Fedis (historical region)

This article is about the ancient region in the Horn of Africa. For the woreda in modern Ethiopia, see Fedis.

Fedis (Harari: ፈዲስ) was a historical region mentioned as far back as the fourteenth century.[1] It was located in modern eastern Ethiopia, south of Harar city.[2]

History

Historically part of the Adal region, Fedis was first mentioned in the fourteenth century chronicles of Amda Seyon during his invasion of Ifat Sultanate.[3][4][5]

In the later half of the seventeenth century it was the domain of the Emirate of Harar. According to the Harar emirate documents from the nineteenth century, minerals such as copper were extracted from the region and transported to Harar city.[6]

In the early 1800s emir ʽAbd ar-Rahman ibn Muhammad was taken to Fedis as prisoner by the Oromo following his unsuccessful attempt to extract tax from them, this led to his brother emir ʽAbd al-Karim ibn Muhammad seizing the throne in 1825.[7] In 1827 Fedis became a battleground between Oromo factions who supported the aforementioned princes of Harar which devastated three settlements in the region.[8] By the late 1800s, Fedis Oromo state Islam had been firmly established among them following emir Abd ash-Shakur dispatching a Harari Muslim scholar to teach religion and construct a mosque.[9]

Following the severe drought of 1974, the Ethiopian government constructed dams in the area.[10] During the Ogaden War in the 70s, Fedis was a battleground between Ethiopian and Somali forces.[11] It was briefly occupied by the rebel group WSLF with support from Oromo locals.[12]

Fedis is the site of one of the largest market places in the region where goods are sold, the others being Harar and Babile.[13] The narcotic Khat leaf grown in Fedis is most sought after by the elites in the Horn of Africa.[14] A shrine dedicated to saint Aw Barkhadle is also located near this town.[15]

Ruins

A stepwell ascribed to the ancient Harla people by the denizens of Fedis was discovered by archaeologists in 2011:[16]

The inhabitants attribute the stepwell at Melka site to the Harla people. They also believe that its architects designed it to conserve drinking water for themselves, their plants and their animals during the dry season. This function continues into the present. The locals call it “Laga Gollo Wadassaa”, referring to “river” (laga), the locality (Gollo) and Cordia africana, a species of tree known in English as Sudan teak (wadassaa).

References

  1. ^ Lindahl, Bernhard. Local history of Ethiopia (PDF). Nordic Africa Institute. p. 8.
  2. ^ Mohammed, Habir. Preliminary Survey Results From a Medieval Islamic Settlement Site in Eastern Ethiopia: First Archaeological Insight from Fedis. Prof. K.H. Saifuddin Zuhri State Islamic University. p. 115.
  3. ^ Gidaya. Encyclopedia Aethiopica.
  4. ^ Pankhurst, Richard (1997). Ethiopian Borderlands. Red Sea Press. p. 41. ISBN 9780932415196.
  5. ^ Lindahl, Bernhard. Local history of Ethiopia (PDF). Nordic Africa Institute. p. 8.
  6. ^ Garad, Abdurahman. Harar Wirtschaftsgeschichte eines Emirats im Horn von Afrika (1825-75). P. Lang. p. 95.
  7. ^ Abdalkarim b. Muhammad. Encyclopedia Aethiopica.
  8. ^ Wagner, Ewald (1974). "Three Arabic Documents on the History of Harar". Journal of Ethiopian Studies. 12 (1). Institute of Ethiopian Studies: 221. JSTOR 44324707.
  9. ^ Caulk, R.A. HARAR TOWN AND ITS NEIGHBOURS IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY (PDF). Journal of African History. p. 380.
  10. ^ Gomez, Josep (28 December 2017). Rainwater-Smart Agriculture in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas. Springer. p. 283. ISBN 9783319662398.
  11. ^ Tareke, Gebru (23 June 2009). The Ethiopian Revolution War in the Horn of Africa. Yale University Press. p. 205. ISBN 978-0300156157.
  12. ^ Geshekter, Charles (1992). The Proceedings of the First International Congress of Somali Studies. Scholars press. p. 594. ISBN 9780891306580.
  13. ^ Bausi, Alessandro (2017). Ethiopia History, Culture and Challenges. Michigan State University Press. p. 146. ISBN 9783643908926.
  14. ^ Anderson, David (31 May 2020). The Khat Controversy: Stimulating the Debate on Drugs. Routledge. ISBN 9781000190007.
  15. ^ Yusuf al-Akwan. Encyclopedia Aethiopica.
  16. ^ Hussien, Endris. First Archaeological Insight from Fedis Preliminary Survey Results from a Medieval Islamic Settlement Site in Eastern Ethiopia. Equinox Publishing Ltd. p. 226.
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