A HISTORICAL SURVEY OF SHEKA, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA, SINCE 1941

ABSTRACT In recent years considerable research has been conducted into various aspects of the history of the diverse peoples and cultures of Ethiopia .Consequently, much more is known about the history of hitherto overlooked peoples of Ethiopia. Despite advances made in the literature, still there is lack of a comprehensive research in the history of southern Ethiopia, hence my interest in this research project. This thesis entitled:“A Historical Survey of Sheka, Southern Ethiopia, since 1941“aimed at filling the glaring gap in the historiography of Sheka portion of Ethiopian historiography through a qualitative approach along with narrative and descriptive way of historical analysis of such questions as who are the Sheka? What is their place in Ethiopian historiography? What was the nature of the Sheka political life before Emperor Menelik’s conquest of the area in the later part of the 19th century? What happened to the Sheka after their incorporation to the Ethiopian empire state? What impact did the political developments in Ethiopia over the last four decades have on the Sheka? So as to answer these basic research questions data obtained from both primary and secondary source were systematically analyzed and interpreted. Before its incorporation in to Ethiopian empire in the last decade of the 19th century, Kingdom of Sheka had its own traditional Administrative Structure, Accordingly Sheki taato (king of Sheka) appeared at the top in the political hierarchy. Next to the king, there was Katerasha. It was the highest political organ between the king and the Miikkiracho (king’s Councilors).The restoration of imperial power in1941, marked the beginning of process of reinstallation of centralization in the country. All those post-liberation period changes in the fields of administration, finance, judiciary, education and health have been associated directly or indirectly with the major reform policy of the emperor. However, Sheka (former Mocha Awraja) had never been benefited from those changes & developments of imperial regime rather; Mocha Awraja was used as an exile place for political opponents and ill-disciplined public staffs. More or less the communist military government also followed the trend of transferring Political opponents and ill disciplined public staffs to Mocha Awraja as a punishment by forcing them to live where there were no single basic service. Even though the post 1991 period experienced extensive changes and significant improvements in the fields of administration, education, in the development of infrastructure and in the supply of modernized public services than the two previous successive regimes, it was not far yet from criticism by Shekacho nation.