fragmentation in which imperial authority became largely nominal and regional feudal lords exercised effective power. The Christian highlands divided into Tigré, Amhara, and Shoa, alongside smaller political units, while warfare impoverished provinces, disrupted agriculture and trade, and reduced Gondar’s urban and cultural importance. The period preceded the later consolidation of authority by powerful regional rulers.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
At the opening of the nineteenth century, Ethiopia’s once-centralized Christian state had declined almost to dissolution. Emperors retained nominal sovereignty and provided a semblance of unity, but feudal lords had become virtually independent and continually fought one another. Warfare impoverished provinces such as Bagemder, while peasants abandoned their farms, agriculture declined, and caravans became smaller and less frequent.
The political crisis also affected urban and cultural life. Gondar, the only substantial urban agglomeration, lost population and demand for the products of its craftsmen. Reduced royal patronage meant fewer commissions for works of art, while chroniclers lamented the loss of imperial authority and praised the warlords who had replaced the monarchs as effective rulers.
Ethiopian historians called this situation the period of the Masafent, a name linked to the biblical Book of Judges and its image of a society without effective kingship. The Christian highlands were divided into three independent states—Tigré, Amhara, and Shoa—besides several smaller political units. Their rulers controlled regional resources, trade routes, and firearms, and their rivalries shaped the political history of the highlands.