The Christian Military Colonies in Medieval Ethiopia: The Chewa System

Abstract

From the reign of King Yekuno-Amlak (r. 1270–85) to that of Emperor Tewodros II (r. 1855–68), the army of Ethiopia, one of the East African counties, was divided into two major categories: The first category consisted of local militias under regional governors who had no special type of war combat training. In times of national crisis, they engaged in warfare only when the king called them. Immediately after battle, they were sent back to their regional base. The second category of the army was the royal army (chewa, from fourteenth to sixteenth centuries). Chewa was the regular army of the kings and many of its regiments were deployed in various regions of Ethiopia. It was established only for the purpose of military services, and the members of this army were not allowed to do any other work. This article examines the chewa military system and its dynamics in the medieval period of Ethiopia, roughly covering the period between fourteenth and sixteenth centuries.