Mythologies of the Argobba Tribe

The Argobba are an ethnic group inhabiting Ethiopia. A Muslim community, they are spread out through isolated village networks and towns in the north-eastern and eastern parts of the country. Group members have typically been astute traders and merchants, and have adjusted to the economic trends in their area. These factors have led to a decline in usage of the Argobba language. Argobba are considered endangered today due to exogamy and destitution as well as ethnic cleansing by the Abyssinian state over the centuries. According to Girma Demeke, some time after the 9th century AD, the Argobba diverged from their closest relative, the Amharas, probably due to religious differences as the Argobba adopted Islam. According to scholars, the Kingdom of Aksum's army moved south beyond Angot, encountering a nomadic people named Galab in eastern Shewa, who are supposedly the precursors to Argobba. This ethnic group would become known as Argobba after their conversion to Islam in the 10th century. Modern Argobba claim they originate from the Arabian Peninsula through Zeila in what is now Somaliland and before settling in Ifat. Argobba have historical links with Harari and Harla people. Argobba people consider the inhabitants of Doba their ancestors. After the collapse of Aksum, the southward shift of the Christian Ethiopian state saw the rise of the political importance of Ifat. Ifat became an economic powerhouse as it sat on the trade routes between Zeila and the interior hinterlands, developing significant ties to the Muslim world. The Argobba are associated with the Walashma dynasty of Ifat, which would become the rulers of the Sultanate of Ifat and Adal Sultanate. According to Harari tradition numerous Argobba had fled Ifat and settled around Harar in the Aw Abdal lowlands during their conflict with Abyssinia in the fifteenth century, a gate was thus named after them called the gate of Argobba. The Argobba and the Harla people seem to have relied on each other in the Islamic period. A power struggle erupted between the Abadir dynasty of Harari and the Walashma dynasty of Argobba throughout the Islamic period until Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi took control of Adal Sultanate by executing the Walashma sultan Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad in the 16th century.

A Muslim community, they are spread out through isolated village networks and towns in the northeastern and eastern parts of the country. Group members have typically been astute traders and merchants, and have adjusted to the economic trends in their area. These factors have led to a decline in usage of the Argobba language. Argobba are considered endangered today due to exogamy and destitution. The are saturated in Northeast, Amhara, Oromiya and Afar regions; Rift Valley in Yimlawo, Gusa, Shonke, Berehet, Khayr Amba, Melkajillo, Metehara, Shewa Robit, villages area (Source: Ethnologue 2010). Group members have typically been astute traders and merchants, and have adjusted to the economic trends in their area. Argobba people call their language Argobgna and their population is about 202.000. According to scholars, the Kingdom of Axum's army moved south beyond Angot, encountering a nomadic people named Gebal in eastern Shewa, who are supposedly the precursors to Argobba. Gebal would develop into settlers of Harar region known as Argobba after their conversion to Islam and having significant ties to the Arab world, dominated trade in Zeila and Harar. Modern Argobba claim they originate from Arabia through Zeila in modern Somalia and first settled in the Harar plateau. They were involved in launching the first Islamic state known in East Africa, the Sultanate of Showa in Hararghe, sometime in the ninth century. In the 13th century, Argobba created a ruling class Walashma Dynasty which would become leaders of the Ifat Sultanate and Adal Sultanate. Argobba and Harla seem to have relied on each other in the Islamic period. A power struggle erupted between the Abadir dynasty of Harari and the Walasma dynasty of Argobba throughout the Islamc period until Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi took control of Adal Sultanate by executing Walasma sultan Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad in the 16th century. In the late sixteenth century, Argobba were involved in several conflicts with the Oromo during the Oromo migrations and due to the withdrawal of Adal from Ethiopia, came partially under Ethiopian Empire rule losing land rights. Many Argobba were forcibly baptized in Shewa by Menelik II. In the nineteenth century Emperor Yohannes IV ordered forced displacement of Argobba for refusing to convert to Christianity. Due to expansions from two dominant ethnic groups, many Argobba speak either Amharic or Oromo language today in Wollo, however those who self identify as originally Argobba are substantial in the region. The last remaining villages of a once larger Argobba speaking territory are Šonke and Ṭollaḥa. Under the new government of Ethiopia the EPRDF, ushered in the early 90's the Argobba obtained regional political power after launching Argoba Nationality Democratic Organization.

The Argobba are one of the Semitic-speaking peoples, and their language is part of the south Semitic group of languages. Argobba is a name used for both the ethnic group and the language. The Argobba people fled central Ethiopia to avoid forcible conversion to Christianity. They settled in well-watered and hilly areas which they cleared for cultivation. Once settled, they engaged in agriculture and weaving. They still engage in agriculture, weaving or commerce. Those who are merchants are noted for their shrewdness. Argobba people are Sunni Muslims who believe that the supreme God, Allah, spoke through his prophet, Mohammed, and taught mankind how to live a righteous life through the Koran and the Hadith. To live a righteous life, you must utter the Shahada (a statement of faith), pray five times a day facing Mecca, fast from sunup to sundown during the month of Ramadan, give alms to the poor, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca if you have the means. Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol, eating pork, gambling, stealing, slandering, and making idols. They gather for corporate prayer on Friday afternoons at a mosque, their place of worship. The two main holidays for Sunni Muslims are Eid al Fitr, the breaking of the monthly fast and Eid al Adha, the celebration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah. Sunni religious practices are staid and simple. They believe that Allah has pre-determined our fates; they minimize free will. In most of the Muslim world, people depend on the spirit world for their daily needs since they regard Allah as too distant. Allah may determine their eternal salvation, but the spirits determine how well we live in our daily lives. For that reason, they must appease the spirits. They often use charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces.

The Argobba are an ethnic and religious minority in southeastern Wallo and northeastern Sawa. Despite living in harsh environments and menace from more dominant ethnic groups, they have for centuries maintained their agricultural activity, trader and weaver identity, and religious unity.At present they are undergoing rapid cultural change, and are caught up in a tension between encapsulation and the struggle for the survival of Argobba cultural tradition and political position in what once was a strategic location. This book presents a perceptive historical and cultural analysis of change and continuity, looks at how the Argobba define and redefine their agricultural and commercial ways of living as a response to threats from Oromo migration, Amhara settler penetration and Adal aggression, and examines the past and present condition of Argobba social and economic transformation in north-central Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is home to dozens of different ethnic groups and tribes. Some have populations numbering in the millions, while others have only a few thousand. One of the smallest tribes is the Argobba, a Muslim people scattered in villages across eastern Ethiopia. The Argobba number only about 10,000, yet they're determined to be counted in Ethiopia´s government and are fighting to preserve their heritage. The closest Argobba village to Harar is Koromi, and is one of the easiest and most enjoyable day trips from Harar. This village of about 700 people is an hour's drive through rugged mountains south of Harar. I went with Mohammed Jami Guleid (harartourguide @gmail.com), a local historian and guide who wrote a government report on the Argobba back in 1997. Each ethnic group and tribe is guaranteed a seat in the Ethiopian legislature, but before Mohammed's report the Argobba were lumped in with the Harari and had no separate representation. His report proved they were a distinct culture and ensured them a seat in the legislature.

Argobba is an Ethiopian Semitic language spoken in several districts of Afar, Amhara, and Oromia regions of Ethiopia by the Argobba people. It belongs to the South Ethiopic languages subgroup, and is closely related to Amharic. Writing in the mid-1960s, Edward Ullendorff noted that it "is disappearing rapidly in favour of Amharic, and only a few hundred elderly people are still able to speak it." Today, many Argobba in the Harari Region are shifting to the Oromo language. Those in the Ankober district speak the Amharic language. Depending on the Argobba variation, the number of consonants varies. In the Shonke and T‘ollaha variation there are 26 consonant phonemes, in the other variations there are 25. The additional consonants are the pharyngeal fricatives /ħ/ and /ʕ/ as well as the velar fricative /x/. Argobba consists of 11 plosive consonant phonemes. All of them (except the voiceless postalveolar plosive can be placed in the initial, middle and final position of the word.

Argobba (or Argoba) is a special woreda in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. This woreda is named after the Argobba people, whose homeland lies in this district. Located on the eastern escarpment of the Ethiopian highlands, Argobba is bordered on the south, west and north by the Afar Region, and on the east by Dulecha. Settlements in this woreda include Gachine. The average elevation in this woreda is 471 meters above sea level. As of 2008, Argobba has 10 kilometers of all-weather gravel road and 77.5 kilometers of community roads; about 41% of the total population has access to drinking water. Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 21,794, of whom 11,645 are men and 10,149 women; with an area of 393.93 square kilometers, Argobba has a population density of 55.32. While 2,166 or 9.94% are urban inhabitants, this woreda is unusual for the Afar Region in having no pastoralists. A total of 3,195 households were counted in this woreda, which results in an average of 6.8 persons to a household, and 3,397 housing units. 83.38% of the population said they were Muslim, and 16.26% were Orthodox Christians. A sample enumeration performed by the CSA in 2001 interviewed 540 farmers in this woreda, who held an average of 5.28 hectares of land. Of the 2.85 square kilometers of private land surveyed, 84.92% was under cultivation, 3.89% pasture, 9.72% fallow, and 1.47% was devoted to other uses; the percentage in woodland was missing. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 88.71% is planted in cereals like maize and sorghum, 24.06% in pulses, 10.52% in vegetables, and 2.07% in root crops. Permanent crops included 1 hectare planted in coffee, 4 in gesho or hops, 1 in sugar cane, 12.79 in fruit trees, and 9.96 in bananas. 10.37% of the farmers both raise crops and livestock, while 50.74% only grow crops and 38.89% only raise livestock. Land tenure in this woreda is distributed between 81.59% own their land, 16.35% rent, and the remaining 2.07% are held under other forms of tenure.

Argobba origins are unclear, however some point to Sudanis cushitic origin coming through atbarah river, this tribe seems to be outside the perimeter of the Axumite domain early, although they were trading with them. It is also believed Argobba were the first to actually start extensive relations with the Arab world and convert to islam, they later converted masses of pagans, christians and jews to islam in the horn. They started petty states however the locals refused to obey argobba and there was constant state collapse. The Argobba identity is kept in tact despite migration changes for centuries, this explains their advanced method of survival, especially within oromo and amhara domains, they take on different identities however still observing they're distinct and of arab origin as well as claiming ifat/adal states. The Arab origin theory is false since they had their own language. Historians identified an early tribe called gobba prior to islam entering the horn of africa. The Arab origin theory is professed by millions of non arabs all over the world from algeria to somalia. Its more of a religious connotation, although one can be arab or of arabian ancestry partially. Today Argobba do not have a recognized state in Ethiopia and mainly reside in Amhara and Oromo state, recently the Oromo militias declared Argobba were not Oromo despite claiming to be and displaced them. Its noteworthy that Oromo had previously declared Argobba to be one of them as most Argobba do speak Oromo language. The Argobba found allies in the Amhara since Amhara and Oromo are disputing the shewa zone which Argobba also resides in.

The Argobba also known as Ankober are skillful trading, minority Semitic-speaking ethnic group inhabiting Ethiopia. They are mostly made up of Muslim community, they are spread out through isolated village networks and towns in the northeastern and eastern parts of the country. They are saturated in Northeast, Amhara, Oromiya and Afar regions; Rift Valley in Yimlawo, Gusa, Shonke, Berehet, Khayr Amba, Melkajillo, Metehara, Shewa Robit, villages area (Source: Ethnologue 2010). Group members have typically been astute traders and merchants, and have adjusted to the economic trends in their area. Argobba people call their language Argobgna and their population is about 174,000. The Argobba speak their native language called Argobba or Argobgna. Argobba language, is an Afro-Asiatic tongue of the Semitic branch. It belongs to the South Ethiopian Semitic subgroup together with Amharic and the Gurage languages. Writing in the mid-1960s, Edward Ullendorff noted that it "is disappearing rapidly in favour of Amharic, and only a few hundred elderly people are still able to speak it. In some places, Argobba has homogenized with Amharic. In other areas, the people have shifted to neighboring languages for economic reasons. At this time there are only a few areas left where the Argobba are not at least bilingual in Amharic, Oromiffa or Afar. All of these languages have a literature that can be used to serve the Argobba, even though their current literacy rate in any language is low; the Argobba reportedly do not like to send their children to school because they will be influenced by the non-Moslem world. This is the same reason that the Argobba do not go to court. It is said the Argobba came from Arabia. Nonetheless, on account of historical migrations, the Argobba are now intermingled both through marriage and shared culture with the neighbouring Amhara, Oromo, and Afar peoples. An Argobba does not speak only Argobbigna, but two, three or even more languages. Although they are all called Argobba, they are also found to be Doba, Shagura and Adiya. In language and culture, the Argobba have close connections with the Tigreans, the Amhara, the Harari, and the Gurage. However, they are Muslims. This makes them nearer to the Harari, and both claim to be Arabs and descendants of the Prophet Muhammad. When the Harari trace their dynasty, they go back to the Walasma. In this regard, the history of the Argoba and the Harari has continuity and they have been and are connected in faith, domicile, and history.