Department: History and Heritage Management

I. Course Info.
 Course Name: History of Ethiopia and the Horn
 Course Code: Hist. 102
 Credit Hours: 3crs with 5ECTS
 Contact Hours: 3
 Year: I
 Semester: II

II .Course Description

This course is a common course given to Higher Learning Institutions Students/HLIS. Students
will learn about the role of history in human life and goals of studying history. Students will also
learn the importance of history in nation building and the making of identity in time and space.
This course covers the major historical processes in Ethiopia and the Horn. The course is also
concerned with how the sociocultural, religious, economic and political experiences of the past
are interwoven in the making of the current Ethiopia and the Horn. It is useful to know how
personalities helped change the scenario, and how societies, peoples and the world that we live in
have changed over time and its implication for history of Ethiopia and the Horn. It is helpful to
understand history as a base for shaping and bettering of the future.

III. Course Objectives

The general objective of the course is to acquaint students with historical processes in Ethiopia.
Specifically, after completing the course, students will be able to:

 distinguish meaning, nature and uses of history

 identify pertinent sources for the history of the peoples of Ethiopia and the Horn

 describe changes & continuities that unfolded in Ethiopia and the Horn

 elucidate the causes, courses and consequences of events happened in the region

 explain the nature of the region’s external contacts and their effects
 appreciate peoples‟ achievements, heritages and cultural diversities of the region

IV. Expected Learning Outcomes This course enables students to:

 comprehend the general concepts of history

 analyze relevant sources for History of Ethiopia and the Horn

 understand Ethiopia and the Horn in relation to human evolution and Neolithic Revolution

 assess the various socio-cultural and political achievements in civilizations of the region

 trace the origin and developments of states in the region during the ancient period .

Introduction to the Module

This teaching material is prepared for a common course given to Students of Higher Learning
Institutions. The purpose is to help students understand a history of Ethiopia and the Horn from
ancient times to 1995 as a base for shaping and bettering the future. The module generally
focuses on major topics in the history of Ethiopia and the Horn including social, cultural,
economic, and political developments and their interrelations. The contents of the module
consider the chronology and thematic relations of events in time and space. To make this course
inclusive and representative, the module also includes regional histories across the period.

The module is divided into seven units each of which has its own specific objectives. The first
unit defines history, describes why history is important, how history is studied and introduces the
region of Ethiopia and the Horn. The second unit seeks to explain peoples and cultures in the
region.

Unit One
Introduction (3 hours)
1.1. The Nature and Uses of History
1.2. Sources and Methods of Historical Study
1.3. The History of Historical Writing in Ethiopia and the Horn
1.4. The Geographical Context of Human History in Ethiopia and the Horn
Unit Two
Peoples and Cultures in Ethiopia and the Horn
2.1. Human Evolution
2.2. Neolithic Revolution
2.3. The Peopling of the Region
2.4. Religion and Religious Processes
Unit Three
Polities, Economy and Socio-Cultural Processes in Ethiopia and the Horn to the End of the 13 th
Century
3.1. Evolution of States
3.2. Ancient Polities
3.3. External Contacts
3.4. Economic Formations
3.5. Socio-cultural Achievements
Unit Four
Politics, Economy and Socio-Cultural Processes from the Late Thirteenth to the beginning of
the Sixteenth Centuries (6 hours)
4.1. The “Restoration” of the “Solomonic’’ Dynasty
4.2. Power Struggle, Consolidation, Territorial and Religious Expansion of the Christian Kingdom

4.3. Political and Socio-Economic Dynamics of Muslim Sultanates

4.4. Rivalry between the Christian Kingdom and the Muslim Sultanates
4.5. External Relations
Unit Five
Politics, Economy and Socio-Cultural Processes from Early Sixteenth to the End of the
Eighteenth Centuries (10 hrs)
5.1. Interaction and Conflicts between the Christian Kingdom and the Sultanate of Adal 84
5.2. Foreign Interventions and Religious Controversies
5.3. Population Movements
5.4. Interaction and Integration across Ethnic and Religious Diversities
5.5. Peoples and States in Eastern, Central, Southern and Western Regions
5.6. The Period of Gondar (1636-1769) and Zemene-Mesafint / Era of the Princes (1769-1855)
Unit Six
Internal Interactions and External Relations in Ethiopia and the Horn, 1800-1941 (10 hours)

6.1. The Nature of Interactions among Peoples and States of Ethiopia and the Horn
6.2. Power Rivalry
6.3. The Making of Modern Ethiopian State
6.4. Modernization Attempts
6.5. Socio-Economic Issues/Developments
6.6. External Relations: Challenges and Threats
Unit Seven
Internal Developments and External Relations, 1941–1994 (5 hours)
7.1. Post-1941 Imperial Period
7.2. The Derg Regime (1974-1991)
7.3. Historical Developments, 1991-