The Rise and Fall of the Agaw: An Epoch in Ethiopian History

The Agaw, an early Cushitic-speaking people, inhabited regions of present-day Ethiopia and Eritrea and are alternatively referred to as Agau or Agew. Considered the original inhabitants of the area, alongside the Amhara and Tigray, the Agaw are regarded as ancestors to modern Ethiopians. The Agaw language, also named Agaw, played a role in the development of the Amharic language. Historically residing in the Amhara, Gojjam, and Shoa regions, the Agaw were initially distinct, but centuries of intermarriage with local populations led to their gradual disappearance, with a small group still residing in Ethiopia today.


Noteworthy groups with roots traced back to the Agaw include the Aweya, Kemant, Kayla, Quarra, Kamta, Kharmir, and Bogos. Historically, the Agaw were modest-scale agriculturalists, wielding limited political influence until the early 12th century. Earlier, the Aksumite kingdom dominated Red Sea trade, but Beja pressures from the north forced the Aksumites to migrate south into Agaw territory. Subduing the Agaw, they established military settlements and implemented a feudal social order.


Slow integration with the Aksumites led to Agaw rebellions in the 10th and 11th centuries, which the Aksumites ultimately quelled, leaving their monarchy weakened. The Agaw's integration into the broader Ethiopian state continued, and between the 11th and 12th centuries, they gained control of the Ethiopian royal line. Around 1137, the Zagwe Dynasty, led by Agaw monarchs, established a new Ethiopian capital at al-Roha (later Lalibela).


With a decline in Red Sea trade, Ethiopia became isolated from coastal Arabs and inland trading groups. Although ties with Egyptians were mostly severed, the Agaw maintained connections with the Egyptian Church. Following the death of Lalibela, the greatest of Agaw rulers, the Zagwe Dynasty faced gradual decline. Lalibela's descendant, Yitbarek, defeated Na’akuto Le’ab, Lalibela’s nephew, leading to a shift in power and weakening of the Zagwe Dynasty.


Regional opposition from Tigray, Amhara, and Shoa, along with internal conflicts within the Christian church, further destabilized the Zagwe Dynasty. In 1270, Yekuno Amlak, a claimant to the Solomonic Dynasty, overthrew the Agaw, marking the end of their rule (r. c. 1270–1285).



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