History of the Wolane by their own oral tradition

The Wolane are Muslims and believe that they always have been. They do not share any of the traditional practices which are common among the neighbouring Säbat Bet Gurage(12) in the south, nor are they Christian like the Muher who live not far from them in the south-west. There are references to Wolane as an established place for the Islamic faith in the oral histories of other surrounding peoples. Rahmato (1984), who dealt with the history of the Azärnät-Bärbäre, a Silt’i group, mentioned, that after the Oromo movement, i.e. at the end of the 16th century, there was an expansion of Islam in the neighbouring regions of Gurage. ”This was mainly because a lot of religious persons started to move towards Islamic regions to spread and strengthen Islam from Wellene” (Rahmato 1984: 40). Also Worqu (1983 Eth.C.: 56f)(13) in connection with the founding of Zänabänär, as a later centre for propagating the Islam under Hassan Injamo, mentioned that the Wolane already were Muslims for a long period of time and supported without any request the building of the new town at their eastern border.

However, during the reign of Yekuno Amlak, Zena Marqos taught the Christian faith of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in the Gurage region. It is believed that Zena Marqos stayed in Muher for 40 years and that he undertook different missionary trips to all parts of the Gurage region, where he tried to condemn traditional beliefs. Under his command a lot of churches were built. One of these churches in the name of Mariyam was situated in Wolane (Worqu 1983 Eth.C.: 41f). This church seems still to exist in Wolane-Jimma. However, today Christians are only found amongst a few descendants of the former Näft’ännyas(14) and some administration officials who have come to work in the area. In MŠhal Amba not a single Christian church is to be found. The town is dominated by a giant mosque, which was built very recently by a rich merchant from Saudi Arabia.

The early history of the Wolane is closely connected with other East Gurage and even Cushitic peoples in Ethiopia, who follow the Islamic faith (cf. Triminghan 1965 : 31). According to some Wolane elders(15) their forefathers, 99 in number, came fromMecca. First, they left Mecca for ‘Iraq’ where they stayed for seven years. Then they entered probably via Yemen intoEthiopia. When they left Yemen they were 44 in number and their leader was Gazo, the child of Säyyid Bärkälle. They went to Harar by way of Shirka Gädäb. The 44 people are said to be called ‘Hadiyya’ which should mean something like ‘the people who came for the sake of Allah’. This movement to Harar is thought to have taken 408 years after the Hejira. Afterwards they left Harar too and entered several regions in the horn of Africa; the town of Hara was then given to Säyyid Abadir. Twelve out the 44 people who entered Harar went to the place where the Wolane now live. Among them were Säyyid Käbir Hamid, Hajji Jaafaar and Säyyid Nasralla. While Säyyid Nasralla settled at a place called ‘Binara’, the remaining moved further on. Together with them came another person called Abecco (or Yimär Abecco) who was perhaps the brother of father of Säyyid Käbir Hamid. Säyyid Käbir Hamid and Hajji Jaafaar are relatives of Hajji Hadän.

According to Mähädin Caalee(16) the Silt’i, Adare and Wolane used to live together in Harar, where the Adare remained, when the two others left the town. The Silt’i and Wolane went together to Alaba-Kullito where they separated. The leader of the Silt’i:Wolane and later on of the Silt’i was Hajji Aliye. Säyyid Käbir Hamid became the leader of the Wolane and it was the who led them to the place they now inhabit.

The connection of some East Gurage peoples with Harar is also mentioned in Worqu (1983 Eth. C.). He states that some of the fighters of Ahmed Gragn’s army stayed in the Gurage country at the place of the Wolane (Worqu 1983 Eth.C.: 12, 23).

When the Wolane came to their homeland, they had to fight with people already living there. The original inhabitants of this place are called ‘Ge’ meaning ”land, living place ”. The ‘Ge’ consisted of 12 tribes(17): Andirman, Aläbabo, Tänno, Darägot, Shändo, Känfäbin, Kurban, Ijaj, Adabo, Abjahil, Kamcacälle and Somonnye. Seven of the original peoples became part of the Wolane, they are Darägot, Känfäbin, Kurban, Ijaj, Adabo and Somonnye. The elders could not remember the seventh group, but they are sure that they were seven in number. One person mentioned that among the original peoples there were also Oromo. However, this statement was refuted by most of the other elders(18).

Asking about the more recent forefathers of the Wolane, we were told about Hajji Aliye and his sons Dil Abba, Nuräddin, Zämärrädin, Aläquero, Abecco, Bogomännyi, Sult’an and Siddi(19). The grave of Hajji Aliye is now at Inneqor. The son called Bogomännyi became the forefather of the Chaba, Abecco was the founder of the Wolane and the rest are the founders of the Silt’i. The name Silt’i itself derived from the name of Sult’an.

The Wolane group consists of 12 tribes, which are called according to their ‘father’: Abecco, Säyyid Käbir Hamid, Imär, Sheykh Bärkäli, Ciro, Käntwat (or Jaa’aafär), Tofik, Addamo, Zebad, Umwaj, (Aybist) Tänadi and Asfadin(20). Nowadays there are 67 different ‘houses’ (descendant lines) among the Wolane.

The origin of the name ‘Wolane’ goes back to times of Zär’a Ya’qob(21) who conquered the Gurage region. His objectives included the widening of Christian influence in the aera. Among the Säbat Bet Gurage the Muher, who are still Christian today, co-operated with him. The Muslim Qabena and other groups inside the Säbat Bet Gurage, however, fought against the king and his new religion. At that time the Wolane people could not decide whether to join the forces of the king or the Säbat Bet Gurage/Qabena fighting against him. In this situation the king Zär’a Ya’qob to have said: is claimed "Wäy läne (bittihon)" which means ”if you would be for me”. This phrase is said to be the origin of the name ‘Wolane’.

After the Jäbdu war, Gurage territory and other southern parts of today’s Ethiopia were successfully occupied by Menelik II and Amhara rule was imposed upon the Wolane. The headquarters of this new administration was in Wolane-Jimma. Representatives of ‘the kings of the kings’ in the Wolane area were, in chronological order, Basha Woshiso, Negatu, Fitawrari Wolde, Gulzärebär, Fitawrari Räddi, Dejjazmacc Birru, Dejjazmacc Ayyäle Birru, Fitawrari Sahlä Giyorgis, Fitawrari Wolde for the second time, Azzazh Wosäne, Fitawrari Bäyyäne, the Italians, Imamu Zämil, Fitawrari Safo, Qennyazmacc Amerga and Wolde Kere. With the new order new taxes were introduced which had to be paid in kind – crops, maize, millwork and ploughing. Because of these high taxes some Wolane fled to a place called Agamja in the lowlands. After Wolde Kere the DERG came to power and the former system of governance was changed.

* University of Mainz.

12 For different descriptions regarding the Gurage groups belonging to the Säbat Bet Gurage see Worqu (1983 Eth.C.: 19ff). In accordance with Worqu (1983 Eth.C.: 26) we subsume under this name: Chaha (with a subdivision of Gumär), Ezha, Muher (with the subdivision of Aklil), Innemor (with the subdivisions of Mägär and Enär), Geto, Märqorqor and Indegeny. The first five formed the initial federation of the Ammist-Bet-Gurage which was subsequently joined by the other two.

13 The Ethiopian calender (Eth.C.) differs from the Gregorian calender in dating back seven or eight years. As the new year in Ethiopia begins on the 11th of September (10th of September in a leap-year) the difference up to that date is eight years and after that date seven years.

14 The commonly used term for persons belonging to the king of the kings’ army or people who paid tribute to him and then remained in the countryside to assure his rule.

15 We held two interviews in Wolane-Jimma on December 9 and 11, 2000. Between 20 and 30 elders from a region near Wolane-Jimma participated and several questions regarding their history were discussed. When no other sources are indicated in the text we make reference to the information passed to us verbally.

16 Mähädin Caalee, 65 years old, is a Wolane merchant at Merkato who has lived in Addis Ababa for many years. He was born and grew up in Wolane-Jimma. The interview took place at Merkato on the 30th of November 2000.

17 Some elders mentioned other names: Yäguratey, Däbrärit, Faris and Indäbit.

18 There may be some confusion regarding the term Soddo. There is a Gurage group called Kistane (formerly called Aymäläl or Soddo). There was also an Oromo group living in the same place which was called ‘Saddeen Soddo’ meaning ‘the three Soddo’. Perhaps this group had early contacts with the Wolane in the Gädäbano region. The Qabena elder Hajji Ahmad Alhadi mentioned the Soddo as a neighbour of Qabena adjacent to the Wolane.

19 According to another version Hajji Aliye had the following children: Sult’an, Abecco, Sämärräddin, Aläqero , Narino (=Nuräddin?), Säbuti, Täfalät’ and a daughter called Wälga. The last three children are different in name from the first version, there is even a girl among them. They could not come to an agreement regarding these differences. Rahmato (1984:6), who described the history of the Azärnät-Bärbäre, cites only five sons: Semerdin, Abecho, Aleqero, Delapa (= Dil Abba?) and Sultan (Silt’i).

20 Sometimes instead of Sheykh Bärkälle a person Aygänny was named. Yä-Aygänny qaya is another name of Zänabä när or Qabena market.

21 This was also mentioned by Hajji Ahmad Alhadi.

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