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Tembien (
Tigrigna (; also spelled Tigrigna) is an Ethio-Semitic language commonly spoken Eritrea and in northern Ethiopia's Tigray Region by the Tigrinya and Tigrayan peoples. It is also spoken by the global diaspora of these regions. History and literature ...
: ተምቤን) is a historic region in
Tigray Region The Tigray Region, officially the Tigray National Regional State, is the northernmost regional state in Ethiopia. The Tigray Region is the homeland of the Tigrayan, Irob, and Kunama people. Its capital and largest city is Mekelle. Tigray is ...
and former
provinces of Ethiopia Historically, Ethiopia was divided into provinces, further subdivided into ''awrajja''s or districts, until they were replaced by regions of Ethiopia, ethnically-based regions (''kililoch'') and chartered cities in 1995. History Pre-1936 Older p ...
. It is a mountainous area of that country. During the reforms in 1994–95, the old provinces were replaced with
regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
,
zones Zone or The Zone may refer to: Places Climate and altitude zones * Death zone (originally the lethal zone), altitudes above a certain point where the amount of oxygen is insufficient to sustain human life for an extended time span * Frigid zone, ...
and
woreda Districts of Ethiopia, also called woredas ( am, ወረዳ; ''woreda''), are the third level of the administrative divisions of Ethiopia – after ''zones'' and the '' regional states''. These districts are further subdivided into a number of ...
s. The area of the former province is now split over the woredas of Dogua Tembien and
Kola Tembien Kola Tembien (, "Lower Tembien") is a woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is named in part after the former province of Tembien. Part of the Mehakelegnaw Zone, Kola Tembien is bordered on the south by Abergele, on the west by the Tekezé River ...
. It was located east of the Semien Province and north of
Abergele Abergele (; ; ) is a market town and community, situated on the north coast of Wales between the holiday resorts of Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, in Conwy County Borough and in the historic county of Denbighshire. Its northern suburb of Pensarn lies on ...
, a historic district of the
Begemder Begemder ( amh, በጌምድር; also known as Gondar or Gonder, alternative name borrowed from its 20th century capital Gondar) was a province in northwest Ethiopia. Etymology A plausible source for the name ''Bega'' is that the word means " ...
province. On the east, it was bordered by the Enderta Province. The original capital of the province was
Melfa The Melfa is a river in Lazio, Italy. It rises in the Monti della Meta, flows south-west for about and joins the Liri near San Giovanni Incarico.''Carta stradale: Lazio 1:200000''. Istituto Geografico DeAgostini. . The source of the Melfa iss ...
, west of the current town of Hagere Selam; later on
Abiy Addi Abiy Addi (also spelled Abi Addi; Tigrigna ዓብዪ ዓዲ "Big town") is a town in central Tigray Region, Tigray, Ethiopia. Abiy Addi is at the southeastern edge of the Kola Tembien woreda, of which it is the capital. Overview The town is di ...
, nowadays located in
Kola Tembien Kola Tembien (, "Lower Tembien") is a woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is named in part after the former province of Tembien. Part of the Mehakelegnaw Zone, Kola Tembien is bordered on the south by Abergele, on the west by the Tekezé River ...
(''Lower Tembien''), became the capital. The region reached a highpoint in the Tsatsen mountains at 2828 meters above sea level, just south of Hagere Selam.


Prehistory

Tembien holds numerous prehistoric sites, which have been dated to the
Middle Stone Age The Middle Stone Age (or MSA) was a period of African prehistory between the Early Stone Age and the Late Stone Age. It is generally considered to have begun around 280,000 years ago and ended around 50–25,000 years ago. The beginnings of pa ...
in
Ayninbirkekin Ayninbirkekin is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Degua Tembien, Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Literal meaning of Ayninbirkekin in Tigrinya is "We will not bend". The ''tabia'' centre is in Halah village, located app ...
, or
Pastoral Neolithic The Pastoral Neolithic (5000 BP - 1200 BP) refers to a period in Africa's prehistory, specifically Tanzania and Kenya, marking the beginning of food production, livestock domestication, and pottery use in the region following the Later Stone Age. ...
in
Aregen Aregen is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The ''tabia'' centre is in Addi Gotet village, located approximately to the west-southwest of the ''woreda'' town Hagere Selam. Geography ...
and
Menachek Menachek is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Tanqua Millash district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The ''tabia'' centre is in Addi Bayro village (also called "Debre Birhan"). Until January 2020 it belonged to the Dogu'a Tembien district. ...
.Agazi Negash. (1997). Preliminary Results of Archaeological Reconnaissance of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, Nyame Akuma, 47, 27-32.
/ref>Agazi Negash. (2001). The Holocene Pre-Historic Archaeology of the Temben Region of Northern Ethiopia (PhD dissertation). University of Florida.
/ref> The Dabo Zellelew cave in
Aregen Aregen is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The ''tabia'' centre is in Addi Gotet village, located approximately to the west-southwest of the ''woreda'' town Hagere Selam. Geography ...
at a height of about 2000 metres, has been explored over 14.4 m but its distance is claimed to be way longer (). It contains lithic tools, potsherds, engravings and paintings of
Pastoral Neolithic The Pastoral Neolithic (5000 BP - 1200 BP) refers to a period in Africa's prehistory, specifically Tanzania and Kenya, marking the beginning of food production, livestock domestication, and pottery use in the region following the Later Stone Age. ...
age. The Mihdar Ab’ur cave in the village of Mahba in
Aregen Aregen is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The ''tabia'' centre is in Addi Gotet village, located approximately to the west-southwest of the ''woreda'' town Hagere Selam. Geography ...
at a height of about 2500 metres, is some 64 m long (). It contains engravings and paintings of
Pastoral Neolithic The Pastoral Neolithic (5000 BP - 1200 BP) refers to a period in Africa's prehistory, specifically Tanzania and Kenya, marking the beginning of food production, livestock domestication, and pottery use in the region following the Later Stone Age. ...
age. The Danei Kawlos cave in the Tsech'i gorge at the west of
Menachek Menachek is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Tanqua Millash district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The ''tabia'' centre is in Addi Bayro village (also called "Debre Birhan"). Until January 2020 it belonged to the Dogu'a Tembien district. ...
at a height of about 2020 metres, is some 13.5 metres long (). It contains lithic tools, potsherds, and faunal remains of
Pastoral Neolithic The Pastoral Neolithic (5000 BP - 1200 BP) refers to a period in Africa's prehistory, specifically Tanzania and Kenya, marking the beginning of food production, livestock domestication, and pottery use in the region following the Later Stone Age. ...
age. Further down, the May Ila open-air site in the Tsech'i gorge at the extreme west of
Menachek Menachek is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Tanqua Millash district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The ''tabia'' centre is in Addi Bayro village (also called "Debre Birhan"). Until January 2020 it belonged to the Dogu'a Tembien district. ...
at a height of about 1990 metres (). It contains blades, blade cores, and a few potsherds of
Pastoral Neolithic The Pastoral Neolithic (5000 BP - 1200 BP) refers to a period in Africa's prehistory, specifically Tanzania and Kenya, marking the beginning of food production, livestock domestication, and pottery use in the region following the Later Stone Age. ...
age. These sites are found on the routes that lead from the northwestern lowlands of Ethiopia to the northern highlands via Tembien that holds a large number of distributions of rock art sites.Tekle Hagos (2019). Explorations of Three Rock Art Sites in Northwestern Tigray, Ethiopia. Ethiopian Journal of the Social Sciences and Humanities (EJOSSAH), 15(2): 103-130
/ref>


Historical geography

Tembien in the past was at least partially inhabited by
Agew people The Agaw or Agew ( gez, አገው ''Agäw'', modern ''Agew'') are a pan-ethnic identity native to the northern highlands of Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea. They speak the Agaw languages, which belong to the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic la ...
and there are still Agew communities south of Tembien, in
Abergele Abergele (; ; ) is a market town and community, situated on the north coast of Wales between the holiday resorts of Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, in Conwy County Borough and in the historic county of Denbighshire. Its northern suburb of Pensarn lies on ...
. The border between Tigray proper (area surrounding
Aksum Axum, or Aksum (pronounced: ), is a town in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia with a population of 66,900 residents (as of 2015). It is the site of the historic capital of the Aksumite Empire, a naval and trading power that ruled the whole region ...
and
Adwa Adwa ( ti, ዓድዋ; amh, ዐድዋ; also spelled Aduwa) is a town and separate woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is best known as the community closest to the site of the 1896 Battle of Adwa, in which Ethiopian soldiers defeated Italian ...
) and Tembien traditionally was the Wer’i river. This is why Tembien was also called “Wer’i Mellash” (‘beyond the Wer’i’). Whereas several other
Tigrinya (; also spelled Tigrigna) is an Ethio-Semitic language commonly spoken Eritrea and in northern Ethiopia's Tigray Region by the Tigrinya and Tigrayan peoples. It is also spoken by the global diaspora of these regions. History and literature ...
-speaking provinces were less linked with the centre, Tembien was often linked with Tigray proper (Adwa) in a dynamic way. In the rainy season, Tembien became full autonomous because the Wer’i river was an unpassable border. However, during dry seasons Tembien accepted the authority of Tigray proper. Tembien appears on indigenous maps of the northern
Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...
in the 15th Century.


A history linked to ecology and seasonality

In Tembien's history, the farmers’ culture, life cycle and livelihood linked with the land are important.


Political ecology

There were hierarchical structures in which the large landowners owned most of the land, assumed positions and controlled the peasants. It was common that half of the crop yield needed to be given to the lord what led to great misery in the villages.


Importance of seasons

The seasons organised also the (political) life: after the harvest, young men often migrated seasonally to * Wer’i valley for gold panning and incense harvesting * Bigger courts such as the Ethiopian ruler's court * Such migrations could lead to permanent establishment in other areas such as the numerous ''Tembienot'' established in
Hamasien The Provinces of Eritrea existed between Eritrea's incorporation as a colony of Italy until the conversion of the provinces into administrative regions. Overview In Italian Eritrea, the Italian colonial administration had divided the colony into e ...
, around
Asmara Asmara ( ), or Asmera, is the capital and most populous city of Eritrea, in the country's Central Region. It sits at an elevation of , making it the sixth highest capital in the world by altitude and the second highest capital in Africa. The ...
in
Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia ...


War cycles

Young farmers, at the slack season, and in need of additional income, were often enrolled in armies, where they hoped to get noticed and receive a position. Hence, the war cycle followed the seasons. In the rainy seasons, when warfare was difficult anyway, the farmers were back on their land to plough and harvest.


Christianity in Tembien

As evidenced by the numerous
monolithic church A monolithic church or rock-hewn church is a church made from a single block of stone. Because freestanding rocks of sufficient size are rare, such edifices are usually hewn into the ground or into the side of a hill or mountain. They can be of ...
es in Tembien, the socio-political organisation is based on
Orthodox Christianity Orthodoxy (from Ancient Greek, Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Late antiquity, A ...
since ancient times. There are even manuscripts referring to a mediaeval
monastic Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religion, religious way of life in which one renounces world (theology), worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic ...
movement, in which the leaders originated from Tembien. There is an important pilgrimage every year to the Abba Selama monastery, situated on an almost inaccessible rock that can only be reached at the peril of one's life. After Aksum, this would be the oldest church of Ethiopia, established by the first Syrian missionary, Frumentius, commonly named “Abba Selama”. The monastery was even represented on a 17th-century map of Ethiopia. Like
Mount Athos Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...
in
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, the local monks do not recognise the state authority over the monastery. Emperor Yohannes IV was baptised at the St. Mary church of
Melfa The Melfa is a river in Lazio, Italy. It rises in the Monti della Meta, flows south-west for about and joins the Liri near San Giovanni Incarico.''Carta stradale: Lazio 1:200000''. Istituto Geografico DeAgostini. . The source of the Melfa iss ...
. It is painted with scenes of his reign, and there are numerous gifts of the Emperor present in the church. Nowadays, every church serves also as a meeting place for the community. On Sundays, the villagers meet in the church compound after church service around a cup of blessed
siwa (beer) Siwa (or Suwa) ( ti, ሰዋ, translit=säwa), Amharic: ጠላ, is a beer originating from Tigray. Traditionally home-brewed, ''siwa'' remains locally popular during social events, after (manual) work, and as an incentive for farmers and labourer ...
. This and other informal traditional meetings and associations allow self-organisation of the peasant communities.


The Tembien dynasty


Early rulers of Tembien

The first written source that mentions Tembien is about a war expedition of one of its late-
Aksum Axum, or Aksum (pronounced: ), is a town in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia with a population of 66,900 residents (as of 2015). It is the site of the historic capital of the Aksumite Empire, a naval and trading power that ruled the whole region ...
ite rulers against the
Nubia Nubia () (Nobiin: Nobīn, ) is a region along the Nile river encompassing the area between the first cataract of the Nile (just south of Aswan in southern Egypt) and the confluence of the Blue and White Niles (in Khartoum in central Sudan), or ...
n
Alodia Alodia, also known as Alwa ( grc-gre, Aρουα, ''Aroua''; ar, علوة, ''ʿAlwa''), was a medieval kingdom in what is now central and southern Sudan. Its capital was the city of Soba, located near modern-day Khartoum at the confluence of ...
kingdom. Written sources particularly about “princes of Tembien” became more dense starting from the 14th C. Starting from the 17th century the title of lord of Tembien was transmitted in the same family, while also getting approval from the Ethiopian Emperor. Hence, the degree of autonomy could vary. We know that, in the 17th C., Tembien was part of the larger
Agame Agame () was a former province in northern Ethiopia. It includes the northeastern corner of the Ethiopian Empire, borders Akele Guzai in Eritrea, Tembien, Kalatta Awlalo and Enderta in the south, and both the Eritrean and Ethiopian Afar lowla ...
, led by Kiflewahid, but after his death, Tembien became autonomous.


Emperor Yohannes IV

As of the 19th Century, both oral traditions and written documents mention that the rulers of Tembien were based in
Melfa The Melfa is a river in Lazio, Italy. It rises in the Monti della Meta, flows south-west for about and joins the Liri near San Giovanni Incarico.''Carta stradale: Lazio 1:200000''. Istituto Geografico DeAgostini. . The source of the Melfa iss ...
. Best known is Emperor
Yohannes IV ''girmāwī''His Imperial Majesty, spoken= am , ጃንሆይ ''djānhoi''Your Imperial Majesty(lit. "O steemedroyal"), alternative= am , ጌቶቹ ''getochu''Our Lord (familiar)(lit. "Our master" (pl.)) yohanes Yohannes IV (Tigrinya: ዮሓ ...
, whose forefathers had managed to gain power through marriage with all the surrounding ruling families. Kassa (the future emperor Yohannes) controlled the Tembien highlands and later the whole of Tigray; ultimately he crowned himself king of kings of Ethiopia in 1872. However, Emperor Yohannes IV did not establish his capital in Tembien (due to relative inaccessibility), but in
Mekelle Mekelle ( ti, መቐለ, am, መቀሌ, mäqälle, mek’elē) or Mekele is a List of zones of Ethiopia, special zone and capital city, capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta province, Enderta Awrajj ...
and
Adwa Adwa ( ti, ዓድዋ; amh, ዐድዋ; also spelled Aduwa) is a town and separate woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is best known as the community closest to the site of the 1896 Battle of Adwa, in which Ethiopian soldiers defeated Italian ...
- these towns were well connected to the
Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...
and to inner Ethiopia. However Yohannes’ kept strong links with Tembien, as indicated by the establishment of a (locally paved) horse-track between
Melfa The Melfa is a river in Lazio, Italy. It rises in the Monti della Meta, flows south-west for about and joins the Liri near San Giovanni Incarico.''Carta stradale: Lazio 1:200000''. Istituto Geografico DeAgostini. . The source of the Melfa iss ...
and
Mekelle Mekelle ( ti, መቐለ, am, መቀሌ, mäqälle, mek’elē) or Mekele is a List of zones of Ethiopia, special zone and capital city, capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta province, Enderta Awrajj ...
, passing through the V-notched Ksad Mederbai. He also ordered to build the Abune Aregawi church in Zeyi, after being informed about the discovery of a large cave there. Also his successors kept connections with Tembien: * His grandson
Seyoum Mengesha Seyoum Mengesha KBE (Amharic: ሥዩም መንገሻ; 21 June 1887 – 15 December 1960) was an army commander and a member of the royal family of the Ethiopian Empire. Early life ''Le'ul'' ''Ras'' Seyoum Mengesha was born on 24 June 18 ...
was based in
Abiy Addi Abiy Addi (also spelled Abi Addi; Tigrigna ዓብዪ ዓዲ "Big town") is a town in central Tigray Region, Tigray, Ethiopia. Abiy Addi is at the southeastern edge of the Kola Tembien woreda, of which it is the capital. Overview The town is di ...
, from where he also fought against the Italian invasion in 1935. * His grand-grandson
Mengesha Seyoum ''Le'ul Ras'' Mengesha Seyoum (Amharic: መንገሻ ሥዩም; born 7 December 1927) is a member of the imperial family of the Ethiopian Empire. In 1974, the monarchy was abolished by the Derg, a communist military junta. Early life and backgr ...
, governor of Tigray after the Second World War participated yearly in the annual patron's day at Abune Aregawi church in Zeyi which Yohannes had built. He also ordered to build a road and a bridge linking
Dogu'a Tembien Dogu'a Tembien (, "Upper Tembien", sometimes transliterated as Degua Tembien) is a woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is named in part after the former province of Tembien. Nowadays, the mountainous district is part of the Southeastern Tigray ...
and Inderta.


The dynasty in Tembien

There were complex succession rules in Tembien, including transfer of positions through female lines. Some of the better-known 19th century higher ranked leaders of Tembien were: * Shumtembien Weldekidan * Imebet Wiba * Tigrayan politician Bejirond Lawt’e * Deggiyat Wehade, governor of Upper Tembien. His descendants still live in Hagere Selam * Alula Qubbi, a peasant-warrior from Mennawe in Dogu’a Tembien. He rose to position of general and fought the Italians in
Adwa Adwa ( ti, ዓድዋ; amh, ዐድዋ; also spelled Aduwa) is a town and separate woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is best known as the community closest to the site of the 1896 Battle of Adwa, in which Ethiopian soldiers defeated Italian ...
in 1896


1930s and 1940s


First battle of Tembien

In 1935 and 1936, the
Italians , flag = , flag_caption = The national flag of Italy , population = , regions = Italy 55,551,000 , region1 = Brazil , pop1 = 25–33 million , ref1 = , region2 ...
invaded Ethiopia, coming from the north (
Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia ...
). Tembien with its mountains and river gorges was a major obstacle on their way south. For instance, the armies of
Seyoum Mengesha Seyoum Mengesha KBE (Amharic: ሥዩም መንገሻ; 21 June 1887 – 15 December 1960) was an army commander and a member of the royal family of the Ethiopian Empire. Early life ''Le'ul'' ''Ras'' Seyoum Mengesha was born on 24 June 18 ...
and Kassa Hailu regrouped there, and in January 1936, they caused important losses to the Italian army in the four-days
First Battle of Tembien The First Battle of Tembien was a battle fought on the northern front of what was known as the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. This battle consisted of attacks and counterattacks by Italian forces under Marshal Pietro Badoglio and Ethiopian force ...
.


War crimes and suffering

However, at the end of February, a turning point came when the Italians targeted the counterattacking Tembien troops from the north and the south, with
air force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
support and large-scale use of
mustard gas Mustard gas or sulfur mustard is a chemical compound belonging to a family of cytotoxic and blister agents known as mustard agents. The name ''mustard gas'' is technically incorrect: the substance, when dispersed, is often not actually a gas, b ...
. This
Second Battle of Tembien The Second Battle of Tembien was a battle fought on the northern front of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. This battle consisted of attacks by Italian forces under Marshal Pietro Badoglio on Ethiopian forces under Ras (title), ''Ras'' Kassa Hail ...
led to the Italians capturing the Tembien highlands and the final retreat of ''ras'' Siyyum and ''ras'' Kasa to the south. Souvenirs of this period are still vivid, and particularly the people know the caves and other places where their grandparents went hiding for the Italian bomb and gas attacks.


Strategic places, battle fields, and war crime scenes in Tembien

Many strategic places, battle fields, and locations of mustard gas bombings during the Italian wars are located in Tembien. In history books, they are commonly named by their Italian transliteration of the original Tigrinya name. This inventory provides the list of warfare sites with the (current) place name in Tigrinya, and their location. * Passo Abaro, or Ksad Azef in
Haddinnet Haddinnet, also transliterated as Hadnet, is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The ''tabia'' centre is in Addi Idaga village, located approximately 6.5 km to the northeast of the ''w ...
where a heavy battle was fought. Italian soldiers installed a memorial stone on the top of the nearby Dabba Selama Mountain * Passo Mederbay * Uarieu * Andino * Amba Uorc


Italian investments and retreat

As the Italians anticipated to stay for many years, they invested in road and other infrastructure projects, which also furthered some urbanisation along the roads, such as in
Abiy Addi Abiy Addi (also spelled Abi Addi; Tigrigna ዓብዪ ዓዲ "Big town") is a town in central Tigray Region, Tigray, Ethiopia. Abiy Addi is at the southeastern edge of the Kola Tembien woreda, of which it is the capital. Overview The town is di ...
, which attracted settlers. Nevertheless, there was a centre of local resistance in Tembien, what greatly hindered a stable Italian presence. The Italians retreated in 1941.


First Woyane rebellion

The traditions of autonomy, the historical role in Tigrayan politics, and relative isolation on top of a massif made Tembien a centre of resistance after the Italian retreat. Tembien participated actively in the
Woyane rebellion The Woyane rebellion () was an uprising in Tigray Province, Ethiopia against the centralization process from the government of Emperor Haile Selassie which took place in May–November 1943. The rebels called themselves the ''Woyane'', a name bo ...
in 1943 that could only be put down with the help of the British
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
.


Capitals

For a long time,
Melfa The Melfa is a river in Lazio, Italy. It rises in the Monti della Meta, flows south-west for about and joins the Liri near San Giovanni Incarico.''Carta stradale: Lazio 1:200000''. Istituto Geografico DeAgostini. . The source of the Melfa iss ...
, west of Hagere Selam, was the capital of Tembien; later on, the administration was established in
Abiy Addi Abiy Addi (also spelled Abi Addi; Tigrigna ዓብዪ ዓዲ "Big town") is a town in central Tigray Region, Tigray, Ethiopia. Abiy Addi is at the southeastern edge of the Kola Tembien woreda, of which it is the capital. Overview The town is di ...
, as it was easier of access. In 1951, Gebru Gebrehiwot, the new governor, decided to create a new capital of Tembien. First the location of
Melfa The Melfa is a river in Lazio, Italy. It rises in the Monti della Meta, flows south-west for about and joins the Liri near San Giovanni Incarico.''Carta stradale: Lazio 1:200000''. Istituto Geografico DeAgostini. . The source of the Melfa iss ...
was chosen. As the inhabitants of Melfa rejected the idea, Hagere Selam was created as a new town. It used already to be an open-air market place (hence the name "Idaga Hamus" or ''Thursday market'') – the place was a strategically located mountain saddle, also called "May Aleqti". In practice, the capital remained in Abiy Addi. It was only after the district of Dogu’a Tembien was created that Hagere Selam started to grow. Basic modern infrastructure (electricity, tap water) came only in the early years 2000.


Civil War

Both during the reign of Emperor Haile Sillasie and that of the military Derg regime, Tembien was marginalised, despite its closeness to Mekelle. In the 1980s, the
TPLF The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF; ti, ህዝባዊ ወያነ ሓርነት ትግራይ, lit=Popular Struggle for the Freedom of Tigray), also called the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front, is a left-wing ethnic nationalist paramilitar ...
, established its headquarters in a cave, again near
Melfa The Melfa is a river in Lazio, Italy. It rises in the Monti della Meta, flows south-west for about and joins the Liri near San Giovanni Incarico.''Carta stradale: Lazio 1:200000''. Istituto Geografico DeAgostini. . The source of the Melfa iss ...
, more particularly in Addi Geza'iti. From these underground rooms and offices cut out in
sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
cliffs, the TPLF carried out its political activities, including a major land reform; it was from here that the offensives were organised till the conquest of
Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
in 1991.


References

{{Reflist History of Ethiopia Dogu'a Tembien