History Grade 10: Africa and the Modern Ethiopian State

Vocabulary flashcards focusing on characters, treaties, administrative policies, and major events in African and Ethiopian history between the late 19th century and 1941.

Scramble for Africa

A fierce rivalry, massive and rapid colonial expansion of Europeans in Africa from the $1880s$ to the first decade of the $20th$ century.

Berlin Conference

A meeting held from $1884$ to $1885$ in Berlin, Germany, led by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, to divide Africa among European powers.

Principle of effective occupation

According to Article $35$ of the Berlin Conference, colonial powers could acquire rights over lands only if they possessed them through treaties, flags, and established administrations.

Doctrine of the Sphere of Influence

According to Article $34$ of the Berlin Conference, any fresh act of taking possession of any portion of the African coast would have to be notified to other signatory powers.

Company Rule

A method of administration where private companies, formed by businessmen, were granted large African territories to exploit natural resources from the $1880s$ to $1924$.

John Cecil Rhodes

The businessman in control of the British South Africa Company ($B.S.A.C$) who dominated the world's diamond production and served as Prime Minister of the British Cape Colony.

Assimilation policy

A French colonial policy designed by Albert Sarrout that accepted the inherent superiority of French culture and aimed to turn Africans into French citizens through education.

Indirect Rule

A British system of governance, architected by Frederick Lugard, that used indigenous African rulers and customary law within the colonial administration.

The Dual Mandate in British tropical Africa

A book published in $1922$ by Frederick Lugard explaining that indirect rule was the cheapest and most effective way to administer colonies.

Settlers Rule

A system where Europeans settled in Africa, displacing indigenous people and taking fertile lands, such as the white highlands in Kenya.

Samori Ture

A Muslim leader of the Mandinka Empire who engaged the French in protracted armed resistance from $1882$ to $1898$.

The Maji-Maji Uprising

The most significant African challenge to German colonial rule in Tanganyika from $1905$ to $1907$, involving $20$ different ethnic groups.

Kinjikitle Ngwale

A prophet in Tanganyika who led the Maji-Maji Uprising and taught that sacred water would turn enemy bullets into water.

Rinderpest disease

A disease introduced by settlers that affected livestock in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and North Ethiopia during the period of Kefu Qen.

Amole

Salt bars that served as a principal medium of exchange in the long-distance trade of $19th$ century Ethiopia.

Maria Theresa Thalers ($MTT$)

A coin introduced from Austria to the Horn of Africa by Arab traders at the end of the $18th$ century, used as a medium of exchange.

Jabarti

Northern Muslim merchants who were dominant travelers in Ethiopia's long-distance trade.

Afqala

Southwestern Muslim Oromo merchants active in the $19th$ century long-distance trade.

Battle of Ayshal

A battle on June $29$, $1853$, where Kassa Hailu defeated Ras Ali II, symbolizing the end of the Zemene Mesafint.

Sebastopol

A famous mortar produced at the Gafat arms manufacture with the help of European missionaries under Emperor Tewodros II.

Sir Robert Napier

The commander of the large British military expedition sent in late $1867$ to free European captives held by Emperor Tewodros II.

Council of Boru Meda

A religious council in $1878$ presided over by Yohannes IV where Tewahdo was declared the only doctrine of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church.

Hewett Treaty

An $1884$ agreement between Ethiopia, Britain, and Egypt where Ethiopia facilitated the evacuation of Egyptian soldiers from Sudan in exchange for the use of Massawa.

Treaty of Wuchale

An $1889$ treaty between Ethiopia and Italy; Article $XVII$ contained a discrepancy between the Amharic and Italian versions regarding Ethiopia's use of Italian offices for foreign dealings.

Battle of Adwa

A decisive victory for Ethiopian forces on March $1$, $1896$, where they defeated the Italian army, resulting in the recognition of Ethiopia as a sovereign state.

Tripartite Treaty of 1906

An agreement between Britain, France, and Italy that defined their spheres of influence in Ethiopia, assuming the country would fall into disorder if Menilek II died.

Lebashay

An indigenous institution of magical thief catchers that was outlawed by Lij Iyasu.

Quragna

A traditional system of tying plaintiffs and defenders together, which was removed during the reforms of Lij Iyasu.

Diarchy

A period of dual governance from $1916$ to $1930$ where power was shared between Empress Zewditu and Ras Teferi Mekonnen.

1931 Constitution

The first written constitution of Ethiopia, which established the legal basis for Emperor Haile Selassie's autocratic rule.

Walawal incident

A clash between Ethiopian and Italian forces on December $5$, $1934$, that served as a pretext for the Italian invasion of Ethiopia.

Arbegnoch

Ethiopian resistance fighters, also known as Patriots, who challenged the Italian occupation through traditional battles and guerrilla warfare.

Yewust Arbegnoch

Inner patriots who lived in towns and worked with the Italians while passing vital intelligence and supplies to the fighters in the bushes.

Graziani Massacre

A massacre in February $1937$ where approximately $30,000$ Ethiopians were killed by Italian forces following an assassination attempt on Viceroy Rodolfo Graziani.

Gideon Force

A joint army led by Major General Orde Charles Wingate, Brigadier General Daniel Sandford, and Emperor Haile Selassie that entered Gojjam in April $1941$.