ከፍያለው አባተ (ዶ/ር)[1]
መግቢያ
የሀገራቸውን ታሪክ በቅጡ ሳያውቁ እድሜያቸውን ካሳለፉት (የተማሩ) ኢትዮጵያዊያን መካከል አንዱ እኔ ነኝ። “ክፉ ጐረቤት ልባም ያደርጋል” እንደሚባለው፤ ይህ የራሱን ኢትዮጵያዊነት ሳይቀር ጥያቄ ውስጥ ያስገባ መንግሥት፤ ስለሀገራችን ታሪክ (በተለይ ስለጥንታዊ ታሪካችን) እንዳቅሜ እንዳነብና እንዳሰላስል አድርጐኛል። አንባቢዎች እንደምትረዱት ይህ (የኢሕአዴግ) መንግሥት ሀገሪቱን በጐሳ ከፋፍሎ የኢትዮጵያን ቀጣይነትና የሕዝቦቿን መልካም ግንኙነት መሸርሸር ከጀመረ ወዲህ፤ ገና አሀዱ ብለን አዲስ ሀገር የምንቆረቁር ይመስል፤ ሀ) የኢትዮጵያን ምንነት (ትርጉም) ለ)የኢትዮጵያን እድሜ (ጥንታዊነት) እና ሐ) ኢትዮጵያዊነትን (ዜግነትን) መነጋገሪያ አደርገናቸዋል። እንዲያውም ከመነጋገሪያነት አልፈው መነታረኪያ ሁነዋል። ንትርኩን በተመለከተ ስለአማራና ኦሮሞ “እውነተኛ” የዘር ታሪክ የጻፉት ፕሮፌሰር ፍቅሬ ቶሎሳና ከኢሳት ጋዜጠኛ (ከወንድማገኝ ጐሹ) ጋር ቃለ ምልልስ ያደረጉት ፕሮፌሰር ሀይሌ ላሬቦ የቅርብ ጊዜ/ትኩስ (ምናልባትም ገና ያላቋረጡ) ምሳሌዎች ናቸው።
በውሱኑ የታሪክ ንባቤ እንደተረዳሁት፤ በእቅድ (ሆን ተብሎ) ይሁን ወይም ባጋጣሚ (ባለማወቅ) ይህን “ኢትዮጵያ” የተሰኘ ጥንታዊ ቃል ሌሎች (የውጭ ዜጐች) እንደሚረዱት እኛ አልተረዳነውም። ተምረናል የምንለው ኢትዮጵያዊያን (ስለጥንታዊት ኢትዮጵያ የሚጽፉት አንዳንድ የታሪክ ባለሙያዎቻችን ጭምር) ስለ ጥንታዊት ኢትዮጵያ አንድ ወጥ የሆነ ግንዛቤ (perception) ያለን አልመሰለኝም። አንድ ወጥ ግንዛቤ ባለመኖሩም የተነሳ የጥንት ኢትዮጵያ ጉዳይ በተወሳ ቁጥር መደናገር ይታያል። “ኢትዮጵያ” የሚለው ቃል በተወሳ ቁጥር የኛን ሀገርና እኛን(ዜጐቿን) ብቻ የሚመለከት ይመስለናል። ግን አይደለም።
እኔ እንደተረዳሁት “ኢትዮጵያ” የተሰኘው ቃል የተለያየ ሀሳብ (concepts) ያዘለ ልዩ ልዩ ትርጉም ያለው ቃል ነው።
- ኢትዮጵያ እንደ ቀለም መለያ ሁኖ የጥቁር ሕዝቦች መጠሪያ/መታወቂያ በመሆን ለብዙ ዘመናት ሲያገለግል የኖረ ነው።
- ኢትዮጵያ እንደ ሀገር መጠሪያ (ስም) ሁኖ ሲያገለግል ቆይቷል፤ አሁንም እያገለገለ ነው።
- ኢትዮጵያ በሰሜን ኬንትሮስና (tropic of Cancer) በደቡብ ኬንትሮስ (tropic of Capricorn) መካከል ለሚገኙት የአፍሪካ እጽዋትና እንስሳት አጠቃላይ መጠሪያ (መለያ) የሆነ ቃል ነው።
“ኢትዮጵያ” የተሰኘው አንድ ቃል የተለያየ ትርጉም ይዞ ለተለያየ ጉዳይ ጥቅም ላይ መዋሉ ራሱን የቻለ መደናገርን ይፈጥራል። ታዲያ ይህች ጽሑፍ የታዘብኩትን መደናገር (ሲሆን) ጨርሶ በማስወገድ ያለዚያ ደግሞ በማቃለል አስተዋጽኦ እንደምታደርግ ተስፋ አለኝ።
በተራ ቁጥር አንድ የመደብኩት ኢትዮጵያ የጥቁር ሕዝቦች ሁሉ መለያ/መጠሪያ ስለሆነ በጥቁርነታችን እኛንም ያካትታል። ስለሆነም ስለኢትዮጵያና ስለኢትዮጵያዊነት የተተረኩና የተመዘገቡ (ክፉም ደግም) ጉዳዮች ካሉ (በጥቁርነታችን) ከዓለም ጥቁር ሕዝቦች ጋር አብረን የምንጋራቸው ናቸው። በተራ ቁጥር ሁለት የመደብኩት ኢትዮጵያ የሀገራችን የግል መጠሪያ ስለሆነ በዜግነት የምንታወቅበት የግል መለያችን/መታወቂያችን ነው። የሀገራችን ዜጋ ያልሆነውን ጥቁር ሕዝብ አይጨምርም። እኛ ግን በተራ ቁጥር አንድም ሆነ በተራ ቁጥር ሁለት የመደብኳቸው ኢትዮጵያነት ስለሚመለከቱን (በበጐውም በክፉውም) ከሌላው ጥቁር ሕዝብ የተለየ/የበለጠ ቦታ ይኖረናል። የእኛ ኢትዮጵያዊነት እጥፍ ድርብ ነው፤ በጥቁረትም በሀገር ዜግነትም ኢትይዮጵያዊያን ስለሆንን።
በዚች ጽሑፍ ላካፍላችሁ የፈለግሁት በአንደኛው ተራ ቁጥር የመደብኩትን ኢትዮጵያ ብቻ የሚመለከት ይሆናል። በተራ ቁጥር ሁለትና ሦስት የተመደቡትን በተራቸው (ሲመቸኝ) ላንባቢዎች ለማስተላለፍ ምኞት አለኝ። በዚህ ጽሑፍ ውስጥ “ኢትዮጵያ” የሚለው ቃል (የተለየ መግለጫ ካልተሰጠው በስተቀር) ጥቁር ሕዝቦችን ሁሉ የሚወክል እንጂ ሀገራችን የሚወክል አይደለም።
የኢትዮጵያ ጥሬ ትርጉም
በተለያዩ ጽሑፎች (S. Munro Hay, 2002, R. Pankhurst, 2001, D.N. Levine, 2000, J. E. Harris, 1998, L.E. Barrett (Sr.), 1992, Graham Hancock, 1992, በሌሎችም) እንደምናነበው “ኢትዮጵያ” (Aethiopia) ማለት በግሪክኛ የተቃጠለ ፊት (burnt face) ማለት ነው። ቃል በቃል ከተረጐምነው ፊተ-ጠባሳ ማለት ይሆናል። ነገር ግን ይህንን ግሪካዊ ቃል በርካታ (የጥንትም ሆኑ የቅርብ ጊዜ) ምሁራን የተረጐሙት “ጥቁር” በሚል ነው። በፈረንጆች እይታ የቀይ ዳማውም፤ ጠይሙም ምድቡ ያው “ጥቁር” ነው[2]። ስለዚህ “ኢትዮጵያ” የተሰኘው ቃል (እኛን ጨምሮ) ለጥቁር ሕዝቦች ሁሉ መጠሪያ ሁኖ ሲያገለግል የኖረ ነው።
“ኢትዮጵያ” የተሰኘው ቃል ለጥቁር ሕዝቦች መጠሪያ፣ መለያና መታወቂያ ሁኖ ሲያገለግል ለመኖሩ (ከላይ ከተጠቀሱት ምንጮች በተጨማሪ) ጥቂቶቹ (በእንግሊዝኛ) እንደሚከተለው ተዘርዝረዋል።
- In ancient times “African” and “Ethiopian” meant the same thing: A Black. This of course, was before the Caucasians began to reorder the earth to suit themselves and found it necessary to stake their birthright over the Land of the Blacks. (Chancellor Williams, 1987, pp.30-31).
- —– Africans were collectively called Ethiopians, — (R.O. Collins and J.M. Burns, 2007, p.175)
- An Ethiopian was a person whose skin color was considerably darker than the inhabitants of the Greco-Roman world (J. Harris, 1998, p.34)
- In the earliest Greek edition of the Bible, the Hebrew term ‘Cush’ was translated as ‘Ethiopia’ and was used to refer to the entire Nile Valley south of Egypt, including Nubia and Abyssinia (Graham Hancock, 1992, 449-450).
- The term Ethiopia is of Greek origin, and in classical times was used as a generic and rather diffuse designation for the African land mass to the south of Egypt (Bahru Zewde, 2000, p.1).
- For Greeks and Romans generally, Ethiopians meant dark skinned peoples who lived south of Egypt (D.N. Levine, 2000, p.1).
- For Greco-Latin authors and their medieval successors, Aethiopia characterized the part of the African continent inhabited by dark-skinned people. Aethiopia is thus defined by its population whose skin color would be essential for the elaboration of the images of Aethiopia. (Edith Bruder, 2008, p. 25).
- To the classical authors of the Greek, Hellenistic and Roman world, the Kingdom of Kush and the geographical area were called Ethiopia, and the people Ethiopians – meaning ‘burnt-faced persons’. The use of this term in modern context, however, is rather confusing as the Kushites and peoples occupying the Ethiopian highlands had very little in common. (Derek A. Welsby, 1996, p.7).
- It seems certain that classical historians and geographers called the whole region from India to Egypt, both countries inclusive, by the name of “Ethiopia”, and in consequence they regarded all the dark-skinned and black peoples who inhabited it as “Ethiopians”. Mention is made of “Eastern” and “Western” Ethiopians, and it is probable that the Easterners were Asiatics, and the Westerners Africans (Wallis Budge, 1928, p.Vii).
- Homer, the eighth century B.C. author of the Iliad and the Odyssey and Herodotus, the learned historian of the fifth century B.C. classified the populations of Sudan, Egypt, Palestine, Arabia, Mesopotamia (i.e. Iraq and Syria) and India as Ethiopians. (Robin Walker, 2011, p.578).
- The land of the Blacks (Africa) was a vast land; a big world. It covers 12,000,000 square miles. From its northern most point in what is now Tunisia to Cape Agulhas (southern tip of Africa) is approximately 5,000 miles; and in its widest extent from east to west it is 4,600 miles. The whole of this second largest continent was once called Bilad es Sudan, “the Land of the Blacks,” and not just the southern region to which the black people had been steadily pushed from the north. After Asian, Greek and Roman occupations, the term “Sudan” came to indicate the areas not yet taken from the Blacks and was co-extensive with the Ethiopian Empire. For the Ethiopian Empire once extended from the Mediterranean north and southward to the source of the Nile in the country of Abyssinia which recently reverted to the ancient name of the Ethiopian Empire of which in earlier times it formed its southeastern provinces. Even as late as the time of Menes, 3,100 B.C. Ethiopia still included three-fourths of Egypt, or up to the twenty-ninth degrees North Parallel. The Asians held the Delta region; hence, the “Two Lands”. (Chancellor Williams, 1987, p.44)
- “Ethiopians” (a Greek term) or Kushites/Cushites (the Hebrew equivalent) were first and at one time the only inhabitants of western and southern Asia. Descendants of the early dispersals of Africans across the globe, these were the Blacks described by Georg, Budge, Lugard, Palmer. Al-Jahiz, Balfour, Keith and Rawlinson. Skeletal remains of them date back 95,000 years or more. By 10,000 B.C. the Natufian Culture was established in the region, primarily in Palestine, Dr. Charles Finch suggests that it was the parent of the later civilizations that followed, such as Sumer (Iraq), Elam (Iran), Arabia Felix (Yemen) and the Indus Valley (India/Pakistan). (Robin Walker, 2011, pp.583-584).
- There were two Ethiopian nations in ancient times (eastern Ethiopia and western Ethiopia). There was an Ethiopian civilization in southern Mesopotamia (Babylon), but the people in this region did not use their tribal name, Ethiopia, to designate their nationality. They called themselves by the name of the cities that they constructed and inhabited, or they called themselves by an event that happened there; for example, God confused the language of the people at the Tower of Babel (Babel means confusion in Hebrew). This is why the Ethiopian tribes called themselves Babylonians, referring to the city that they constructed. The people who resided in the lower part of the Tigris, Euphrates Valley were Ethiopians, black in complexion. We read in Genesis 10:8 “ Cush begat Nimrod; —“ The word Cush means Ethiopia, and Cush was the father of the Ethiopians. Nimrod was a mighty Ethiopian conqueror and builder in the land of Shinar (Sumer). Nimrod ruled over such cities as Babylon, Erech and Accad. “And the sons of Cush; Seba and Havilah, —-“. Now we have learned that Havilah was the son of Cush, who was an Ethiopian. (Windsor, 2003. pp. 16-17).
- Cush means black (Windsor, 2003, p.16). It also refers to Cush the son of Ham. The children of Cush are called Cushites who appeared to have spread along tracts extending from the Nile to the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. There is more than adequate evidence that the ancient nations of Babylon, Akkadia, Sumer, the Chaldea were inhabited by Cushite tribes (Ethiopians), on all sides of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. (Rudolph R. Windsor, 2003, p.16). Those Cushites who lived in lower Mesopotamia during pre-Semitic times were eastern Ethiopians. These Sumerians or Ethiopians and their kindred appear to have settled along tracts from Mesopotamia to India. This area now includes southern Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and north-west India. There is blood relationship between the Dravidian tribes of India and the Ethiopian Sumerians. The Sumerian civilization preceded the Babylonian. The Sumerians founded cities that existed more than 4,,000 years B.C. such as: Eridu, Lagsh, Nippur, Kish and Ur. (Rudolph R. Windsor, 2003. P. 17).
ከላይ (በተራ ቁጥር 12፣ 13፣ 14) እንደተጠቀሰው “ኩሽ” የሚለው የእብራዊያን ቃልና “ኢትዮጵያ” የተሰኘው የግሪክ ቃል ትርጉማቸው አንድ ነው። የሁለቱም ቃሎች ትርጉም “ጥቁር” ማለት ነው። ኢትዮጵያ የተሰኘው ቃል በጥቁር ሕዝቦች ታሪክ ውስጥ (ከኩሽ የበለጠ) በሰፊው ጥቅም ላይ ከመዋሉ በስተቀር፣ ኩሽ የተሰኘው ቃልና ኢትዮጵያ የተሰኘው ቃል ልዩነት የላቸውም።
በተራ ቁጥር 10 እንደሚታየው የነዚህ ሕዝቦች ታሪክ ጥንታዊ አፍሪካዊያንን በሙሉ፣ ጥንታዊ ደቡብ እስያንና ጥንታዊ ሕንዶችን ያጠቃልላል። እንዲያውም እንደ ጀራርድ ማሴይ (Gerard Massey) ከሆነ የጥንታዊ ጥቁር ሕዝቦች ታሪክ ጥንታዊ ቻይናን፣ በአውስትራሊያና በፓሲፊክ ውቅያኖስ ደሴቶች ውስጥ የሚገኙትን ጥቁር ሕዝቦች ሁሉ ይጨምራል። ከግብጽ ጀምሮ በአፍሪካ ውስጥ የነበሩ (የኩሽ፣ የካርቴጅ፣ የአክሱም) ጥንታዊ ሥልጣኔዎች፣ በደቡብ እስያ አብበው የነበሩ (የባቢሎን፣ የሱመር፣ የቻልዲ ሥልጣኔዎች በኢራቅ፤ የኤላም ሥልጣኔ በኢራን፣ የኢንዱስ ሸለቆ፣ የሀራፓ ሥልጣኔ በፓኪስታንና በምእራባዊ ሕንድ እስከ ሙምባይ ድረስ) ሥልጣኔዎች ሁሉ (በአርያኖች/Aryans፣ በሞንጐሎች/Mongolians እና በሴማዊያን ከመወረራቸው በፊት የጥንታዊ ጥቁር ሕዝቦች (የኢትዮጵያዊያን) ሥልጣኔዎች እንደነበሩ ቻንስለር ዊሊያምስ (Chancellor Williams, 1987); ሮቢን ወከር (Robin Walker, 2011) እና ሩዶልፍ ዊንዞር (Rudolf R. Windsor, 2003) በሰፊው ጽፈዋል። የቻይና ጥንታዊ ሥልጣኔ ሳይቀር በወራሪዎች ከመውደሙ በፊት የጥቁር ሕዝቦች (የኢትዮጵያዊያን/የአፍሪካዊያን) ሥልጣኔ እንደነበር ጀራርድ ማሴይ (Gerard Massey) የተባሉ የክርስትና ሃይማኖትን ምንጭ (origin) ለማወቅ (ለሃያ ዓመታት) ጥናት ያደረጉ ክርስቲያን ካህን የሚከተለውን ጽፈዋል።
Black peoples’ (Ethiopian/African) civilization ranges from Kemet/ancient Egypt in North Africa to Chou Civilization, the area now called China. The invaders of China used the spoils to fabricate societies of their own. Invaders of China created Jainism and Confucims. Those who invaded India created Brahmanism. Those who invaded Asia Minor created Zoroastrianism and Judaism. Those who invaded Kemet/ancient Egypt created “Greek philosophy”, Christianity and Islam. As a part of the process of domination each invading group claimed authorship of the knowledge-base and technology they appropriated from their victims. Christianity is, but stolen Kemetic/Egyptian religious philosophy and spiritualty including its rituals and beliefs, reframed in an Aryan image. (kemetway.com/masseyhtml, last accessed February, 2017).
ይህንን ረዥም ዝርዝር (ከ1 እስከ 14) ለማቅረብ የፈለግሁት “ኢትዮጵያ” የተሰኘው ቃል ለአፍሪካዊያንና ለእስያ ጥቁር ሕዝቦች መጠሪያነት የተሰጠ እንጂ ለኛ ሀገር ብቻ የተሰጠ አለመሆኑን ለማሳየት ነው። ከላይ በዘረዘርኩት ማስረጃ (በተራ ቁጥር 1፣3፣6፣7፣8፣9) በጥንት ጊዜ “ኢትዮጵያዊ”/Ethiopian ማለት ጠቋራ ማለት ነው፤ የሰውን ቀለም እንጂ ዜግነትን አይገልጽም። አሁን “ኢትዮጵያ” የምንላት ሀገር በዚያን ጊዜ (በሀገርነት) አልነበረችም። በ15ኛው ክፍለ ዘመን ፓርቱጊዞች በምእራብ አፍሪካ በኩል ወደ ሩቅ ምሥራቅ ለመሄድ መንገድ መቅደድ እስከጀመሩበት ጊዜ ድረስና ከዚያም በኋላ ለረዥም ጊዜ አውሮፓውያን የአፍሪካ ጥቁር ሕዝብ የሚኖርበትን በሙሉ እንዳንድ ሀገር ያዩት ስለነበር፣ “አፍሪካዊ” ማለት “ኢትዮጵያዊ” ማለት ነበር። በነሱ (በአውሮፓውያን) እይታ “አፍሪካ” የተባለው ቃልና “ኢትዮጵያ” የተባለው ቃል ልዩነት አልነበራቸውም። ስለዚህ በጥንት ጊዜ “ኢትዮጵያዊ” የሚለው ቃል ዜግነትን የሚገልጽ ከሆነ (ቀደም ብሎ እንደተጠቀሰው)፣ ሲሆን ደቡብ እስያዊነትን ያካትታል፤ ያለዚያ ግን (በጠባቡ) አፍሪካዊነትን የሚገልጽ ነበር።
ቁጥራቸው እማይናቅ (በርካታ) ጽሐፊዎች “ሀገራችን ኢትዮጵያ በመጽሐፍ ቅዱስ ውስጥ በተደጋጋሚ (40 ጊዜ?) ተጠቅሳለች፣ ኢትዮጵያ የተሰኘውም ቃል ከጥንት ጀምሮ የሀገራችን መጠሪያ ነው” በማለት “ኢትዮጵያ የተሰኘውን ቃል ትርጉም ያጠቡታል። በኔ አስተያየት የተሳሳቱ ይመስለኛል። በመጽሐፍ ቅዱስ ውስጥ ተደጋግሞ የተጠቀሰው “ኢትዮጵያ” መጽሐፍ ቅዱስ ውስጥ የገባው ብሉይ ኪዳን ከእብራይስጥኛ ወደ ግሪክኛ ከተተረጐመ በኋላ ነው። ከዚያ በፊት ብሉይ ኪዳን ውስጥ የነበረው ቃል እብራይስጥኛው “ኩሽ” ነበር። ብሉይ ኪዳን ከእብራይስጥኛ ወደግሪክኛ ተተረጐመ የሚባለው ከ285 እስከ 246 ዓመተ ዓለም ባለው ጊዜ ነው። የትርጉሙ ስራ 39 ዓመት ያህል ወስዷል ማለት ነው። ያስተረጐመውም መቀመጫውን አልግዛንድርያ ላይ አድርጐ ግብጽን ይገዛ የነበረ ግሪካዊ በጥሎሚ (Ptolemy) ነው። ይህ በጥሎሚ የመረጣቸው 70 ያህል ሊቃውንት ብሉይ ኪዳኑን ሲተረጉሙ “ኩሽ” የሚለውን የእብራይስጥ ቃል “ኢትዮጵያ” በሚል ግሪክኛ ቃል ተኩት። ስለዚህ “ኢትዮጵያ” የሚለው ግሪክኛ ቃል በመጽሐፍ ቅዱስ (በብሉይ ኪዳን) ውስጥ የሰፈረው ከትርጉም በኋላ ነው ማለት ነው። ቀደም ሲል በተሰጠው ዝርዝር (ከ1 እስከ 14) እንደተገለጸው “ኩሽ”/”ኢትዮጵያ” የተባሉት ቃላት ጥቁረትን እሚገልጹ የጥቁር ሕዝቦች መጠሪያዎች ናቸው። ስለዚህ (እኔ እንደገባኝ) በመጽሐፍ ቅዱስ ውስጥ ያለው “ኢትዮጵያ” የተሰኘው ቃል ጠቅላላ ጥቁር ሕዝብን የሚወክል እንጂ ሀገራችን ብቻ የሚወክል አይደለም። ግን ጥቁር ሕዝቦች ስለሆንን ቃሉ (ኢትዮጵያ) እኛንም ይጨምራል።
“ኢትዮጵያ” የጥቁር ሕዝቦች መጠሪያ ነው” በሚለው ግንዛቤ ላይ በመመስረት እኛን እሚመለከቱም እማይመለከቱም በርካታ የጥቁር ሕዝቦች ታሪኮች ተጽፈዋል። ከላይ (በተራ ቁጥር 12፣ 13፣ 14) እንደተገለጸው በኢንዶ-አውሮፓውያን (Indo-Europeans) ወራሪዎች ከመውደማቸው በፊት፣ የግብጽና የኩሾች (Nile Valley Civilization in Africa)፣ የሱመር (Sumerian Civilization in Iraq)፣ የባቢሎን (Babylonian Civilization in Iraq)፣ የኤላም (Elam Civilization in Iran)፣ የኢንዱስ ወንዝ ሸለቆ (Indus Valley Civilization in Pakistan and Southwestern India)፣ የአረቢያ-ፌሊክስ (Arabia Felix Civilization in Yemen)፣ እና ሌሎችም ጥንታዊ የእስያ ሥልጣኔዎች እኛን በቀጥታ እማይመለከቱ ጥንታዊ የጥቁር ሕዝቦች ሥልጣኔዎች ናቸው። በኋላ እንደምጠቅሰው በምእራብ አፍሪካ ኢትዮጵያዊያንና በካርቴጆች መካከል ይካሄድ የነበረውም የወርቅና የባሪያ ንግድ፣ በቀጥታ እኛን የሚመለከት አይደለም። ግን የኢትዮጵያዊያን (የጥቁር ሕዝቦች) ታሪክ ነው። በታሪኩ (እንደማንኛውም ጥቁር ሕዝብ) እንኮራበታለን።
የጥቁር ሕዝቦችን የጋራ ታሪክ የግል ለማድረግ የሚቃጡ አንዳንድ ጽሐፊዎች “ኢትዮጵያ ማለት ጥቁር ሕዝብ ማለት ነው” የሚለውን ትርጉም አንቀበለውም ቢሉ፣ ”ኢትዮጵያ” በሚለው ቃል ስር የተመዘገበውን ታሪክ አንቀበልም ማለት ይሆናል። ይህን ትርጉም ውድቅ አድርገን በሌላ ትርጉም እንተካዋለን ቢሉ ደግሞ “የአባን ለይቶት” እንዲሉ ባንዱ ቃል ስር የተመዘገበውን ታሪክ ለሌላ መስጠት ይሆናል። ያንዱን ታሪክ ወስዶ ለሌላ መስጠት ደግሞ ማድላት ብቻ ሳይሆን መስረቅ (የታሪክ ሌባ መሆን)፣ ወይም ማወናበድ ወይም ማሳሳት ነው።
የጥንታዊት ኢትዮጵያ ጅኦግራፊ
የሰው ዘር ምንጭ (origin) ምስራቃዊ አፍሪካ እንደሆነ ይነገራል (L.. E. Barrett. Sr., 1992, Robin Walker, 2011, Chancellor Wiliams 1987):: እስካሁን በምስራቅ አፍሪካ (በአዋሽ ሸለቆና በታንዛኒያ ኦልዱባይ ዋሻ) የተገኘው የአርኪዎሎጂ ግኝትም ይህንኑ እውነት ያረጋግጣል[3]። እነዚህ ጥንታዊ ሰዎች አፍሪካ ውስጥ በመገኘታቸው “ጥቁሮች ነበሩ” ብሎ መገመት ይቻላል። እነዚህ የመጀመሪያዎቹ ጥቁር ሰዎች ከምስራቃዊ አፍሪካ ተነስተው ወደሰሜን፣ ወደ ሰሜናዊ ምስራቅ፣ ወደ ምእራብና ወደ ደቡብ አቅጣጫ ተሰራጩ። ይህ የመጀመሪያው የሰው ልጅ ፍልሰት መሆኑ ነው። ከአፍሪካ አህጉርም አልፈው ምስራቃዊ አቅጣጫ በመያዝ በእስያ አህጉር ተበተኑ። (Robin Walker, 2011, Rudolf R. Windsor, 2003, Chancellor Williams, 1987)። እነዚህ ጥቁር ሕዝቦች በየሄዱበት (በግብጽ፣ በአረቢያ ፌሊክስ፣ በሱመር፣ በባቢሎን፣ በቻልዲ፣ በኤላም፣ በኢንዱስ ሸልቆ፣ በቻይና) አስደናቂ ሥልጣኔዎችን መሥርተዋል (Robin Walker, 2011)። በብዙ መቶ ሺህ ዓመታት ሂደት ውስጥ በወራሪዎች እየተወረሩ ሥልጣኔያቸው እንዲወድም፣ እነሱም (ደቡባዊ አቅጣጫ በመያዝ) እንዲያሸገሽጉ ተገድደዋል። ጨርሰው ግን አልጠፉም። ኢትዮጵያዊያን (ጥቁር ሕዝቦች) በነባር ነዋሪነት ወይም በተወላጅነት ከአፍሪካ (በእስያ በኩል አድርገው) እስከ ፓሲፊክ ውቅያኖስ ደሴቶች፣ አሁን ድረስ ይኖራሉ (Robin Walker, 2011)።
እነዚህ ኢትዮጵያዊያን (ጥቁር ሕዝቦች) አፍሪካ ውስጥ የመሠረቱት የመጀመሪያው ጥንታዊ ሥልጣኔ የግብጽ ሥልጣኔ ነው። ግብጽ ውስጥ የመሠረቱትም ሥልጣኔ ከ1500 ዓመተ ዓለም ጀምሮ እስከ 1500 ዓመተ ምህረት ድረስ (ለ3000 ዓመታት) በዐረቦች፣ በግሪኮችና በሮማውያን በመወረሩ ተወላጆቹ አፍሪካዊያን (ኢትዮጵያዊያን) ከሜዲትራኒያን ባሕር ወደ ኋላ እንዲያፈገፍጉ ተደርገዋል። በነዚህ (ሥልጣኔያቸውን በተነጠቁና ባፈገፈጉ) ጥቁር ሕዝቦች ላይ በጻፏቸው ጽሑፎች ነው ሖሜርና ሌሎቹ ግሪኮች ስማቸው ሲወሳ እሚኖረው።
በ900 ዓመተ ዓለም አካባቢ የነበረው ግሪካዊው ሖሜር (ኢሊያድና ኦዲሴይ) በተሰኘው ጽሑፉ፣ “ኢትዮጵያ” መሬት ጠርዝ ላይ (at the extremities of the earth) የሚገኝ፣ እጅግ ሩቅ ምድር ስለመሆኑና ከፀሐይ መውጫ እስከ ፀሐይ መግቢያ ድረስ የተዘረጋ ረዥም ሀገር ስለመሆኑ ጽፏል። እንደ ሖሜር እይታ “ኢትዮጵያዊያንም” ከፀሐይ መውጫ እስከ ፀሐይ መግቢያ ድረስ ተሰራጭተው የሚኖሩ ነበሩ (ካርታ 1)።
በጥንት ጊዜ የሰው እንቅስቃሴ በጣም ውሱን ስለነበረ በሩቅ ስለሚኖሩ ሕዝቦች መረጃ ማግኘት ይከብድ ነበር። በዚህም የተነሳ ግሪኮችና ሮማውያን ስለሩቅ ሕዝቦችና ሀገሮች የነበራቸው ግንዛቤ ብዙውን ጊዜ የተዛባ ነበር። እንደዋና የመረጃ ምንጭ አርገው የሚጠቀሙባቸው የሃይማኖት ጽሑፎችንና አንዳንድ ልቅምቃሚ የነጋዴ ወሬዎችን ነበር። በዚህም የተነሳ የሚጽፏቸው ጽሑፎችም ሆኑ የሚነድፏቸው ካርታዎች የተዛቡ (ከእውነቱ የራቁ) ስህተት የበዛባቸው ነበሩ። ቢሆንም የመሰላቸውን ከመጻፍ አልተቆጠቡም።
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ካርታ 1. እነሖሜር በአእምሯቸው የቀረጹትን ዓለም ለማሳየት በሰባት ዓመተ ዓለም በሮማውያን የተሰራ የዓለም ካርታ
ምንጭ፡ Jeremy Harwood and Sarah Bendall (2006), To the Ends of the Earth: 100 Maps that Changed the World, F+W Publications Inc., printed and bound by Midas Printing, China, p. 23.
በካርታ 1 ላይ የሚታየው የዓለም ካርታ ለግሪኮችና ለሮማውያን መውጫ መግቢያ (ቀዬ) የሆነውን የሜዲትራኒያን ባሕር ማእከል/እምብርት (center) ያደረገ ነው። ሌላው ሀገርና አህጉር ሁሉ በነሱ ዙሪያ (እነሱን ከቦ) የሚገኝ ነው። እንደሚታየው የአፍሪካ አህጉር የጨረቃ ቅርጽ ይዞ ከምስራቅ ወደምእራብ ተጋድሟል። አፍሪካና እስያም የተያያዙበት መሬት (በካርታው ላይ ሲታይ) በጣም ሰፊ ነው። በአፍሪካ ደቡባዊ ጠርዝ ላይ ኢትዮጵያ ከምስራቅ ወደምእራብ ተዘርግቶ ይታያል። የኢትዮጵያ እርዝመት (ካርታው ላይ ሲታይ) ከምእራብ እስከ ምስራቅ የሚገኘውን አፍሪካን የሚያካትት ይመስላል። እንደተባለውም ኢትዮጵያ ከምድር ጠርዝ ላይ ያለ ይመስላል። የዐባይ ወንዝ ከደቡባዊ የምድር ጠርዝ ላይ (ከኢትዮጵያ) ተነስቶ ግብጽን አቋርጦ ወደ ሜዲትራኒያን ባሕር ይገባል።
ሖሜር ጥንታዊ ኢትዮጵያን፣ ምስራቅ ኢትዮጵያና ምእራብ ኢትዮጵያ ብሎ በሁለት ከፍሎት ነበር። ምእራብ ኢትዮጵያ የተባለው የቱ ነው? ምስራቅ ኢትዮጵያ የተባለውስ የቱ ነው? በሚለው ጥያቄ ላይ ጽሐፊዎች የተለያየ መልስ ይሰጣሉ። አንዳንዶቹ (Rudolf R. Windsor, 2003; Robin Walker, 2011; Chancellor Williams, 1987) ምእራብ ኢትዮጵያ የተባለው አፍሪካ ሲሆን፤ ምስራቅ ኢትዮጵያ የተባለው ደግሞ እስያ ነው ይላሉ። ሌሎቹ ደግሞ (Edith Bruder, 2008) ምስራቅ ኢትዮጵያ የተባለው የዐባይ ሸለቆ አካባቢ ሲሆን ምእራብ ኢትዮጵያ የተባለው ከስሀራ በታችና ከዐባይ በሰተምእራብ ያለው ጥቁር ሕዝብ ነው ይላሉ።
ኩሾች ከሖሜር በፊት ጀምረው (ለአንድ ሺህ ያህል ዓመታት) ከዐባይ ሸለቆ እስከ ፍልስጤም ድረስ ያለውን ምድር ይገዙ የነበሩ ኃያልና ገናናዎች ነበሩ (Derek A. Welsby, 1996)። ሖሜር በኩሾች መንግሥት (Kushitic empire) ሥልጣኔና ኃያልነት በመማረኩ፣ መወደስ የሚገባቸው ኃያልና ሥልጡን ኢትዮጵያዊያን ናቸው (—— the powerful Kushitic empire of Meroe on the Nubian Nile, whose inhabitants were perceived as being very civilized, “the admirable Ethiopians) ማለቱ በተለያዩ ጽሑፎች ተመዝግቧል (Edith Bruder, 2008, pp.25-26)። ሖሜር ያደነቃቸው ማዕከላቸውን ሜሮኤ (Meroe) ላይ አድርገው ፍልስጤምን፣ ግብጽንና ቀሪውን (አብዛኛውን) የዐባይ ሸለቆ አጠቃልለው ይገዙ የነበሩትን ኩሾች ወይም ኢትዮጵያዊያን (ጥቁር ሕዝቦች) ነው። አንዳንድ ጽሐፊዎች (ለምሳሌ እንደ Edith Bruder, 2008) እንደሚሉት ይህ ውዳሴ የሖሜርን ምስራቅ ኢትዮጵያ (በአፍሪካ በሰተምስራቅ ያሉትን ጥቁር ሕዝቦች) ብቻ የሚመለከት ነው። በስሀራና በስሀራ በስተደቡብ የሚኖሩትን (ምእራብ ኢትዮጵያ ብሎ የመደባቸውን) ኢትዮጵያዊያን ግን በማወደስ ፈንታ ያልሰለጠኑ(savage)፣ አውሬዎች (bestial)፣ እማይታመኑ/አታላዮች (treacherous) እያለ እንዳረካከሳቸው ተመዝግቧል. (Edith Bruder, 2008, pp.25-26)።
ከሖሜር በኋላ በ440 ዓመተ ዓለም አስዋን (Aswan) ድረስ ሂዶ አይቷል የሚባለው ሂሮዶቱስ የሜሮኤዎቹን ኢትዮጵያዊያን (ጥቁር ሕዝቦች) መለሎዎች፣ ቆንጆዎች፣ ብልሆች/ብልጦችና ሰላም ወዳዶች (the tallest and most beautiful men in the whole world, and as being cunning but peace loving), በማለት ሲያመሰግናቸው፣ በደቡብ-ምእራብ አቅጣጫ የሚኖሩትን ኢትዮጵያዊያን (ጥቁር ሕዝቦች) ግን እንደሚከተለው ጥምብ እርኩሳቸውን አውጥቶ ከሰው ተራ ያወጣቸዋል።
—– In the southwest, live creatures with dog heads, creatures without heads, whose eyes, according to the Libyans are on their chests; and also wild men and women, and many less fabulous beasts. (Edith Bruder, 2008, pp. 25-26).
ከሂሮዶቱስ በኋላ በመጀመሪያው መቶ ዓመተ ዓለም ዲዮዶረስ ሲሲለስ (Diodorus Sicilus ) የተባለ ሰው ወደ ግብጽ ሂዶ በሜሮኤ አካባቢ የሚኖሩትን ምስራቃዊ ኢትዮጵያዊያን (ጥቁር ሕዝቦች)፣ አማልክትን በማምለክ የመጀመሪያዎቹ የሆኑና አማልክትም የሚወዷቸው ናቸው ይላቸዋል። ከሜሮኤ በስተደቡብና በስተምእራብ በኩል የሚኖሩትን ኢትዮጵያዊያን (ጥቁር ሕዝቦች) ግን ማጥቁላዎች፣ አፍንጫ ጐራዳዎች፣ ፀጉረ ከርዳዳዎች፣ ያልሠለጠኑ የዱር አውሬዎች ይላቸዋል (Edith Bruder, 2008, p.26)። እዚህ ላይ ዋናው ነጥባችን የኢትዮጵያዊያንን (የጥቁር ሕዝቦችን) ስርጭት ማየት ስለሆነ ወደካርታዎቹ እንመለስ።
ከክርስቶስ ልደት ሁለት መቶ ዓመታት በኋላ “ኢትዮጵያ” በመባል የሚታወቀው ጥቁር ሕዝብ የሚገኝበት አካባቢ በሚከተለው ጥንታዊ የአፍሪካ ካርታ (ካርታ 2) ላይ ይታያል። ካርታ 2፡ ከካርታ 1፡ የሚሻል ይመስላል። የአፍሪካ ቅርጽም፣ የዐባይ ወንዝ መነሻም ትንሽ ወደ እውነቱ የቀረበ ነው።
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ካርታ 2፡ በሁለት መቶኛው ዓመተ ምህረት የተሰራ የዓለም ካርታ
ምንጭ፡ G. Fellman (2008) Introduction to Geography, 11th ed., McGraw Hill International, Boston, p. 5
በዚህ ካርታ (ካርታ 2 ) ላይ “ኢትዮጵያ” ሁለት ቦታ ላይ ተጽፎ ይታያል። አንደኛው (Aethiopia sub Aegypto) በግብጽ በስተደቡብ ያለው ሜሮኤን ማዕከል አድርገው በኃያልነታቸው የታወቁትንና በግሪኮቹ (በሖሜር፣ በሂሮዶቱስና በዲኦዶረስ) የተመሰገኑትን ኢትዮጵያውያን መኖሪያ እሚያሳይ ነው። ሁለተኛው (Aethiopia Interior) ከምእራብ ወደ ምስራቅ ተጽፎ የሚታየው የተሰደቡት ኢትዮጵያውያን መኖሪያ መሆኑ ነው። በዚያን ጊዜ “ኢትዮጵያዊያን” በመባል የሚታወቁት (በግሪኮች የተወደሱትም የተሰደቡትም) ጥቁር ሕዝቦች ከግብጽ በስተደቡብ ብቻ ሳይሆን በምእራብ አፍሪካም ተሰራጭተው ይገኙ እንደነበር ይህ ካርታ (ካርታ 2) ያመለክታል።
ምእራብ አፍሪካ ድረስ ተሰራጭተው ይኖሩ የነበሩት ጥቁር ሕዝቦች “ኢትዮጵያዊያን” ተብለው ይታወቁ እንደነበር በ600 ዓመተ ዓለም በምእራብ አፍሪካ ጠረፍ ከሚኖረው ሕዝብ ጋር ይነግዱ የነበሩ (መሠረተ ፊንቃዊያን) የካርቴጅ ወይም የጥንታዊ ቱኒዚያ ዐረቦች ሪፖርት በማስረጃነት ሊያገለግል ይችላል። ሪፓርቱ እንደሚከተለው ተተርጉሟል።
ካርቴጆች በአፍሪካ በስተምእራብ በኩል እስከ አትላንቲክ ውቅያኖስ ያለውን ንግድ ለመቆጣጠር ፈልገው በ600 ዓመተ ዓለም ሐኖ (Hann0) የተባለ የመርከበኞች አዛዥ (ከንግድ ሠራዊቱ) ጋር አሰማሩ። ሐኖ ጅብራልታርን አልፎ፣ የአትላንቲክ ውቅያኖስን ጠረፍ እየተከተለ ወደ ደቡብ ሲጓዝ በያረፈበት ቦታ እስከ ካሜሩን ድረስ የንግድ ኬላዎችን አቋቋመ። ባቋቋማቸው የንግድ ኬላዎች ከኢትዮጵያዊያን ጋር የተጧጧፈ (በተለይ) የወርቅ ንግድ ያካሂድ ነበር። ሐኖ በምእራብ አፍሪካ ከኢትዮጵያዊያን ጋር ያካሂድ የነበረው ንግድ የተቋረጠው (በ146 ዓመተ ዓለም) ሮማውያን ካርቴጆችን በጦርነት አሸንፈው በቁጥጥራቸው ውስጥ ሲያደርጓቸው ነው (J. E. Harris, 1998, pp.49-50)።
በምእራብ አፍሪካ ይኖር የነበረው ጥቁር ሕዝብ “ኢትዮጵያ” በሚለው ስም በመታወቁ በዚያ በኩል ያለውን (የአትላንቲክ) ውቅያኖስ “የኢትዮጵያ ውቅያኖስ” እያሉ ይጠሩት ጀመር። በምእራብ አፍሪካ በኩል “የኢትዮጵያ ውቅያኖስ” ተብሎ የተጻፈባቸው ካርታዎች ብዙ ናቸው።
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ካርታ 3. የኢትዮጵያን (የአፍሪካን) ዝቅተኛና ከፍተኛ መሬቶች እሚያሳይ ካርታ
ካርታ 3 “ኢትዮጵያ” የተሰኘው ቃል “አፍሪካ” ከተሰኘው ቃል (በአውሮፓውያን እይታ) ልዩነት እንደሌለው ያመለክታል። ረባዳው ኢትዮጵያ “Lowet Ethiopia” በሚል በሳሄል አካባቢ ከምእራብ ወደምስራቅ አግድም የተጻፈው (ከምስራቃዊ አፍሪካ ጋር ሲነጻጸር) ረባዳማ መሬት የሚበዛበትን የአፍሪካ ክፍል የሚያሳይ ነው። ከፍተኛው ኢትዮጵያ “Upper Ethiopia” ተብሎ በምስራቃዊ አፍሪካ አካባቢ የተጻፈው ደግሞ ከምእራባዊው አፍሪካ ሲነጻጸር ተራራማ መሬት የሚበዛበት፣ ከባሕር ጠለልም ከፍ ብሎ የሚገኝ ሰፊ ምድር መኖሩን የሚያሳይ ነው። አሁን ሀገራችን በሆነቺው አካባቢ የተጻፈው “Abyssinia” የሚል ነው። የጥንቶቹ ግሪኮች ያረካከሷቸው ጥቁር ሕዝቦች የሚገኙበት የስሀራ ደቡባዊ ጠርዝ አካባቢ “Negro Land” ተብሎ ተጽፎበታል። ከግብጽ በስተደቡብ በዐባይ ሸለቆ አካባቢ ያለው፣ በግሪኮቹ የተወደሰው አካባቢ “Sudra”/ሱዳን? ተብሎ ተጽፎበታል።
ይህ ካርታ (ካርታ 3) የሚያሳየን የአውሮፓውያንን ግንዛቤ (perception) በተመለከተ ኢትዮጵያና አፍሪካ ልዩነት የሌላቸው መሆኑን ነው። ሁለቱም ቃሎች ጥቁሩን ሕዝብና ጥቁሩ ሕዝብ የሰፈረበትን ምድር/አህጉር እሚያሳዩ ናቸው። ይህንን አመለካከት አፍሪካዊያንም ይጋሩት ነበር።
የኢትዮጵያዊነት መለያ ከጊዜ ጊዜ እየላላና እየደበዘዘ ቢሄድም አፍሪካዊያን (እስከ አሥራ ሰባተኛው ክፍለ ዘመን መጀመሪያ ድረስ ምድራቸውን “ኢትዮጵያ” ራሳቸውን “ኢትዮጵያዊያን” በማድረግ ነበር ማንነታቸውን የሚገልጹት። ለምሳሌ ያህል አንድ ካሱዩታ የተባለ (በፖርቱጊዞች ክርስትና ተነስቶ ስሙን ሣልሳዊ አልባሮ ያሰኘ) የኮንጐ ንጉሥ፣ በስሩ የነበሩ የክፍለ ሀገር ቱጃር አገረ-ገዦች ተዕዛዙን ከመጣስ አልፈው ሥልጣኑን ሊቀናቀኑት በመፈለጋቸው፣ ከሮሙ ፓፓስ (አቡነ ፓውሎስ አምስተኛ) የመሳሪያ እርዳታ ሲጠይቅ ክጻፈው ደብዳቤ ለዚህ ጽሑፍ እርባና ያለው እንደሚከተለው ተቀንጭቦ ቀርቧል።
Alvaro III to Pope Paul V
25 October 1617
Very Holy Father, Myself, Dom Alvaro the third, by divine grace, augmenter of the faith of Jesus Christ and defender of the faith in these lands of Ethiopia, king of the very ancient kingdom of Congo, Angola, Matamba, Ocanga and of the Ambandu, here and beyond the marvelous river Zaire (Congo) and of many other kingdoms and neighbouring sovereignties humbly request ………………………. (R.O. Collins and J.M. Burns, 2007, pp.84-87)።
ከዚህ ደብዳቤ የመካከለኛውና የደቡባዊው አፍሪካም “ኢትዮጵያ” በሚል ይታወቅ እንደነበር እንረዳለን። ሰዎቹም ራሳቸውን “ኢትዮጵያዊ” አርገው ይቆጥሩ ነበር ማለት ነው። አፍሪካዊያን “ኢትዮጵያ” የሚለውን የጋራ (የቀለም) መለያቸውን እየረሱ የመጡት፣ በ15ኛው መቶ ክፍለ ዘመን በአትላንቲክ ውቅያኖስ በኩል (ፖርቱጊዞች የከፈቱላቸውን መንገድ ተከትለው) አውሮፓውያን በምእራብ አፍሪካ በየጠረፉ የንግድ ኬላዎች ከፍተው ከየጐሳው ቆሮዎች ጋር ውል መፈራረም ሲጀምሩ ነው።
አውሮፓውያኑ ከጠረፍ ኬላዎቻቸው ሁነው ንግድ ሲጀምሩ፤ ሀ) ኬላዎቹን ተከትለው በጠረፍ አካባቢ አዳዲስ ከተሞች ማበብ ጀመሩ፤ ነባሮቹ ከተሞች ይበልጥ አደጉ። ለ) ውስጥ (በሳራማው የአፍሪካ ምድር/Savannah) በናይጀር ወንዝ ገበቴ ፈክተው የነበሩት (የጥንታዊ ጋና፣ የሶንጋይ፣ የካኖ፣ ወ.ዘ.ተ) ከተሞች እየቀዘቀዙና እየኮሰሱ ሄዱ። ሐ) አውሮፓውያኑ ካመጡት ንግድ ጋር ያመለካከትና የባህል ለውጥ አብሮ መጣ። መ) አውሮፓውያኑ ባንድ “ኢትዮጵያዊነት” ያዩት የነበረው ጥቁር ሕዝብ በጐሳና በቋንቋ የሚለያይ መሆኑን ሲረዱ “በኢትዮጵያዊነት” ከሚጠሩት ይልቅ በየጐሳ ስሙ መጥራት ጀመሩ። የጐሳ ልዩነቶቹንም በማጉላት በኢትዮጵያዊነቱ (በጥቁር ሕዝብነቱ) ያለውን አንድነት፣ የጋራ መለያውን አደበዘዙት፤ በመጨረሻም ከናካቴው እንዲረሳ አደረጉት። ኢትዮጵያዊው (አፍሪካዊው) ሕዝብም ያንድነቱን መለያ “ኢትዮጵያዊነቱን” ጥሎ በየጐሳው ተለያይቶ ሲናቆር፣ በመጨረሻ (ከ400 ዓመታት በኋላ በ19ኛው መቶ ክፍለ ዘመን መገባደጃ ላይ) የአውሮፓ ቅኝ ገዢዎች እንደፈለጉ የሚጋልቡት፣ የሚጭኑት፣ ባለንጋ እሚገርፉት አጋሰስ ሆነ።
ምንጊዜም ስም ወይ ይገናል/ይወደሳል፣ ወይ ይረክሳል፣ ወይ ይረሳል። በመጀመሪያ ያፍሪካን አህጉር አጠቃ(ል)ሎ እስያን ሁሉ የሸፈነው ገናናው “ኢትዮጵያ”(የጥቁር ሕዝብ መኖሪያ) እየጠበበ ሂዶ በአፍሪካ አህጉር ተወሰነ። በአፍሪካ አህጉርም ቀስ በቀስ እየደበዘዘና እየተረሳ ሂዶ ባሁኑ ጊዜ የኢትዮጵያዊነት አርማ እየተውለበለበ የሚገኘው በሀገራችን (በኢትዮጵያ) ብቻ ነው። በዚህ (የአባቶቻችን፣ የአያት ቅድመ አያቶቻችን ነፍስ ይማር እንጂ) ልንኮራ ይገባል። ጆሯችን እስከሚሰለች ድረስ ተደጋግሞ የሚወሳው አኩሪ ታሪክ የትናንቱ የአድዋ ድል ብቻ ነው። ግን ከዚያ ቀደም የሚል ሌላ ሌላም አኩሪ ታሪክ አለን።
ቀድም ብየ ጀራርድ ማሴይ (Gerard Massey) የተባሉትን የሃይማኖት ተመራማሪ ጠቅሼ እንደገለጽኩት የክርስትናን ፍልስፍና (origin of Christian philosophy) መሠረት የጣሉት ጥቁሮቹ (Kemet/ancient Egyptians) ጥንታዊ ግብጻዊያን ናቸው። በኋላም እነሖሜር፣ እነሂሮዶቱስና እነዲዮዶረስ እንደገለጹት የግብጽና ሌላው የዐባይ ሸለቆ ሕዝብ በአማልክት የተወደደ፣ ሃይማኖተኛና ፍትሕ አዋቂ እንደነበር ጽፈዋል። ከብዙ ሽህ ዓመታት በኋላ ግብጽ በሮማውያን እጅ ውስጥ በገባችበት ዘመን (በ300 ዓመተ ምህረት አካባቢ) ያዕቆባውያን (Jacobite) የተባሉ ክርስቲያን ካህናት ከአልግዛንድሪያ ተነስተው ለኑቢያ (ለኋለኞቹ ኩሾች) መንግሥታትና ሕዝቦች (ለኖባቲያ/Nobatia፣ ለማኩሪያ/Makuria፣ ለአልዋ/Alwa) የሰበኩትን የክርስትና ሃይማኖትን ተከታይ አርገዋቸው ነበር። በረዥም ዘመን መዳቀልና በወረራም ጭምር ዐረብ የሆኑት ግብጾች (በ641 ዓመተ ምህረት) በግድ/በጦር ኃይል እስልምናን ሲቀበሉ፣ እነዚህ (ከግብጽ በስተደቡብ የነበሩ) የኑቢያ መንግሥታትና ሕዝቦች ግን በግዴታ እስልምናን እንዲቀበሉ የደፈራቸው አልነበረም። እነዚህ የኑቢያ መንግሥታትና ሕዝቦች ለቁጥር እሚያዳግቱ ብዙ ቤተክርስቲያናት ሰርተው እንደነበር በሱዳን ውስጥ የሚገኙ የቤተክርስቲያን ፍርስራሾች ማስረጃዎች ናቸው። አሁን ግን በሱዳን ውስጥ የዚያ ክርስትና ሃይማኖት ቅሪት መሆኑን እሚያሳይ (አምላኪዎች/አባላት ያሉት) ቤተክርስቲያን አይገኝም። ያንን ካልግዛንድርያ ካህናት ጋር ግንኙነት የነበረውን መሠረተ-ጥቁር፣ አፍሪካዊ (የኦርቶዶክስ ተዋህዶ ቤተክርስቲያን) ሃይማኖት እስካሁን አጥብቀን ይዘን የምንገኝ እኛ (ኢትዮጵያዊያን) ብቻ ነን። ይኸም ሌላ አኩሪ ታሪክ ነው።
ስሜት አሸንፎኝ ወደ ሀገራችን ታሪክና ቅርስ ጠባቂነት ገባሁ እንጂ፣ ዋናው ትኩረቴ ሌሎቹ አፍሪካዊያን (ኢትዮጵያዊያን) የጥቁር ሕዝቦች አንድነት አርማ የሆነውን “ኢትዮጵያዊነት” ለ400 ዓመታት ያህል ረስተውት ከቆዩ በኋላ በጭንቅ ጊዜ እንዴት እንዳስታወሱት ለመግለጽ ነበር።
ሌሎቹ ኢትዮጵያዊያን (አፍሪካዊያን) የረሱትን፣ አርማቸውና ያንድነት መለያቸው የሆነውን “ኢትዮጵያ” የሚለውን ቃል ያስታወሱት የቅኝ ገዢዎችን ከባድ ቀንበር መሸከም ሲሳናቸው (በ1920ዎቹ) ነበር። ይህንን የጥቁር ሕዝቦች አርማ (ኢትዮጵያዊነት) ለመጀመሪያ ጊዜ ይዘው የተነሱት፣ የባርነትን ሰቆቃ የቀመሱትና ያሸተቱት፣ ታሪክ እንደሌለው ሕዝብ በንቀትና በውርደት ይኖሩ የነበሩት ጥቁር አሜሪካዊያንና የካሪቢያን ደሴቶች ነዋሪዎች (ጥቁር ሕዝቦች) ነበሩ።
ከምእራብ አፍሪካ ታፍነው ተወስደው የነበሩት በካሪቢያን ደሴቶችና በአሜሪካ ይኖሩ የነበሩት፣ ወደመጡበት ሀገራቸው (ወደ ኢትዮጵያ/አፍሪካ) ለመመለስ፣ “በጥንታዊ ወላጆቻችን ምድር፣ በናይጀር ወንዝና በዐባይ ወንዝ ተፋሰስ ውስጥ እፎይ ብለን እናርፋለን” በሚል ራእይ “ኢትዮጵያዊነት”/(Ethiopianism) የተሰኘ ንቅናቄ መሠረቱ፤ይህንንም ንቅናቄ ከጊዜ ወደ ጊዜ እያጠናከሩ ሄዱ (L.E. Barrett, Sr. pp.78-80)።
ቀደም ብየ የጠቀስኩት ጀራርድ ማሴይ (Gerard Massey) አፍሪካን አስመልክቶ የተናገረውን እንደገና ላስታውሳችሁ።
———-. Those who invaded Kemet/ancient Egypt created “Greek philosophy”, Christianity and Islam. As a part of the process of domination each invading group claimed authorship of the knowledge-base and technology they appropriated from their victims. Christianity is, but stolen Kemetic/Egyptian religious philosophy and spiritualty including its rituals and beliefs, reframed in an Aryan image. (kemetway.com/masseyhtml, last accessed February, 2017, emphasis added).
ጀራርድ ማሴይ የሚነግረን፣ ሀ) የክርስትና ሃይማኖት ከከመት (ከጥንታዊ ጥቁር ግብጻዊያን) የሃይማኖት ፍልስፍና እስከነ ሥነ-ሥርዐቱ የተሰረቀ መሆኑን ነው፣ ለ) ይህ የተሰረቀ ሃይማኖት ለወራሪዎቹ ነጮች (Aryans) እንዲያመች ሁኖ የተቀረጸ ነው። ወራሪዎቹና ሌቦቹ ነጮች ራሳቸውን የጥሩ ነገር ተምሳሌት ለማድረግ፣ እግዚአብሔርን ነጭ፣መላእክትን ነጭ፣ ክርስቶስን ነጭ፣ ማርያምን ነጭ እደረጓቸው። የፍልስፍናው አመንጪ የሆነውንና በአማልክትም ዘንድ ተወዳጅ የተባለውን ጥቁር ሕዝብ ግን በመጥፎ ሊስሉት ስለፈለጉ፣ ሰይጣንን ከነሠራዊቱ ጥቁር አደረጉት። ይህንን የነጮች ሴራ በመቃዎም (በኢትዮጵያዊነት አርማ ስር የተነሱት) የሰሜን አሜሪካ ጥቁር ሕዝቦች እግዚአብሔር ጥቁር ነው፣ ክርስቶስ ጥቁር ነው፣ መላእክት ሁሉ ጥቁሮች ናቸው፣ ድንግል ማርያምም ጥቁር ነች አሉ። ሰይጣን ከነሠራዊቱ ግን ነጭ ነው አሉ።
ጆርጅ ሊየል (George Liele) የተባሉ አሜሪካዊ ባሪያ (በ1784 ዓ.ም) ለመጀመሪያ ጊዜ ጥቁሮች እሚያመልኩበት “የኢትዮጵያ ባፕቲስት ቤተክርስቲያን” በሚል ስያሜ በጃማይካ ከፈቱ (L.E. Barrett, Sr. 1992, pp.96)። በ1788 ዓ.ም. በአሜሪካ (ሳቫና ጆርጂያ ውስጥ) የመጀመሪያው የኢትዮጵያዊያን (የጥቁሮች) ባፕቲስት ቤተክርስቲያን ተከፈተ። “እግዚአብሔር ጥቁር ነው” ከሚለው አመለካከት በመነሳት በአሜሪካ ዴትሮይት (Detroit) የጥቁር ማርያም (Black Madona) ቤተክርስቲያን ለመጀመሪያ ጊዜ ተቋቋመ። በዚህና ይህንን በምሳሰሉ ፀረ-ነጭ አቋም ያላቸው ብዙ (ወደ 6000 የሚሆኑ) የኢትዮጵያዊያን (የጥቁሮች) ቤተክርስቲያናት (Ethiopianist Churches) በሰሜን አሜሪካ በብዛት እንደ እንጉዳይ ተፈለፈሉ (L.E. Barrett, Sr. 1992, pp.74-80)። እነዚህ ሁሉ ወደ ሀገራችን እንመለሳለን (back to our homeland) ብለው ወሰኑ። “ኢትዮጵያ”/አፍሪካ በዓለም ዙሪያ ተበትነው ለነበሩ ጥቁሮች ሁሉ መሰባሰቢያ የምትሆን የቃል ኪዳን ምድር ሆና ተወሰደች። “አምላካችን የኢትዮጵያ/የጥቁር ሕዝቦች አምላክ ነው” አሉ።
ይህንን ወደ “ኢትዮጵያ/አፍሪካ” የመመለስ እንቅስቃሴ በግምባር ቀደምነት ይመሩ የነበሩት (Universal Negro Improvement Associatio, UNIA የተሰኘውን ዓለም አቀፍ የኢትዮጵያውያን/የጥቁር ሕዝቦች ድርጅት ያቋቋሙት) ጃማይካዊው ማርክስ ጋርቬይ ነበሩ። ራእያቸው በዓለም የተበተኑት ኢትዮጵያዊያን (ጥቁር ሕዝቦች) ሁሉ ወደሀገራቸው (ወደ አፍሪካ) ተመልሰው በፌዴራል ሥርዐት የተዋቀረ አንድ ኢትዮጵያዊ (የጥቁር ሕዝቦች) መንግሥት ለማቋቋም ነበር። ሁለ-አቀፍ “የኢትዮጵያ ብሔራዊ መዝሙር” (The Universal Ethiopian Anthem) ሳይቀር አዘጋጅተው ነበር። የጋናው ከዋሚ ኒክሩማ የማርክስ ጋርቬይን ራእይ እውን ለማድረግ ይጥሩ እንደነበር ይነገርላቸዋል። የፓን አፍሪካ እንቅስቃሴም (Pan African Movement) የተጀመረው በነዚሁ በአሜሪካ፣ በካሪቢያን ደሴቶችና በአውሮፓ ውስጥ ይኖሩ በነበሩት ጥቁር ታጋዮች ነው።
በአፍሪካ ውስጥ በቅኝ ግዛትነት ይጨነቁ የነበሩ አፍሪካዊያንም ከቅኝ ገዥዎቻቸው ጋር ለመፋለም ይዘውት የተነሱት ዓርማ “ኢትዮጵያ” የሚለውን (የጥቁር ሕዝቦች መለያ) ቃል ነው። እንደ መፈክር አንግበው የተነሱት በመዝሙረ ዳዊት 27:31 ላይ “መኳንንት ከግብጽ ይወጣሉ፣ ኢትዮጵያ እጆቿን ወደ እግዚአብሔር ትዘረጋለች” የሚለውን አጽናኝ ቃል ነበር። በዚህ አጽናኝ ቃል በመመራት፤
- በደቡብ አፍሪካ (በ1921) ሄኖክ ምጊጂማ (Enoch Mgijima) በሚባል ሰው መሪነት “የእስራኤል ልጆች ቤተክርስቲያን፣ (Church of the Children of Israel) የተባለ ነፃ ቤተክርስቲያን ተቋቋመ። በዚህ ቤተክርስቲያን መተከል ሳቢያ ከነጮች ጋር በተቀሰቀሰው ግጭት 163 ጥቁሮች እንደሞቱ እና 129 እንደቆሰሉ ይነገራል ( Davidson, 1995, p.26)።
- በኮንጐ (በ1921 ዓ.ም.) ስምዖን ኪምባጉ (Simon Kimbangu) በተባለ ሰው አስተባባሪነት “የክርስቶስ ቤተክርስቲያን በዚህ ምድር” (Church of Jesus Christ on this Earth) የተባለ ነፃ ቤተክርስቲያን ተቋቁሞ ከገዢዎቹ (ከቤልጅየም ሰዎች) ጋር በተፈጠረው ግጭት ብዙ ሕዝብ አለቀ። በቤተክርስቲያኑ ውስጥ በሚደረገው የፖለቲካ ቅስቀሳ የተነሳ በቤልጅየሞች ተቀጥሮ የሚሰራው ሰራተኛ ከዘበኞች ጀምሮ ግብር አንከፍልም አለ (እንደላይኛው)።
እነዚህ ቤተክርስቲያናት የፖለቲካ ቅስቀሳ የሚካሄድባቸው፣ አባላት የሚመለመሉባቸውን የትግል ስልት የሚቀየስባቸውና ነፃ አውጭ ድርጅቶች (liberation movements) የሚፈልቁባቸው ሆኑ። ነፃ የኢትዮጵያዊያን/የአፍሪካዊያን ቤተክርስቲያናት ከቅኝ ገዥዎች ቁጥጥር ውጭ (out of control) በመሆናቸው፣ በትግል ስልትነታቸውም አመርቂ ውጤት በማሳየታቸው፣ ባጭር ጊዜ ከስሃራ በታች የሚገኙትን ሀገሮች በሙሉ (ባጭር ጊዜ) አጥለቀለቋቸው። እነዚህ በሃይማኖት ሽፋን ከቅኝ ገዥዎች ቀምበር ለመላቀቅ የተደረጉ የአፍሪካዊያን ትግሎች “የኢትዮጵያዊያን እንቅስቃሴ” (Ethiopianist movement) በመባል ይታወቃሉ።
ይህ ሁሉ እሚያሳየን “ኢትዮጵያ” የተሰኘው ቃል የጥቁር ሕዝቦች ሁሉ የጋራ መለያ መሆኑን ነው። እስካሁን እንደዘረዘርኩት የጥቁር ሕዝቦች ሁሉ ይረዱት የነበረውም (ከኛ በስተቀር) ይህንኑ ነው። “ከኛ በስተቀር” ያልኩበት ምክንያት “ኢትዮጵያ” የሚለው ቃል በተነሳ ቁጥር የኛ ብቻ (የግላችን) አርገን የመተርጐምና የማጥበብ ዝንባሌ ያለን ስለመሰለኝ ነው። እግዚአብሔር በታምሩ ትልቅ ራእይ ያላቸው መሪዎች ቢሰጠን ይህንን “ኢትዮጵያ” የተሰኘ የጥቁር ሕዝቦች መጠሪያ ቃል በመጠቀም የአፍሪካን መንግሥታትና ሕዝቦች ለማቀራረብና ብሎም የነማርከስ ጋርቬይን የፌደራሊዝም ሕልም እውን ማድረግ ይቻል ይሆናል። ዓለም የሚሄድበት አቅጣጫም ልዩነትን እያጠበቡ አንድነትን እያጠነከሩ አብሮ መጓዝን ስለሆነ (ቢያንስ ቢያንስ) እንደ ሩቅ ጊዜ እቅድ ቢያዝ መልካም ነበር። እንደዚህ ትልቅ ስንመኝ ነው የውስጥ ትርኪ ምርኪ ነገሮችን የምንንቀውና መናቆር የምናቆመው። ይህን በተመለከተ ለሕዝብ ቁመናል ከምትሉ ፖለቲከኞች ብዙ ይጠበቃል።
Notes
I.
- In ancient times “African” and Ethiopian meant the same thing: A Black. This of course, was before the Caucasians began to reorder the earth to suit themselves and found it necessary to stake their birthright over the Land of the Blacks also. (Chancellor Williams, 1987, pp.30-31).
- All Africa, is the native homeland of the Blacks; and that the Asiatic peoples who occupy North and Eastern Africa, even though they may have been there for centuries, are no more native Africans than are the Dutch and British who likewise occupy and control the southern regions of the continent. (Chancellor Williams, 1987, pp.33-34).
- Blacks were among the very earliest builders of a great civilization on this planet, including the development of writing, sciences, engineering, medicine, architecture, religion and the fine arts. Asian imperialism, though rarely ever mentioned, was and still is even more devastating for the African people than that of entire Europe and America. *The Arabs’ white superiority complex is not one whit less than that of Europe or America, although their strategy of “brotherhood” deceives black people. *The forces behind the continuous splintering of small groups and even the breaking up of kingdoms and empires, followed by the equally endless migrations, included the steadily increasing death of the soil and advance of the deserts, the drying up of lakes and rivers along with the attending change of the climate and the always certain internal strife – all combined with invasions and famine to become a way of life. *Africa was the cradle of a religious civilization based on the conception of one Supreme God, Creator of the Universe. This belief in one Supreme Being ante-dated that of the Jews by several thousand years before Abraham, and the role of the numerous sub-deities on whom Western writers dwell, was exactly the same as that of patron saints in the Christian world. *The early wandering Hebrews, so numerous in Africa, received many of their religious ideas in Africa, for there it was that Abraham sojourned. Moses was born, Joseph lived and some of the early years of Jesus Christ were spent. There is no question that even centuries after mulattoes and Asians emerged as the only Egyptians, they still regarded Black Africa as the chief source of the spiritual – “The Land of the Gods”, or the “Land of the Spirits”. (Chancellor Williams, 1987, pp.34-35).
- Chancellor Williams (1987, p.15) refers to Egypt as Northern Ethiopia; and the Sudan Southern Ethiopia.
- 1st period would begin with ‘prehistory’, primarily because Nowe, one of oldest cities on earth, was begun by Blacks before recorded history. Another reason is that the Canaanites and Asians had invaded the Nile Delta and established a stronghold in Lower Egypt (then Northeastern Ethiopia or Chem in prehistoric times. This early concentration of whites along the seacoasts of the land of the Blacks is a circumstance of crucial importance to black history, because it was exactly fro this development that the achievements of the Blacks were overshadowed by later writers or blotted out entirely. What was the actual influence of white Asians, rigidly held back for centuries in the lower one-fourth of the country, upon the blacks who held the three-fourths that came to be known as Upper Egypt? —– The second period might well be from the conquest of Lower Egypt by the Ethiopian leader, Menes, in 3100 B.C. to the end of the sixth Dynasty, 2181 B.C, also the end of the Old Kingdom. This was the period that gave birth to Egypt, and before which there was no Egypt. It was the period during which black kings united the “Two Lands”, started the dynastic (lineage) system, and began the building of the greatest civilization. It was the Golden Age in the history of the Blacks. (Chancellor Williams, 1987, p.39). The third period of black history in Egypt should begin with the seventh Dynasty, 2181 B.C., and subdivided into the tragic periods of internal turmoil and white invasions. The first subdivision would be from 2181 B.C to 2040 B.C. (Chancellor Williams, 1987, p.39).
- The land of the Blacks (Africa) was a vast land; a big world. It coveres 12,000,000 square miles. From its northern most point in what is now Tunisia to Cape Agulhas is approximately 5,000 miles; and in its widest extent from east to west it is 4,600 miles. The whole of this second largest continent was once called Bilad as Sudan, “the Land of the Blacks,” and not just the southern region to which they had been steadily pushed from the north. After Asian, Greek and Roman occupations, the term “Sudan” came to indicate the areas not yet taken from the Blacks and was co-extensive with the Ethiopian Empire. For the Ethiopian Empire once extended from the Mediterranean north and southward to the source of the Nile in the country of Abyssinia which recently reverted to the ancient name of the Ethiopian Empire of which in earlier times it formed its southeastern provinces. Even as late as the time of Menes, 3,100 B.C. Ethiopia still included three-fourths of Egypt, or up to the twenty-ninth degrees North Parallel. The Asians held the Delta region; hence, the “Two Lands”. (Chancellor Williams, 1987, p.44).
- “Ethiopia recaptures Egypt”; referring to the 25th dynasty of Egypt where Shabaka (a black pharaoh), Ethiopian ruled Egypt and even white historians recognize him as black pharaoh. (Chancellor Williams, 1987, p.114).
- People in the early medieval times really knew almost nothing about Africa and Africans. Through geographical errors and confusion between India and Ethiopian Africa, biblical traditions about the presence of Jews in the land of the son of Kush, the legend of Solomon and the queen of Sheba, and the location of Ophir in Africa came to be set pieces in the repertoire of Jewish and Christian ethnography of Africa. Use of the term “Aethiopia” up to the sixteenth century was characterized by geographical errors and confusion between India and Ethiopian Africa. India for geographers of the late Latinity was a land of Asia divided into three areas on the “two shores” of the Indian Mediterranean. For Greco-Latin authors and their medieval successors, with such uncertain and inaccurate data, Aethiopia characterized the part of the African continent inhabited by dark-skinned people. Aethiopia is thus defined by its population whose skin color would be essential for the elaboration of the images of Aethiopia. (Edith Bruder, 2008, p. 25).
- Through travelers, merchants, or missionaries, contacts with Africa other than North Africa were rare until the fifteenth century, due both to natural obstacles, such as sea and desert, and to the political and cultural barrier of Islam. In the high Middle Ages, the Eastern world beyond Islam was, therefore, practically unknown, and from the conquest of Egypt by the Muslims in AD 641, Africa and the Indian Ocean were beyond the horizon of Western Christians. Their source of knowledge about Africa was, therefore, essentially books: the Bible and classical writings, mainly Homer, Herodotus, Pliny and Ptolemy, whose texts provided the medieval Christians with knowledge and interpretations about Africa. Some of the embryonic notions from which the Western imagination developed its myths about Africa were derived from these texts. Homer’s assertions in the Odyssey that there were two Ethiopias – one in the west and one in the east, both at the extremities of the earth – was the basis for a number of later descriptions of Africa. Homer’s description, all be it mythical, was nevertheless, inspired by two historical realities: the powerful Kushitic empire of Meroe on the Nubian Nile, whose inhabitants were perceived as being very civilized, “the admirable Ethiopians” of the east opposed to the nomadic tribes of the Saharan and sub-Saharan region, who became the “other Ethiopians” of the west, and who were often represented as being savage, bestial and treacherous. Homer’s Ethiopians “who live — somewhere where Hyperion sets, and the others where it rises”, were probably inspired by a historical reality on which the myth of the two Ethiopias was based in the ancient European image of Africa. The notion was taken up again by Herodotus, who followed the Nile to Aswan around 440 B.C. and described Meroe’s Ethiopians as “the tallest and most beautiful men in the whole world,” and as being cunning but peace loving, whereas far away from them, in the southwest, “live creatures with dog heads, creatures without heads, whose eyes, according to the Libyans are on their chests; and also wild men and women, and many less fabulous beasts. (Edith Bruder, 2008, pp. 25 – 26).
- In the first century B.C. Diodorus Sicilus, who also visited Egypt, reinforced more schematically the division of Africa into two Ethiopias. He presented, on one hand, Meroe’s Ethiopians as “the first to learn how to worship the gods, and those who “obviously enjoy the favor of the gods.” On the other hand he described Ethiopian tribes spreading out over the south and the west of Meroe’s Ethiopia as “being of black color and having flat noses and woolly hair — totally savage and exhibit a nature of wild beasts. (Edith Bruder, 2008, p.26).
- To the classical authors of the Greek, Hellenistic and Roman world the kingdom of Kush and the geographical area were called Ethiopia, and the people Ethiopians – meaning ‘burnt-faced persons’. The use of this term in modern context, however, is rather confusing as the Kushites and peoples occupying the Ethiopian highlands had very little in common. (Derek A. Welsby, 1996, p.7).
- It seems certain that classical historians and geographers called the whole region from Egypt, both countries inclusive, by the name of “Ethiopia”, and in consequence they regarded all the dark-skinned and black peoples who inhabited it as “Ethiopians”. Mention is made of “Eastern” and “Western” Ethiopians, and it is probable that the Easterners were Asiatics, and the Westerners Africans (Wallis Budge, 1928, p.Vii).
- Afrocentric thought asserts that humankind developed first in Africa not only biologically, as is now accepted, but also in terms of civilization. These ideas were not new: Herodotus, among others thought that Greece’s knowledge came from Egypt, and in his Voyage en Egypt et en Syrie (1787), the French philosopher Constantin Francois de Volney (1757 – 1820), whose memory is reversed by Afrocentrists, put forward the idea that ancient Egyptians were black. (Edith Bruder, 2008, p.73).
- The historiography of a glorious African past, as assertions of identity, was elaborated first among African American authors. The first African American texts, that seem to date back to 1790, already included themes that would create an echo during the following decades. From the 1830’s, a variety of popular texts or religious sermons and books, glorifying ancient Africa and especially Egypt as a great black civilization, at least partially created by “Ethiopian”, “Kushites”, or “sons of Ham”, — a belief that civilization was born in Africa and transported to Greece and to the entire world, — the veneration of Africa for its past greatness as a source of racial pride and hope for future achievements. Indeed, the appropriation of Africa’s history by African Americans followed the path of a search for origins that provided total rehabilitation after the experience of white supremacy and discrimination. From the mid nineteenth century to the early twentieth, the numerous writings of African American writers — a high population of them clergymen – contain these themes, which were to reecho through all subsequent decades. Drawing mainly in the Bible argued that ancient Africa was the birthplace of civilization and point to Egypt, Ethiopia and Carthage as great ancient civilizations. The Egyptians who were a “negro” population, had taught the Greeks, and African derived knowledge had passed on to Europeans via Greece and Rome. David Walker (1829) suggested: “When we take a retrospective view of the arts and sciences (we see) the wise legislation – the pyramids and other magnificent buildings – the turning of the channel of the river Nile, by the sons of Africa or of Ham, among whom learning originated, and was carried thence into Greece. James Penningston’s (1841) disputed on numerous theological grounds the notion that Africans were the “children of Cain” or subject to “Noah’s curse.” Indeed Africans were the descendants of Kush, which meant that there was biblical support for the idea of their consanguinity with ancient Egyptians of Ethiopians: they were “cousins”. (refer to (Edith Bruder, 2008, pp.73 – 93).
II.
- The Greek writers of antiquity designated a considerable portion of the ancient Near East and Southern Asia as Ethiopia. (German writer, Herr Eugen Georg as quoted by Robin Walker, 2011, p.578
- Homer, the eighth century B.C. author of the Iliad and the Odyssey and Herodotus, the learned historian of the fifth century B.C. classified the populations of Sudan, Egypt, Palestine, Arabia, Mesopotamia (i.e. Iraq and Syria) and India as Ethiopians. (Robin Walker, 2011, p.578).
- The fame of the Ethiopians was widespread in ancient history. The annals of all the great early nations of Asia Minor are full of them. The mosaic (i.e. Biblical) records allude to them frequently; but while they are described as the most powerful, the most just and the most beautiful of the human race, they are constantly spoken of as black, and there seems to be no other conclusion to be drawn, than that at that remote period of history the leading race of the Western world was a black race. (Lady Lugard, quoted by Robin Walker, 2011, p. 578).
- Recent linguistic discovery (i.e. in 1862) tends to show that a Cushite or Ethiopian race did in the earliest times extend itself —– from Abyssinia (i.e. modern Ethiopia) to India. The whole peninsula of India was peopled by a race of this character before the influx of the Aryans: it extended from the Indus along the seacoast through modern Beloochistan, Kerman, which was the proper country of the Asiatic Ethiopians.; the cities on the northern shores of the Persian Gulf are shown by the brick inscriptions found among their ruins to have belonged to this race; it was dominant in Iran (Susiana) and Babylonia (i.e. Iraq), until over-powered in the one country by Aryan, in the other by Semetic intrusion; it can be traced, both by dialect and tradition, throughout the whole south coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and it stll exists in Abyssinia, where the language of the principle tribe (the Galla) furnishes, it is thought, a clue to the cuneiform inscriptions of Susiana (Iran) and Elymais. (Canon George Rawlinson, quoted by Robin Walker, 2011, P.581).
- The Asiatic Ethiopians to which Canon, G. Rawlinson alludes, are generally thought to have been the Dravidians, the first inhabitants of India and Pakistan. Founders of the ancient civilization of the Indus Valley; there are some one hundred million Dravidian speakers in southern India today. Many, though by no means all, are of very black complexions with straight, wavy or curly hair. Some are indistinguishable from Africans. (Robin Walker, 2011, p. 582).
- —- many very ancient statues of the God Buddha in India have crisp, curly hair, with flat noses and thick lips; nor can it be reasonably doubted, that a race of Negroes formerly had power and preminence in India. This is confirmed by Mr. Maurice who says, “The figures in the Hinbdoo caverns are of a very different character from the present race of Hindoos; their countenance are broad and full, the nose flat, and the lips, particularly the under lip, remarkably thick. — The testimony of the Rev. Mr. Maurice is fully confirmed by Sir W. Jones, who says “The remains of architecture and sculpture in India — seem to prove an early connection between this country and Africa —- The ancient Hindus, according to Strabo, differed in nothing from the Africans but in the straightness and smoothness of their hair, while that of the others was crisp and woolly; a difference proceeding chiefly, if not entirely, from the respective humidity or dryness of their atmospheres.” (Godfrey Higgins quoted by Robin Walker, 2011, p. 582).
- The Aryan invasions of India which led to the collapse of the Semito-Negroid Indus Balley civilization plunged India into 2500 years of darkness lasting from 1500 B.C. – 1000 A.D. It may sound cruel but the Vedic religion does prescribe that the Aryan race is superior to other races and is hence justified in massacring, looting and ruling over all others. These Brahmanic Dark Ages were the darkest ever experienced in the history of mankind. The initial 1000 years, comprising the Vedic Dark Ages (1500 B.C. to 500 B.C.) of this episode were the darkest of all. The early Vedic Dark Ages were marked by two major devastating Aryan invasions. (Uthaya Naidu, quoted by Robin Walker, 2011, p. 582).
- A website called Statement of Aims and Objectives [Mughalstan Nation] whose objective is to promote the cause of “ a sovereign and independent Mughalstan homeland for the South Asian Muslims and a restoration of the fabulous 1000-year Mughal Caliphate” in a section called “Historical Justice” states the following: Although the land originally belonged to Sudroid (Sudra) Negroes, these people were exterminated by blood-thirsty Aryan invaders in the cataclysmic Sudra (in Hinduism this means low caste) Holocaust. The glorious Indus Valley Civilization was completely wiped out by the Vedic Aryans. Moreover, the Buddhists and Jains were subsequently annihilated by the Brahminists (i.e. Aryans), and it is to free the oppressed peoples of South Asia who were enslaved to the most terrible tyranny of Brahminism, that Mahmud-e-Ghazni and the Islamic heroes decided to liberate South Asia. Mughalstan thus meant liberation for millions of South Asians, who welcomed the establishment of Mughalstan in the regions depopulated by Brahminist genocides. (Robin Walker, 2011, p. 583).
- Study of South Asian history reveals that the subcontinent was a collection of several distinct nations, each with its own distinctive race, language, culture and independent history. – History reveals that the following historically distinct and separate nations have existed for the last sevral centuries in South Asia before being illegally occupied by the Brahminists (i.e. Aryans): Dalitstan and Dravidistan – the aboriginal Sudroid populations of Africoid descent have formed the historically distinct nations of Dalitstan and Dravidistan (both being lumped together as “Sudrastan”) for more than 4000 years. Dalitstan is a modern term comprising the historically Adivasi dominated regions of Gondwana, Jharkhand, Baghelkhand and Bundelkhand (all attested in the 18th century Mughal chronicles), whilst Dravidistan comprises the historically separate Dravidian-speaking regions of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Telingana. The Chola empire, Gondwana kingdom and Cera kingdom were only some of the more glorious Sudroid empires of Yore before the Brahminists destroyed these states. (Khshatrapa Gandasa quoted by Robin Walker, 2011, p.583).
- The invasions of earliest India and Iran by Aryans (Caucasians speaking Indo-European languages), and the invasion of early Iraq by Semites, are of considerable importance in understanding the racial picture of the Middle East and southern Asia of today. “Ethiopians” (a Greek term) or Kushites/Cushites (the Hebrew equivalent) were first and at one time the only inhabitants of western and southern Asia. Descendants of the early dispersals of Africans across the globe, these were the Blacks described by Georg, Budge, Lugard, Palmer. Al-Jahiz, Balfour, Keith and Rawlinson. Skeletal remains of them date back 95,000 years or more. By 10,000 B.C. the Natufian Culture was established in the region, primarily in Palestine, Dr. Charles Finch suggests that it was the parent of the later civilizations that followed, such as Sumer (Iraq), Elam (Iran), Arabia Felix (Yemen) and the Indus Valley (India/Pakistan). (Robin Walker, 2011, pp.583-584).
- At the present time (i.e. 1869) Arabia is inhabited by two distinct races, namely descendants of the old Adite (i.e. a descendent of Ham), Kushite or Ethiopian race, known under various appellations, and dwelling chiefly at the south, the east and in central parts of the country, but formerly supreme throughout the whole peninsula; and the Semitic Arabians – Mahomet’s race – found chiefly ibn the Hejaz and at th north. In some districts of the country these races are more or less mixed, and since the rise of Mahometanism (i.e. Islam) the language of the Semites, known to us as Arabic, has almost wholly superseded the old Ethiopian or Kushite tongue. — To the Kushite belongs the purest Arabian blood. (John Baldwin quoted by Robin Walker, 2011. P. 586). Robin Walker says “Baldwin cannot be completely correct in suggesting that the oldest known languages of Arabia belonged to the Kushite group. While these languages are indeed different to Arabic and share affinities to languages spoken in Ethiopia, they actually belong to the Semitic group. He is correct, however, to suggest that the earliest Arabs belonged to and Adite, Kushite or Ethiopian race. (Robin Walker, 2011, pp.583-584). Pliny the Elder and Hebrew sources depict the early Arabs as Black. Physical anthropologists also shared this view. (Robin Walker, 2011, pp.585-586).
- An old Encyclopaedia Britanica has this to say about early Arabs: The inhabitants of Yemen, Hadramaut, Oman and the adjoining districs, in shape of head, color, length, and slenderness of limbs and scantiness of hair, point to an African origin.
- Between 5000 B.C. and 4000 B.C. Caucasian people speaking Indo-European languages invaded Western Asia from the north. The intermarriage between the invading peoples and the early Black populations created Mulatto population speaking Semitic languages. Prior to this period, the Semites did not exist. Where there was little or no intermarriage, the Blacks retained their languages and the Whites retained theirs. The languages of the early Blacks were classified, by Sir Henry Rawlinson, as Cushitic; and the languages of the invadors of course were Indo-European. (Robin Walker, 2011, p. 587).
- There is another theory, first advanced by Joseph Greenberg. He claimed that both Cushitic and Semetic originated in the region now designated Ethiopia and later spread to Arabia and elsewhere by migration. According to this view, the Semites of Arabia and the Middle East were originally Africans. In later periods they became modified in appearance by intermixture with other peoples invading from the north. In contemporary academic circles, this latter theory appears to be gaining the upper hand. (Robin Walker, 2011, p. 587).
- The Semites became dominant for the first time in history when the Akkadians, led by Sargon I, overthrew the Sumerians in Mesopotamia. The date of this event is, however, controversial. Duncan MacNaughton gives it as 2895 B.C. The Caucasian migration into Arabia, alluded to by Dr. Thomas, is believed to have taken place in the eighteenth century B.C. for the first time. The Blacks were pushed into the southern region of the peninsular (Arabia Felix = Yemen), where they established a splendid civilization. The rest of Arabia gradually took on a Mulatto character. The Aryans invaded the Indus Valley, beginning the third millennium B.C. After much struggle, the Dravidians were pushed into the southern and central regions of India where the majority live today. (Robin Walker, 2011, p. 587).
- The indigenous Negro populations were displaced, destroyed, or absorbed, by invading light-skinned peoples speaking (or adopting) Semitic or Indo-European languages. Western and southern Asia today is consequently a very mixed population; but the Caucasian type greatly predominates. The Semitic language is dominant in Arabia, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. Indo-European is dominant in Iran and India. Negro populations have survived in all of these regions. Among these are the Mahras of the Arabian peninsula, the dark populations of Iran, and some of the Dravidians of southern India. In all such cases, however, they have been submerged and are now marginalized. (Robin Walker, 2011, p. 587).
- Professor George Dorsey, as quoted by Robin Walker, wrote the following: Open your atlas to a map of the world. Look at the Indian Ocean; on the west is Africa; on the north are the three great southern peninsulas of Asia (i.e. Arabia, India, Malay); on the east is a chain of great islands terminating in Australia. Where ever that Indian Ocean touches land, it finds dark-skinned people with strongly developed jaws, relatively long arms and kinky or frizzled hair. Call that Indian Ocean or Negroid division of the human race. (Robin Walker, 2011, p. 588).
III.
- More than 6000 years ago in the land called Mesopotamia (southern Iraq) lived different tribes entrenched in the southern part of the Tigris-Euphrates region. This region was known at different times by many names, among which are Sumer, Akkad (or Accad) and Chaldea; but the name best known to many is Babylonia. This area was also the location of the Garden of Eden, and the people of this region were jet black. (Rudolph R. Windsor, 2003, p.13).
- There were two Ethiopian nations in ancient times (eastern Ethiopia and western Ethiopia). There was an Ethiopian civilization in southern Mesopotamia (Babylon), but the people in this region did not use their tribal name, Ethiopia, to designate their nationality. They called themselves by the name of the cities that they constructed and inhabited, or they called themselves by an event that happened there; for example, God confused the language of the people at the Tower of Babel (Babel means confusion in Hebrew). This is why the Ethiopian tribes called themselves Babylonians, referring to the city that they constructed. The people who resided in the lower part of the Tigris, Euphrates Valley were Ethiopians, black in complexion. We read in Genesis 10:8 “ Cush begat Nimrod; —“ The word Cush means Ethiopia, and Cush was the father of the Ethiopians. Nimrod was a mighty Ethiopian conqueror and builder in the land of Shinar (Sumer). Nimrod ruled over such cities as Babylon, Erech and Accad. “And the sons of Cush; Seba and Havilah, —-“. Now we have learned that Havilah was the son of Cush, who was an Ethiopian. The word Havilah became the name of a tribe and a region, known as the Land of Havilah and the Havilites (Ethiopians) lived in the land of Havilah which is located near the Persian Gulf. There was another Havilah who was one of the sons of Joktan (Genesis 10:26-29) who was of the line of Shem. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. The children of Shem are called Shemites; The sons of Ham are called Hamites and the sons of Japheth are called Japhites. (Rudolf R. Windsor, 2003. P. 15).
- Cush mean black (Windsor, 2003, p.16). It also refers to Cush the son of Ham. The children of Cush are called Cushites who appeared to have spread along tracts extending from the Nile to the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. There is more than adequate evidence that the ancient nations of Babylon, Akkadia, Sumer, the Chaldea were inhabited by Cushite tribes (Ethiopians), on all sides of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. (Windsor, 2003, p.16). Those Cushites who lived in lower Mesopotamia during pre-Semitic times were eastern Ethiopians. These Sumerians or Ethiopians and their kindred appear to have settled along tracts from Mesopotamia to India. This area now includes southern Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and north-west India. There is blood relationship between the Dravidian tribes of India and the Ethiopian Sumerians. The Sumerian civilization preceded the Babylonian. The Sumerians founded cities that existed more than 4,000 years B.C. such as: Eridu, Lagsh, Nippur, Kish and Ur. (Windsor, 2003. P. 17).
IV.
- Kemet refers to ancient Egypt; and Kemetic refers to pre-Christian religious philosophy of ancient Egypt. (kemetway.com/massey1 html). Gerard Massey was a Christian priest who investigated the origin of Christianity; and after 20 years of research found out the origin to be Kemet/Egypt.
- Egypt suffered Aryan (European and Arab) onslaught lasting for 3,000 years (from 1500 B.C. to 1500 A.D). Invadors beginning with Martu (erroneously called Assyrians) appropriated material, intellectual and technological spoils of ancient Egypt. (kemetway.com/massey1 html).
- African civilization ranges from Kemet/Egypt in north Africa to Chou civilization in southern Asia now called China. The invaders of China used the spoils to fabricate societies of their own. Invaders of China created Jainism and Confucims. Those who invaded India created Brahmanism. Those who invaded Asia Minor created Zoroastrianism and Judaism. Those who invaded Kemet created “Greek philosopy”, Christianity and Islam. As a part of the process of domination each invading group claimed authorship of the knowledge base and technology they appropriated from their victims. Christianity is but stolen Kemetic/Egyptian religious philosopy and spirituality including its rituals and beliefs reframed in an Aryan image. (kemetway.com/massey1 html).
Miriam Ma’at-Ka-Re Monges (1997) Kush, The Jewel of Nubia: Reconnecting The Root System of African Civilization, African World Press, Inc. Asmara, Eritrea.
- States that Diop provides readers with evidence that ancient Egypt was a negro civilization. Diop’s book was divided into 13 chapters. Chapter 7 presents several cultural indices supporting a negro origin of ancient Egypt: totemism, kingship, matriarchy, circumcision, cosmogony, social organization and languages. (p.17).
- The concept of priest/ruler was evidenced in Kush (p.22).
- The Sahara is often viewed as a barrier between Africa and the civilized world; and Nubia was considered as a corridor to connect the two (wrongly considering Egypt to be separate from the rest of Africa). The Sahara was not an insurmountable barrier for Africans; There is evidence of various animal and plant life left by former residents of the Sahara in the form of very elaborate rock drawings. These drawings indicate that it was once a fertile environment. Africans have crossed, lived and traded in the Sahara for millennia. It may have been an inconvenience, but it has not been a barrier, certainly no more a barrier than the Mediterranean Sea. (pp. 22-23).
- The Sahara did not begin to dry up until 2500 B.C.E. People began to move out around 2000 B.C.E. Afterward there is evidence that carts and chariots drawn by donkeys and horses were used to cross the Sahara between North and West Africa around 1000 B.C.E. and camels from 100 B.C.E. until the present day (p.23).
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[1] የጅኦግሪፊ ተማሪ ነኝ (ያውም የፊዚካል ጅኦግራፊ)። ስለሀገሬ ራሴን ለማስተማር ሳነብ ከወሰድኳቸው ማስታዎሻዎች አንዳንዶቹን አጠናቅሬ ነው ይህቺን ጽሑፍ ያቀረብኩላችሁ። ጽሑፉ ለታሪክ ባለሙያዎች ግልብ (shallow) ሊሆን ይችላል፤ ለኔ ቢጤው ጀማሪ የታሪክ ተማሪ ግን ትንሽም ቢሆን እሚያበረክተው ፍሬ ነገር ሊኖር ስለሚችል እነሆ። አንባቢዎች ገምቢ ትቺቶቻችሁን አትንፈጉ።
[2] ጥንታዊ ሥልጣኔ በፈለቀባቸው አካባቢዎች (በአፍሪካና በእስያ) ግን፣ የቀይ ዳማውንና ጠይሙንም ቢሆን ፈረንጅ ሊያደርጉት ይፈልጋሉ። ጥንታዊ ሥልጣኔ የጥቁር ሕዝብ ሥልጣኔ ሊሆን አይችልም ለማለት ነው። ጥቁር ሥልጡን ሊሆን አይችልም፤ ሥልጣኔ ክነበረ ፈረንጅ (ነጭ) ሕዝብ ነበር በማለት የጥቁር ሕዝቦችን ሥልጣኔ የራሳቸው ለማድረግ ነው።
[3] ዶናልድ ጆዋንሰን (Donald Johanson) በተባለ የሽካጐ ዩኒቨርሲቲ መምህር የተመራ ከአሜሪካና ከፈረንሳይ የተውጣጣ ቡድን በ1974 ዓ.ም. በአዋሽ ሸለቆ ሐዳር በተባለ አካባቢ 3.5 ሚሊዮን ዓመት ይሆነዋል የተባለ የሴት አጽም (የሉሲ) ተገኝቷል። ሪቻርድ ሊኪ (Richard Leaky) የተባሉ አርኪዮሎጅስት በታንዛኒያ ውስጥ (ልዩ ስሙ ኦልዱባይ ዋሻ) ከሉሲ ቀጥሎ በጣም ረዥም እድሜ ያስቆጠረ የሰው አጽም ተገኝቷል። እስካሁን በዓለም ውስጥ ከተገኙት የሰው አጽም ቅሪቶች በጣም ረዥም እድሜ ያላቸው የአዋሽ ሸለቆውና የኦልዱባይ ዋሻው ግኝቶች ናቸው።