Agaw National State, Which Includes Most Areas of the Current Amhara Region, Is Coming Soon!
By Fayyis Oromia*
I believe the struggle of Agaw nationalists should be to take over the Amhara region and rename it the Agaw National Regional State. For this purpose, they now have very fertile ground to implement it. They just need to cooperate with the federal government and defeat the Amhara extremists who are striving to return for further domination. Then, I would like to say congratulations to this new regional state of Oropia (Oromumma-led Ethiopia). At last, your struggle for freedom and self-rule is going to succeed. Other oppressed nations in the country will follow your example. Hopefully, this next new region will be called Agawia. The peoples of the region, such as the Kunama, Argoba, Erob, and Wayito, should also achieve self-administration in any form. It is encouraging to see that Agaw nationalism is reviving, and we hope the inevitable renaissance of Agawia will take place and succeed. The following brief about Agaw-Midir is a preliminary work, to be developed further and completed by those who have more knowledge about the Agaw people and who are interested in the issue. Most of the information has been collected from various sources about Agaw land and the Agaw people.
Country
The country is named Agawia (phonetically, Agawiya) or Agaw-Midir. The map of Agawia is shown here: http://finfinnetribune.com/Gadaa/2015/0 … -ethiopia/. Agawia is about 150,000 sq. km in size. It encompasses Axum, Adwa, Tembien, Abergele, Welqayit, Tsegede, Enderta, Adigrat, Semien, Quara, Metema, Lasta, Wag, and Awi; that means, in general, most areas of Tigray (excluding Raya), northern Gondar, part of Gojjam (Awi), and the whole Wag-Lasta.
Location
Agawia is located in the Horn of Africa within today’s Ethiopia (Great Oromia). Agawia (Agaw-Midir) is the northernmost region of present-day Ethiopia, containing the entire homeland of the Agaw people (including the majority who are already assimilated into Amharic- and Tigrinya-speaking groups). Its capital is Gondar (the word Gondar means “source of God” in the Qemant language). Agawia is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, the Afar Region to the east, and Oromia to the south. Besides Gondar and Mekele, other major towns and cities in Agawia include Injibara, Dangila, Debarq, Metema, Dabat, Lalibela, Seqota, Abiy Addi, Adigrat, Adwa, Aksum, Humera, Inda Selassie, Maychew, Wukro, Qwiha, and Zalambessa, as well as the historically significant village of Yeha.
Agawia is the mother of some of the civilizations of the Horn of Africa. It is the source of the Ge’ez fidel and the first African country to accept Christianity and Islam. Agawia is the land of Atse Theodros, Fasil Palace, Qidus Yaryed, Axum, Yeha, and Wuqro Negash. It is the land of dauntless emperors such as Ezana, Kaleb, Armaha, Abraha, Elamda, Almeda, Zera Yaqob, Theodros, Yohannes, and heroes like Ras Alula, General Hayelom, and many more. Agawia is the home of the Ark of the Covenant—the land of the just, brave, free, and fair. The Agaw people have much to be proud of. Above all, they survived a 3,000-year process of de-Agawization (de-Cushitization) in their country.
Flag
The following banner shall be the future flag of the Agaw people—from Axum and Wag-Lasta through all northern Gondar to western Gojjam—who are bound by blood and bone but have been forced to disintegrate and abandon their true identity for centuries. [Link](http://finfinnetribune.com/Gadaa/2015/0 … ian-union/). The blue color of the flag stands for tolerance and trustworthiness; the rows of stars signify a bright future and hope ahead. The largest star in the middle symbolizes aspiration for rehabilitation and reunification to create a single Agaw state. On the hoisting side of the flag, the horizontal green, yellow, and red tricolors express a genuine desire to reach consensus for a possible union with other Ethiopians in freedom and equality.
Stars were valuable in the tradition of the Agaw people. Before the invention of clocks, the Agaw used stars to estimate time at night. Especially, the appearance of five bright stars late at night, called “dawn stars,” were considered indicators of the impending daybreak. Those who wanted to attend religious worship or travel before dawn had to observe these five stars to ensure dawn was approaching. Moreover, unusual star behaviors, color changes, and violent motions were signs of probable social instability related to upcoming events, such as regime change. The long-held astrological belief that individual personalities are associated with the types and characteristics of stars at birth also existed among the Agaw.
People
The Agaw are an ethnic group inhabiting Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea; their population is about 20 million—making them the 5th largest nationality in Africa and the second largest in East Africa. They speak the Agaw language, which belongs to the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family, as well as Amharic and Tigrinya, which belong to the Semitic branch of the same family. The unassimilated Agaw people’s clusters make up the Northern Agaw in Eritrea, known as the Bilen; the Western Agaw, known as the Qemant; the Eastern Agaw, known as the Xamta; and the Southern Agaw, known as the Awi. The Agaw are the original inhabitants of much of the northern Ethiopian highlands, though they were largely assimilated and converted to the Semitic-speaking Tigray-Tigrinya and Amhara peoples. They resisted this assimilation process for millennia. There is still a group advocating for nonviolent resistance against the Amharization of the Qemant people, for their dignity and self-rule. The Agaw ruled explicitly as Agaw (not as assimilated Habesha) during the Zagwe dynasty of Ethiopia from about 900 to 1270. The Zagwe kings built churches carved into rock. Many Agaw are now bilingual, speaking their own language and either Amharic or Tigrinya; they are predominantly farmers. Their culture is similar to that of the Amhara—actually, what is now known as Amhara and Tigray culture originally belonged to the Agaw, except for a few elements overtaken from the Middle East.
Living largely in the Gondar and Tigray areas—i.e., the historical ‘Agawland’—they have been progressively, then massively Christianized and Habeshanized over the last two millennia. At present, for example, less than one percent of the 170,000 Qemant-Agaw people (1998 census) have preserved their ancestral language and beliefs. The traditional Qemant-Agaw are found in small villages in the Chilga area, about 60-80 km west of Gondar. In this area, one can find high priests (kamazana) and priests (abayegarya), led by the Wambar (literally “seat”), their religious and political figure. Monthly and annual festivals, as well as other more private ceremonies, require their participation. On these occasions, they perform prayers, chants, and dances in a ritual called Qedassie (one of the Agaw cultural traditions now adopted by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church).
An Example of the Habeshanization Process of the Agaw
During the Oromo liberation movement against the Habeshanization of the Oromo by the Christian Kingdom in southern Ethiopia in the 16th century, the entire Amharic-speaking Christian population had to flee and cram into a small area consisting of Tigray and the territory north of the Blue Nile. Consequently, the Emperor—whose dynasty originated in Amhara-Angot-Shoa, having lost his base population and power base—moved his throne to the newly conquered and Christianized Agaw and Falasha regions north of Lake Tana between Dembiya and Welqait. This region became known as the new Amhara, signifying not the “Amhara tribe” (as the region remained predominantly Agaw), but the central region from which the Emperor ruled his empire. Consequently, Amharic—the “lesane Negus” or “language of the Negus”—spread rapidly and established its supremacy together with Orthodox Christianity. This was also where the Emperor founded his new capital at Gondar. Thus, the new “Amhara” region between Dembiya and Welqait was thoroughly conquered, Christianized, and Amharized, permanently cutting out any Tigray influence west of the Tekeze River at that time.
Capital City
The capital city of Agawia is Gondar—the ancient capital of Abyssinia. Gondar is now a city and separate woreda. It is located north of Lake Tana on the Lesser Angereb River and southwest of the Simien Mountains. It lies at latitude 12°36′N and longitude 37°28′E, with an elevation of 2,133 meters above sea level. Gondar previously served as the capital of both the Abyssinian Empire and the subsequent Begemder province. The city holds the remains of several royal castles, including those in Fasil Ghebbi (the royal enclosure), for which Gondar has been called the “Camelot of Africa.”
The Land and Its Topography
Most of western, southern, and central Agawia is green, fertile land. Centuries of erosion, deforestation, and overgrazing have left some parts, especially the eastern areas, with dry and treeless plains, hills, and plateaus. Nevertheless, an amazing landscape of mountain chains ranging from 3,250 to 4,300 meters, cliffs, ledges, and precipices are natural attractions of the region. The elevation rises from 600 to 4,300 meters above sea level; the Tekeze Gorge is 550 meters above sea level; the “Kisad Gudo” peak is 3,935 meters above sea level; and Rasdashin mountain exceeds 4,300 meters. These features are classified into the central highland, the western lowland, and eastern escarpments. The climate of the state is characterized as “Qolla” (semi-arid), “Woyina Dega” (warm temperate), and “Dega” (temperate). Average annual rainfall ranges between 450 and 980 mm. The Blue Nile, Angereb, Tekeze, and Mereb rivers, all international rivers, pass through Agawia with their sources in the Agawia and Eritrean mountains. The Blue Nile and Tekeze are promising sources of hydroelectric power. Agawia is one of the richest areas in the Horn in mineral resources. Some explored metallic minerals include gold, copper, iron ore, zinc, lead, nickel, and asbestos. Non-metallic minerals include silica sand, kaolin, graphite, gypsum, gemstones, marble, mica, granite, and asbestos.
Language
The Agaw people speak the Agaw language in different dialects across the four enclaves of Agawia, as listed below. Agaw-Awngi (spoken by the Awi), Xamtanga (spoken by the Xamta), Qemnaty (spoken by the Qemant), and, of course, Amharic, Tigrinya, and Tigre—which are also Afro-Asiatic languages but belong to the Semitic branch—are spoken by most of the assimilated Agaw. The Agaw dialects belong to the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family. The surviving subgroups are: the Northern Agaw, known as Bilen, with capital Keren; the Western Agaw, known as Qemant, with capital Gondar; the Eastern Agaw, known as Xamta, with capital Soqota; and the Southern Agaw, known as Awi, with capital Injibara. All who became victims of assimilation speak Amharic in Gondar and Lasta, as well as Tigrinya in Tigray and Eritrea.
Religion
Most Agaw follow an Orthodox, syncretistic form of Christianity; some practice Christo-pagan religion; and others follow traditional Cushitic religion (belief in one Adera = God). Among all Agaw, the Qemant have close historical ties with the Beta Israel and followed a Hebraic religion with elements of Judaism. Today, only about 1% adhere to the Qemant religion, while 99% are Orthodox Christians.
In their traditional religion, the Qemant believe in one God, assisted by angels, heroes, and holy figures. Spirits and genii loci also play important roles in their spiritual life. The Qemant pantheon adopted (and adapted) biblical figures like Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and his wife, Abraham, and Moses. However, they do not have any written literature. They believe in souls, good and evil, judgment day, and everlasting life in heaven. God is good but can also be violent. Prayers sanctify and keep Saytan away. Hermits (maheyen) were highly venerated in the past. Ritual places (shuwen sebra) are always located on hilltops or in sacred groves (degna), each dedicated to cultural heroes.
According to tradition, the sacred groves are innumerable, from Canaan to Ethiopia. Traditional Qemant pray upon waking (shuwen faynu), before drinking and eating (gawten), before and after work (qidus), and at bedtime. They fast from the eve until the end of each ceremony. They observe strict purity laws, limiting contact with their non-Qemant neighbors. Similarly, their diet excludes pork, fish, wounded animals, and mixing flesh with milk. With their Jewish neighbors, who also observed strict dietary laws, they shared injera (traditional crepe), fruits, and vegetables. While religion is passed by birth, proselytism was not practiced, though conversion was permitted. The Qemant religion combines traditional, many Hebraic, and some Christian elements that cannot be summarized under one definition; their religious practices and beliefs form a unique whole.
History
The Agaw are perhaps first mentioned in a 3rd-century AD Aksumite inscription and recorded by Cosmas Indicopleustes in the 6th century. The inscription refers to a people called “Athagaus” (or Athagaous), perhaps from Ad Agaw, meaning sons of Agaw. The Athagaous first appear as one of the peoples conquered by an unknown king who inscribed the Monumentum Adulitanum. The Agaw are later mentioned in inscriptions of the 4th-century Agaw-Aksumite King Ezana and the 6th-century Agaw King Kaleb. Based on this evidence, many experts support a theory first stated by Edward Ullendorff and Carlo Conti Rossini that the Agaw are the original inhabitants of much of the northern Ethiopian highlands, and were mostly assimilated and converted to the Semitic-speaking Tigray-Tigrinya and Amhara peoples. Cosmas Indicopleustes also noted in his Christian Topography that a major gold trade route passed through the Agaw region.
This area seems to be west of the Tekezé River and just south of the Semien Mountains, perhaps around Lake Tana. The surviving Agaw currently speak Agaw languages in scattered enclaves, including the Bilen around Keren in Eritrea; the Qemant and Qwara near Gondar in north Gondar Zone, west of the Tekezé River and north of Lake Tana; groups around Dangila in the Agaw Awi Zone south of Lake Tana; and another group around Soqota in the former province of Wollo. The Cushitic-speaking Agaw ruled as a non-Solomonic dynasty during the Zagwe dynasty of Ethiopia from about 900 to 1270. The dynasty’s name itself comes from the Ge’ez phrase Ze-Agaw (meaning ‘of Agaw’), referring to the Agaw people.
Culture
Most cultural elements now associated with the Amhara and Tigray peoples originally belong to the Agaw. The iskista dance of Gondar originates from Qemant-Agaw; the drumbeat of Tigray is that of Axumite Agaw; the Qedassie ritual in the Orthodox Church is adopted from Agaw traditional religion; and the Ashenda festival, now celebrated in Tigray, is a typical Agaw-Cushitic cultural tradition.
Qedassie, meaning ‘make holy,’ is central to Agaw religious tradition. It is performed weekly (on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays), for monthly and annual festivals, and for funerals. Its general structure is slightly modified for each occasion. For tazkar, the ritual is most complete. The performance of Qedassie is strictly reserved for priests of the Agaw traditional religion; the congregation’s role is limited to attendance.
Ashenda or Shadey (a tradition similar to the Oromo Ingiccaa) is celebrated in August throughout Agawia. Ashenda marks the end of a two-week fast known as Filseta, when adherents of the Orthodox Tewahedo Church honor the Virgin Mary.
Ashenda is an Agawinya word meaning tall green grass, estimated at 80–90 cm minimum height. In this festival’s tradition, blades of grass are strewn on the floors of homes and shops as a kind of welcome mat. The festival has different local names: in Enderta it is called Ashenda, celebrated August 16–21; in Wag Hemra Zone, Shaday; in Raya Qobo (Agaw-influenced Oromia), Solel, celebrated August 16; in Adigrat, Mariya, celebrated August 15–17; and in Aksum, Ayniwari, celebrated August 23–25. Ashenda has cultural, religious, and economic importance, encouraging industriousness. Once primarily a young girls’ festival, it has since gained widespread recognition throughout Agawia.
Resources and Economy
About 85% of the population are farmers. Main crops include teff, wheat, corn, sorghum, barley, niger seed, flaxseed, and sesame. Other agricultural products include pulses, beans, lentils, onions, vegetables, fruits, and potatoes. Irrigation and terrace farming are practiced on steep slopes. The region is also known for exports of cotton, incense, sesame, and minerals. Millions of hectares of land in Agawia are cultivable; about two million hectares are currently cultivated, and 850,000 hectares are terraced.
Handicrafts such as goldsmithing, painting, and wood sculpture are practiced in historic cities. Industry is minimal but growing, including equipment manufacturing and industrial engineering companies. The region has a pharmaceutical factory, textile factory, cement factory, laser tanning factory, marble cutting factory, flour mill, nail factory, water purification plant, and a small shoe factory. Most new enterprises are small to medium scale. Industry, including mining and quarry manufacturing, has grown to incorporate water, electricity, and construction activities.
Power supply was previously dependent on generators. However, by summer 1998, the region was connected to the national grid. The Tekeze project, expected to generate about 310 megawatts, has improved the region’s power supply. Telecommunications have also improved over recent years.
Political Objective
The fundamental political objective of the Agaw people is to exercise their inalienable right to national self-determination, to liberate themselves from a century of oppression and exploitation, and to form, where possible, a political union with other nations based on equality, respect for mutual interests, and voluntary association. The union they envision may be called Ethiopia, Cushland, Oromia, Agawia, or otherwise.
Agaw-Midir and its people have been victims of three millennia of anti-Cushitism. Agaw nationalists struggle to stop this ethno-phobic Ethiopiawinet. True Ethiopia equals Cush. For thousands of years, systematic anti-Cushitism has prevailed. Western elites and their Abyssinian allies constructed an ethno-phobic Ethiopia (anti-Cushitic Ethiopia) with 3,000 years of pseudo “glorious history.” Key features of this ethno-phobic Ethiopian movement include:
Denying Cushitic civilization or attributing it to non-Cushitic peoples; for example, both Egyptian and Axumite civilizations are attributed to Semites.
Assigning Cushitic leaders fake ancestries to claim Solomonic dynasty origins; thus all Agaw kings of the Axum empire are regarded as non-Agaw Semites from Solomon’s lineage.
Undermining Cushitic culture and languages in a Cushitic country like Ethiopia; effectively a cultural and linguistic genocide against the Agaw.
Systematically weakening Cushitic religion—belief in one Adera (similar to Waaqeffanna).
Purposely denying federal working language status to main Cushitic languages like Afan Oromo and Agawinya to undermine Ethiopia’s Cushitic heritage.
Misclassifying Cushitic peoples; for example, many groups labeled Omotic or Ethiosemitic are actually Cushitic.
Habeshanized elites, masked as Ethiopiawinet, fight against the liberation forces of the Cushites; their version of Ethiopiawinet is actually ethno-phobic.
True Ethiopiawinet (Kushawinet) loves Agaw and Agawinet, but Habeshanized elites preach Ethiopiawinet that is in practice Agaw-phobic.
Because of this confusion between pseudo-Ethiopiawinet and true Ethiopiawinet, Oromo nationals prefer calling the current Ethiopia Oromia, just as they renamed Addis Ababa to Finfinne. Similarly, Agaw nationals do not have to accept the de-Cushiticized pseudo-Ethiopia but must struggle for the renaissance of true Ethiopiawinet with all its Cushitic elements—on the grave of the now flourishing Habeshawinet, the main component of the daily preached ethno-phobic Ethiopiawinet.
Two Cushitic elements to be revived are Agaw culture and Agaw language throughout Agaw-Midir, not just in the small enclaves where Agawinya is still spoken.
Galatooma!
Read more: https://orompia.wordpress.com/2020/06/2 ... s-loading/