ETHNIC INTERACTION: THE CASE OF OROMO AND AMHARA IN WESTERN ETHIOPIA

Since ancient time the peoples of Ethiopia have been in closer interaction.The scope and dimension of this interaction seem to have been broadened as a result of the Oromo expansion of the 16th c.that brought them face to face with various peoples of the region.The Amhara were one of the people with whom the Oromo came into contact.Since then the two peoples have been interacting in various aspects. Unfortunately,this theme has not been well studied. This book,therefore,fills this gap by examining in depth the Oromo-Amhara relations in western Ethiopia in the 19th and 20th c.The major themes dealt in the book are settlement of the Oromo in western Ethiopia and their early contacts with the Amhara across the Abbay River;Oromo-Amhara relations between the 1840s and 1870s;Amhara hegemony over the Oromo between the 1870s and 1935;and patterns of Oromo–Amhara relations during the Fascist occupation of Ethiopia.This book could be of use to scholars as a source for a better understanding of the Oromo-Amhara relations.It could also serve policy makers to design pertinent policy that may enhance political stability in a pluralistic society.