Aksum University

NSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND TOURISM

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY AND HERITAGE MANAGEMENT

M.A Thesis Proposal on: A HISTTORY OF WANCHI WOREDA TO 1991

BY GADISA KEBEDE FIDA

ID.NO. AKUS/1272/27

PRINCIPAL ADVISOR:

HAILE MULUKEN (PhD)

CO-ADVISOR:

MR GEBRA SILLASSIR

JANUARY 2010/2018

1
Table of Contents
Chapter One................................................................................................................................................3
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Geographical Setting of Wanchi Woreda.....................................................................................3
1.2. Historical Background.......................................................................................................................4
2. Statement of the Problem...................................................................................................................7
3. Objectives of the study............................................................................................................................7
3.1 General Objective of the Study..........................................................................................................8
3.2 Specific Objectives of the study.........................................................................................................8
4. Significance of the study......................................................................................................................9
5. The scope of the study............................................................................................................................9
6. Research Design and Method................................................................................................................10
7. Work Plan.........................................................................................................................................11
8. Budget Breakdown............................................................................................................................12
ENDNOTES..............................................................................................................................................15
BIBLIOGRAPHY...........................................................................................................................................18
Unpublished Sources.............................................................................................................................19
Published Sources......................................................................................................................................19

2
 Chapter One
Introduction

1.1 Geographical Setting of Wanchi Woreda

Wanchi woreda is found in the South West Zone of Oromia National Regional State. Before 2004, the

districts of the Zone were administered under the West Shewa Zone, with its Centre at Ambo city. It was

between 2002 and 2004 that the districts of South West Shewa were separated from West Shewa including

Wanchi woreda. Today, twelve Woredas of the Zone are under South West Shewa withWaliso as the

administrative center.1

The district of Wanchi is one of the twelve districts of South West Shewa Zone. It considered being the

earliest established administrative center among the districts of the zone. 2 Geographically, Wanchi from

the South East bordered by the Zonal capital Waliso, from the South West Amaya district, from the South

by Goro district and from the North West and North East by Toke Kutayye and Dandi Districts

respectively. The highest point in Wanchi is the Wachi volcano mountain which is about 3450m

(11,320ft) above sea level. Wanchi Lake is a crater lake located at Haro Wanchi village of Wanchi

Woreda. The lake is 29km, 38km, and 155km away from the capital of the district, Chitu, the Zonal

capital, Waliso, and the capital Addis Ababa respectively.3

It is also located at about equal distance between the towns of Ambo and Waliso, at an altitude of about

3000m above sea level. There are two important islands that are found in the lake. It is in one of these

islands that there is an ancient church called Cherkos Monastery. This district consists of 23 rural kebeles

and two important towns with medium and small towns. The capital of the district, Chitu is found at 9km

from the zonal capital, Waliso and 123km from Addis Ababa.4

3
Astronomically, Chitu is located at 8 055’24.2’’ N and 37055’25.2’’E. As regards its absolute location, the

district has the area of 475.5km2 lies between 80-150 N 90 and 90-180 E latitude and longitude

respectively.5

Of the total population number of this woreda 93,624, there were 46,915 men and 46,709 women. Only

2.04% of its population was urban dwellers. The majority the inhabitants are the followers of Ethiopian

Orthodox Christianity which constituted 58.9%, 39.6% of the population was Protestants and 1.3% were

Muslims.6 According to recent information obtained from the woreda’s cultural, tourism and

communication office; there are very few waqefetas that still could not get official recognition in this

district.7

Concerning climatic condition, this area is locally referred to as Badddaa Daree (the moderate climatic

condition) which constitutes 60% of the woreda and Baddaa( cold climate) which covers the remaining

40% of the woreda. The districts also receives Belg(Spring) and Keremt(Summer) rainfall that ranges

from about 1700mm to 1800mm annually. With regard to temperature, the hottest and driest months are

January and February and the coldest are October to November which sometimes extends to January. The

mean annual temperature of this district ranges from 160c-200c.8

1.2 Historical Background

For the establishment of different districts in Ethiopia, the foundation of towns is taken as precondition.

After Menelik had incorporated South West Shewa to his empire, he established new administrative

system by giving power to balabats(individual with hereditary owners of rest land) of the area. These

balabbats had connection with Addis Ababa and the local population. The forcefully conquered and

peacefully submitted areas were not equally treated. To pacify the conquered areas “settler colonies” were

established and such places later evolved into katamas(garrison posts) the aim being defense. It was

indicated that towns in Ethiopia had their origin as garrison posts.9

4
After the incorporation of most areas of Ethiopia into Menelik’s empire was accomplished, Fitwrari

Habte Giorgis was given Borena in the extreme south, as well as Jebat and Macha in South West Shewa.

It was during this time that the foundation of Chitu, the center of Wanchi started.10

The administrative change that was introduced after the liberation of Ethiopia from the Italian occupation

in 1941 aimed at establishing the wide outline of a new local administrative system in which the ministry

of interior was given a significance authority. To this end, in the post liberation period, the country was

divided into 14 provinces or teklay ghizat, 103 sub-province or awraja, 505 districts or woredas and 949

sub-districts or miktel woredas. Since 1975, among eleven awrajas in Shewa, Chebo and Guraghe awraja

was part of the present day South West Shewa Zone in general and Wanchi woreda in particular. Later the

abolition of miktel woreda in some provinces and some of the former miktel woredas unevenly changed

the woredas.11

Concerning historiography of the people of Oromo there are different sources that indicate different

views. Recently, most writers and historians believe that as African historiography was dominated by

Euro-centric views which reflected Africans as people without history and culture until 1960s, in a similar

manner, “Abyssino-centric” writers and historians indicated the Oromo as people with no history and

culture.12 Mohammed believed that the autonomous existence of the Oromo was terminated by the creation

of modern Ethiopian empire during and after 1880s. This deprived of the Oromo of their sovereignty and

also of history. This conveys the Oromo as people without history. 13 However; this day is showing

progress in the study of the people of Oromo.

In the case of the historical background of the settlement of the people of Oromo in general and the people

of South West Shewa Zone in particular went back to the revival of Gada System in the 15 th century in the

confederacies of Borena and Barentu. This does not mean the Oromo did not settle on the present day

Oromia prior their movement to different direction. 14

As to Jebessa Ejeta, from Walabu where the reforms of Gada had took place, North Borena began to

move in the second stage to expand and occupy different areas. 15 The North Borena clan ( Macha and
5
Tulama), during their movement created common Chaffe called Oda Nabe around present day Dukam

which is located at 30km from Addis Ababa. 16 The major aim of Macha and Tulama expansion was to

restore their fore fathers lands and to occupy new lands that would help them for their cattle as grazing

lands. This movement became very successful due to the exhausting of Muslim sultanate of Adal and the

Christian Highland Kingdom after the war they fought in the first half of the 16th century.17

Accordingly, among the three confederacies of Borena Oromo namely Tulama-Macha, the southern

Borena and Gujji ,before their separation, the Tulama-Macha Oromo lived together under one Chaffe

(assembly) at Haro Walabu located some 48 to 64 kilometres east Lake Abayya. Some sources are shared

the same views in claiming that after their migration from the Haro Walabu, the two Oromo clans had a

common Chaffe at a place called Oda Nabi in Fatagar. Beginning from the 12th to the Fifteenth centuries

the Oromo were already organized into the Barentu and Borana federations and, this was when they

started their movement in all directions.18

It was the Afre confederacy (i.e. the confederacy of the four), composed of the Hoko, Tchaliya, Guduru

and Liban that rushed forward the separation of the Macha from the Chaffe (assembly) at Oda Nabi.

According to Bahrey as cited by Mohammed, the Macha migration to the South West region, the region in

which the study area is located, was superheated by this Afre confederacy.19 After the separation

completed the Macha founded their own central Chafe at the centre called Oda Bisil in the region of upper

Gibe River some 250kms West of Oda Nabi. By the mid-sixteenth century the Oromo people began to

move and penetrated as far north as Shewa and other parts of Ethiopia.20

It was from this strategic location (Oda Nabi) that the Sadacha (the confederation of the three) continued

its expansion to the West Shewa, South West Shewa, and to the Gibe region, setting and establishing the

five Oromo Gibe kingdoms in the first half of the 19 th century. Similarly, from the branches of the Afre

confederation the Oromo kingdoms of Leqa-Nakamte and Leqa-Qelem emerged in the mid-nineteenth

century in the region presently called East and West Wallaga respectively. 21

6
It was from the Borena confederacy of Macha clan that most of the Oromo of the South West Shewa Zone

in general, and Wanchi Oromo in particular descended after the Oromo population movement. Most

sources indicated Macha Oromo as South West Oromo.22

2. Statement of the problem

As it was investigated by many scholars, Ethiopian historiography has been criticized for giving much

focus on the state and other central political and religious institutions. Most of the histories of ordinary

people, regional and local histories had been excluded in these studies.

Recent investigations in the field of Oromo studies are showing the inadequacy of historical analysis to

inquire into the remote origins of such complex and fragments of people stretching over two-third of

Ethiopian territory and numerically the most populous groups in East Africa.There are probably about

twenty million whose first language is Oromo and who recognize themselves as Oromo.23

Paul noted that the inadequacy of the studies of the Oromo stemmed from a series of misconceptions and

biases embedded in the Ethiopian studies during the previous regimes. 24 In the case of Oromo region, most

the unpublished documents do not emphasis on woredas and other local area history. One of these

documents that the researcher discovered was written on “Assessment of the Performance of Wanchi

Beekeepers Association” which was conducted in the district from mid-July September 2013 to find out

the major factors that influencing beekeepers not being a member of Wanchi Beekeepers Association. 25

The other source which is available was the study conducted on the history of “Danfa Kallu religious

Institution” among the Oromo of West Shewa Zone. In this institution the role of the Oromo of this area

(Macha and Tulama) is very crucial in protecting the original Oromo culture, religion, worldviews and

identity until today.26The above and other accessed sources are very short and fragmented which were

written on very few issues. These sources gave attention very specific areas in the Zone and other

7
neighboring zones and districts. There is the scarcity of primary and secondary sources in the most studies

of the region particularly the historical researches conducted on the districts in the South West Shewa

Zone. Compared to its age, the history of Wanchi woreda was not conducted by the scholars. As a result,

this study attempts to fill the knowledge gap of the historiography of urbanization and administrative

history based on history of the woreda selected for this study up to 1991. The changes that took place in

the area of agriculture, trade, social issues and administration will be examined in this work. In addition to

this, economic impacts of the land reform proclamation and the major historical developments that took

place in the woreda since 1975 to 1971 will be assessed in the study.

In general, the study will concentrate on the significant developments in the district beginning from

1941, the time when Ethiopia was liberated from the Italian Fascist rule. However, the work will

include some issues about the foundation of the center of Wanchi, Chitu and then assesses processes in

the framework of basic events in the country from liberation time to 1974 and the Derg period up to

1991.

3. Objectives of the study

3.1 General Objective of the study

The general objective of the study is to reconstruct a general socio-economic history of Wanchi woreda up

to 1991.

Under the framework of the general objective, the study attempts:

i. To examine the economic and social developments in the area of study to 1991.

ii. To study the process of agriculture and agrarian changes in the district.

iii. To explore important administrative changes in the area during the different previous

regimes.

8
 iv. To examine the economic impacts of land reform proclamation on the people of the woreda

and major developments that occurred in the district since then to 1991

4. Significance of the study

There is hardly a comprehensive study on economic, political, social, peopling and religious history of in

the case of Wanchi woreda. The major areas I will address in this thesis are the history of Wanchi

district’s economic and social significance. The study will also examine its economic and social history

during the previous regimes. It will also examine the developments in the woreda and its center, Chitu;

important areas like Wanchi Crater Lake and other economic, social and cultural aspects of the area. It

will also discuss religious institutions and practices in the woreda. The peopling of this district will also be

examined indicating the background of their settlement in that area.

As a result, this study will be conducted to create a better understanding of the economic, social, religious

and the peopling processes in the study area. Moreover, the thesis will give some important insights on the

major changes in the district during the period under study. By focusing on these changes, the study will

assess the economic, social and religious impacts on the woreda. The study may expose the history of few

influential persons their impacts on the woreda; furthermore, the study will serve in providing additional

materials for the reconstruction of the Oromo in general and the people of Wanchi district in particular.

Lastly, the final outcome of this of this study will be important for students of history as well as for the

general readers and researchers on the study area.

5. The scope of the study

The scope is “A Social and Economic History of Wanchi Woreda from 1941 to 1991.” Administrative,

economic and social as well as other developments in the district will be studied in detail chapter by

chapter. This theme will be investigated extensively and are the major subject to be assessed.

9
 6. Research Design and Method
This study will be intended to offer a historical survey of Wanchi Woreda in the case of economic and

social to 1991, from about 1941 to 1991. Thus it outlines the social, economic and religious developments

in the district. For this purpose, qualitative research method (narrative, analytical and descriptive research

methods) will be applied. This study will be conducted through systematic collection of information from

various sources. Library readings of secondary sources that are available at Aksum and Addis Ababa

Universities will be used and to further attempt will be made to consult secondary source. This will help

the researcher to trace the background information for this thesis and to link up the economic and social

history of Wanchi woreda with other woredas in the zone. The study also largely depends on careful

collection of archival sources at the centre of the district, Chitu town; and various institutions in the

district including governmental, non-governmental and religious institutions. Furthermore, private

archives will be systematically utilized to construct the history of the district.

Since the history of the woreda was not studied, I will utilize the information that will be collected from

local informants in the district. For the effective exploitation of the living memory of my informants, I

will classify them into three groups based on age, gender and key informants. At this stage the researcher

will use audiovisual materials such as tape recorder, photo camera and note book to record all the

necessary information effectively. Recording the responses of the informants will help the researcher to

use the original information of the interviewees later on during data analysis and interpretation. The data I

will obtain from informants will be cross-checked with archival sources before interpretation. The

research will read the primary, secondary and interview transcriptions and consolidate the information

carefully for interpretation. In the process of data analysis, qualitative data analysis will be applied to

cross-to check various obtained information for proper analysis and interpretation of the data which are

useful to reconstruct a history of Wanchi woreda from 1941-1991. Therefore, my work will be mainly

based on oral traditions and archives available in the district.

10
7. Work Plan
No. Activities Time to implement

1 Topic approval for proposal July, 2017

2 Data collection for the proposal July, 2017

3 Analyzing data and writing the proposal and its

submission and defense August, 2017

4 First data collection for the research September-October, 2017

5 Data entry, classification and coding November, 2017

6 Second round data collection October-December, 2017/2018

7 Data entry, classification and coding January, 2017

8 Third round data collection February-March, 2018

9 Data entry, classification and coding April, 2018

10 Data analysis and interpretation May, 2018

11 Writing the first draft of the work June, 2018

12 Submitting the final draft of the work. June, 2018

11
8. Budget Breakdown
Source of Budget

No. Items Unit Quant Unit Total Price

ity price

Stationary Ream Aksum University

Typing paper No. 120.00

3 360.00 Aksum University

Note book No. 4 60.00 240.00 “

Stapler Packet 1 85.00 85.00 “

Steeples No. 2 15.00 30.00 “

Pens No. 15 5.00 75.00 “

Rewritable CD No. 5 “

35.00 175.00

1. Flash disk No. 1 150.00 150.00 “

Sub total 1,110 “

Secretarial Aksum University

services Hour

Internet service No. 30.00 30.00 900.00 Aksum University

Photocopy cost 1000 0.75 750.00 Aksum University

Printing down Aksum University

2. loaded e-journals, 900 2.00 1800.00

articles and books

Typing and 100 Aksum University

editing
12
 10.00 1000.00

Printing of the 500 Aksum University

paper drafts and

final print out 2.00 1000.00

Binding services 1 Aksum University

for proposal, 1 for

upgrading, 3 for 7 140.00

final paper, 2 for 20.00

down loaded e-

books

Hand bag 1000 1000.00 Aksum University

Sub total 6590.00 Aksum University

Aksum University

Transport

expenses

Transportation From Aksum University

cost Aksum Two 850*4 3400.00

Univers times

ity-

3. Goro

For data collecting Months Trans

purpose port 1200.00 1200.00 Aksum University

by

car,

horses
13
 and

bajaj

Aksum University

Sub total 4600.00

Aksum University

For different

purposes

Coffee and tea for Aksum University

the respondents or Days 15 150.00 2250.00

informants and days

having lunch with

them

Transport for the Aksum University

4. researcher to meet Days 20 225.00 4500.00

the informants and

gather other

materials

6750.00

Sub total

19,055.00

ENDNOTES
1
The study on the history of the foundation of Chitu town, South West Shewa

14
Zone Cultural, Tourism and Communication Office, (2010), p. 2.

2
Ibid, p. 5.
3
Bekelech Tesfaye, “The Effectiveness Farmer Training centers in the Economic Life of

Rural Adults:” The case of Oromia National Regional States of South West Shewa Zone

Wonchi Woreda, (MA thesis, Addis Ababa University: Addis Ababa Ethiopia, 2014), p.39.
4
Bethalem Engidework, “Land Degradation and its Implication on the Sustainability of Wanchi

Lake and Possible Environmental Planning Solution,” (MSc thesis, Addis Ababa University: Addis

Ababa Ethiopia, 2016), p. 6.

5
Taye Beyene, ‘’Assessment of the Performance of Wanchi Beekeepers Association:’’ A case

of Wanchi District South West Shewa Zone of Oromia,(Adami Tulu Agricultural Research

Centre, Zeway, Ethiopia, 2013), p. 17.

6
Bethelem, (2016), p. 46.
7
The Celebration of Meskele Festival, Wanchi woreda’s Cultural, Tourism and Communication Office,

(2008), p. 4.
8
Bekelech, (2014), p. 6.
9
Teshale Tibabu, the Making of m Modern Ethiopian 1896-1974, (Lawrenceville, the Red Sea Press, Inc.,

1995), p. 39.
10
Ibid, p. 46.
11
John Cohen, Peter H. Koeth. Ethiopian Provincial and Municipal Government: Imperial

Patterns and Post-Revolutionary Changes, (Michigan: Michigan University Press, 1980), p. 7.

12
Ibid, pp. 7-9.
13
Mekuria Bulcha, “Journal of Oromo Studies, Vol. 11. No. 1 and 2, July,” Middle Tennessee

State University, USA, (2004), p. 7.

14
Mohammed Hassan, the Oromo of Ethiopia: a History 1570-1860, (Trenton, the Red Sea Press,

15
 Inc., 1994), p. 1.
15
Tasfaye Tolessa, “A history of written Oromo literature in Afan Oromo to1991.” (MA thesis, Addis

Ababa University: Addis Ababa Ethiopia, 2009), pp. 1-14.

16
Jabessa Ejeta, “Short History of Oromo Nation”, first book written in Amharic Language, publisher and

year of publication were not mentioned in the book. P.17.

17
Charinat Wakweya, “Gada of Macha and Walabu Abbaya: the study of cultural and tourism office of

East Wallaga Zone, (20015), p. 59

18
Donald N Levin, Greater Ethiopia: The Evolution of a Multi Ethnic Society (London: Chicago

University press, 1974), p.26.

19
Asafa Jalata, “Oromummaa”: Oromo Culture, identity and Nationalism (Knoxville, University of

Tennessee press, 2007), pp. 41-45.

20
Mohammed Hassan, 1994, p. 23.
21
Herbert S Lewis, an Oromo Monarch: Jimma Abba Jiffar, Ethiopia 1830-1932 (Madison: University of

Wisconsin press, 1965), p, 23.

22
John Hinnant, “the Guji Gada as a ritual system:, in age, generation and time, some features of East

African Age Organizations, edited by P.T.W. Baxter and Uri Almagor (London: C. Hurst& Company,

1978), pp. 213-214

23
Makuria (2004), p. 6.
24
Paul,Trevor. “Being and becoming Oromo: Historical and Anthropological Enquiries”: Nordic Africa

Institute, p. 32, Retrieved 5 Dec. 2016.

25
Ibid, p. 594.
26
Taye Bayene, p. 1.
27
Tadessa Dabessa, “A History of Kallu Institution: The case of Danfa in Illamu Jellina, West Shewa

Zone, 1890s-2000 (MA thesis, Haramaya University: Ethiopia, 2014), pp. VIII-X.

16
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Unpublished Source
Bekelech Tesfaye. “The effectiveness Farmer Training Centers in the Economic Life of Rural

Adults”: The case of Oromia National Regional States of South West Shewa

Zone Wanchi Woreda, MA thesis, Addis Ababa University: Addis Ababa

Ethiopia, 2016.
17
Bethalem Engidework. “Land Degradation and its Implication on the Sustainability of Wanchi

Lake and Possible Environmental Planning Solution”, MSc thesis,

Addis Ababa University: Addis Ababa Ethiopia, 2016.

Charinat Wakweya, “Gada of Macha and Walabu Abbaya: the study of cultural and tourism office

of East Wallaga Zone, 20015.

Jabessa Ejeta, “Short History of Oromo Nation”, first book written in Amharic Language, publisher

and year of publication were not mentioned in the book.

Paul, Trevor. “Being and becoming Oromo: Historical and Anthropological Enquiries”: Nordic Africa

Institute, p. 32, Retrieved 5 Dec. 2016.

South West Shewa Zone Cultural, Tourism and Communication Office, “The study on the

History of the foundation of Chitu town,” (2010)

The Celebration of Meskele Festival, Wanchi woreda’s Cultural, Tourism and Communication

Office, 2008.

Tasfaye Tolessa, “A history of written Oromo literature in Afan Oromo to1991.” (MA thesis,

Addis Ababa University: Addis Ababa Ethiopia, 2009

Taye Beyene. “Assessment of the Performance of Wanchi Beekeepers Association”: A case of

Wanchi District South West Shewa Zone of Oromia, Adami Tulu Agricultural

Research Centre, Zeway, Ethiopia, 2013.

Published Sources
Asafa Jalata. “Oromummaa”: Oromo Culture, identity and Nationalism: Knoxville, University of

Tennessee press, 2007.

Alessandro Triulizi. “Origin of Oromo Tradition:” International Conference of Ethiopian

Studies 10th Paris, 1988.

18
Cohen John, M. Peter, H. Koeth. Ethiopian Provincial and Municipal Government: Imperial

Patterns and Post-Revolutionary Changes, Michigan:

Michigan University Press, 1980.

Hinnant, John. “The Guji Gada as a ritual system:, in age, generation and time, some features of

East African Age Organizations, edited by P.T.W. Baxter and Uri Almagor

London: C. Hurst& Company, 1978.

Levin, Donald N. Greater Ethiopia: The Evolution of a Multi Ethnic Society (London: Chicago

University press, 1974

Lewis, Herbert S. an Oromo Monarch: Jimma Abba Jiffar, Ethiopia 1830-1932, Madison:

University of Wisconsin press, 1965.

Mekuria Bulcha. “Journal of Oromo Studies, Vol. 11. No. 1 and 2, July,” Middle Tennessee State

University, USA, 2004.

Mohammed Hassan. The Oromo of Ethiopia: a History 1570-1860, Trenton: the Red Sea Press,

Inc.1994.

Teshale Tibabu. The Making of Modern Ethiopian 1896-1974, Lawrenceville: the Red Sea Inc.,

Press, 1995.

19