For a time that spans three decades Taye Bogale was engaged in the chalk and talk business. He was the director of Marketing and Corporate Communication Office and Students’, Graduates’ and Community Development Office at Admas University. In addition, he served in several schools as an academic manager.
The Ethiopian Herald had a time of togetherness with historian and researcher Taye.
The Ethiopian Herald: How do you briefly define history?
Taye Bogale: History is a science that deals with past human experiences, activities and interactions with the environment. In addition, it studies the political scenario, economic issues, and socio-cultural aspects of a given society and the world at large.
Herald: What is the significance of arming this generation with the history of the country?
Taye: It is significant to build tomorrow today digesting the past. It is useful to jointly condemn and ward off problems in the past. Had we properly taught the past to our children, the current misunderstandings and chaos would not have surfaced.
All the negative deeds could not shake anyone and it could have helped us to consider the idea of others.
Herald: Some say EPRDF’s had on purposes stricken out history courses from high schools and common courses from universities? What is your take on that?
Taye: Actually, there is not much significant change in the history books both high schools and universities are concerned. I do not see much difference one could find in the previous and current history books. I do not think that the problem is really associated with the history books.
In the books one comes across ancient civilization like Axum, Lalibela, and Gadaa system. The history of the country, starting from the King Zoscales to Emperor Haile Selassie is found written in the history books clearly.
The problem was not attributable to the books but to the philosophy behind the government‘s narration of the histories. The narration was a heinous intention of downplaying the history of the country. It was distorting history for own political gains, without considering the impact on the country’s futures’ fate.
The books were written by highly skilled historians and teachers, I do not see problems with the books as far as I am concerned.
The government’s deliberate move to downplay history was not good at all. For example, instead of tracing back the rulers, they painted the Amhara people as the ones who controlled the whole country. True, there were different dynasties in different countries of the world.
As instances, we could mention Hohenzollern, German, Romanov, Russia, Qing, China dynasties and many others. In Ethiopia the Solomonic dynasty was there. They count descendants from King Solomon of Israel and Queen Sheba of Ethiopia not Amharas particularly.
So, why the bent to attach the dynasty to the Amhara’s only? That was politicians’ motive for political gains. Countries around the globe have their own strong and weak sides. But under the case in point, there were evil intentions to amplify the negative and weak sides of past history.
There are many hidden truths behind every ruler in the world. But politicians focus on the few or a person they want in order to get temporary political gains and consolidate their political pedestals.
In addition, there are some historians who dished out negative things without conducting ample researches. There are four types of writers. The first one is establishment historians.
These historians are government historians. They write only the positive deeds of the rulers with hyperboles. They do not want to mention even a single negative word and write as if a single problem popped up during a ruler’s tenure. They consider the leader as the super human element.
Second, the Marxist and Lenin history writers came especially after 1960th. They considered all the history of the human kind as the history of class struggle between the exploiters and exploited one’s. They placed focus on the negative things.
The third ones are the ethno nationalist historians; these are historians who considered the good deeds belonged to their respective ethnic group. They lauded their respective group as the creator of all good things. We do have more of ethno-nationalist historian nowadays. In addition, they always blame others and consider themselves as victims.
They try to politicize each and everything in history. And belittle the big and beautiful harmony. Just like every country in the world, Ethiopia has history with good and bad shades. Ethiopia could not be unique.
Let us come together and discuss on what we should write for the coming generation.
Herald: How did you see Oromo people’s contribution to Ethiopia’s socio-political changes?
Taye: To begin with, the Oromos make at least one third of the country’s population. They are part and parcel of Ethiopian population. They did have a gargantuan footprint in the history of Ethiopia. According to Professor Asmerom Legesse, Gadaa is an absolute democracy.
He mentioned that in his book entitled Gadaa. The Athenians democracy existed only for twenty years and ceased to exist. There were slaves who were not mentioned as human beings.
But in the Gadaa system, you cannot find a single slave. Even the Oromos do not know the word slave. They have a child adoption system entitled Guddifacha. Moreover, in the Gadaa system there is a peaceful power transition every eight years. All are equal in the Gadaa system. Besides, things are decided by the assembly.
Women have their own way of defending rights, winning respect and exercising leadership. The system is called Siinqe (Qanafaa).The Oromo women have their own rights to participate and decide each and everything in the society. But when one comes to modern democracy, of course with age discrimination, women have begun to participate in election in the early of 1920th in America.
There are obligatory laws in Gadaa system like helping the poor. It is the responsibility of the Abba Gadaas to see to such things. In addition, if a single person expresses disagreement, though the majorities have agreed, things will not be settled until a consensus is reached.
During the era of Zemene Mesafint, Oromo people had a great role.
In another twist, there are scholars who try to downsize or belittle the history of the people without having a historical backdrops and evidences at the grass roots. There is no doubt that the Oromo people hail from Ethiopia.
The Cushitic people are only found in the eastern part of Africa. But still you can find sematic in the Middle East and Arab countries. So, Gadaa is the democratic system of Ethiopia. All peoples of Ethiopia have their respective fingerprints on all civilizations of Ethiopia.
Like other countries in the world, we had our own strengths and weaknesses. Let’s focus on the good things and positive deeds in order to render the way forward less rocky.
Herald: Lack of historical knowledge is posing a problem, what should the current generation do to further cement the unity of the country and learn from history?
Taye: Let me emphasize on the victory of Adwa. Our forefathers from different corners of the country came together and written history with golden inks achieving a victory over all black people across the world.
The pan Africanism movement came in tandem with the victory of Adwa. Ethiopia was the only country who became a member of League of nation in 1923. In addition, Ethiopia was among one of the founding fathers of the united nation in 1945.
In 1963, the Organization of African Union was inaugurated in Addis Ababa as a result of the Adwa victory. Now, Addis has become one of the diplomatic cities, among the four such cities in the world.
What I want to advice this generation is, coming together under the umbrella of mother Ethiopia using its flag as their emblem. Ethiopia is a big country that has a prideful history in the world. Let us discuss on the past issues and condemn together the wrong deeds. Let’s us ponder on how to reshape the future.
For example, Balcha Safo was imprisoned by Haile Selassie but he fought against the second Italian invasion and made sacrifices for his country. He knew full well that the emperor and his country are different issues. As PM Abiy put it “We all have wounds”. We know that nursing a grudge is not the way to build the future.
Herald: Hatred books and speeches made in the past are being causes for the to dos in the country, what is your take on this?
Taye: Hate speech should be banned by law. There must be a law and there should care in using diction before speaking things that create chaos among the ethnic clashes in the country. In addition, activists should consider things they write by not taking the deeds of individual to society.
We have to come out from the enclaves of ethnicity and think about the big image of Ethiopia. Everyone should take a responsibility of what s/he is doing.
Herald: Some say history has to be deconstructed for all-inclusiveness, what do you say about that?
Taye: While teaching Civics and Ethical education, I seriously object the system. It talks about the Athenians’ democracy, while we have our own absolute democracy Gadaa system.
It is really bad not to mention a single word about Gadaa. In addition, you can find about Christianity and Islam in the history books. But waaqeffannaa was excluded. Its philosophy is very different and magnificent. It has to be included in the history of the country. In my book, I have written how incredible it is.
To strengthen our unity all-inclusiveness is a must. Mainly, it focused on the history of the northern part. Even there is a disagreement on history. Some say it spans thousand years, while others say hundred. But as to me, we do have a history that spans six thousand years.
I wrote this by tracing evidences. Ethiopian begun to domesticate Teff, Dagusa and Enset six thousand years ago. Farming was started in the all parts of the country six thousand years back.
Having said these, let me come to why we start with the history of three thousand or hundred. In terms of pre-history it is obvious that we are first in the world. Regarding history, Ethiopia started farming at the same time with Mesopotamia’s civilization. We have to include researches conducted in different parts of the country.
In addition, there are different types of history but Ethiopian history focused only on the political history. In rewriting history, not only historians, psychologists, lawyers, politicians, sociologists and anthropologists have to look at it from their own perspective. We have to write it in a magnificent and excellent way by including cultural, social, religious and economic issues.
Herald: How do you summarize Ethiopian history?
Taye: Ethiopian history is a monumental and magnificent history. It is the history of millions of years in terms of pre- history and six thousand years in terms of history.
What I want to say at last is, let us focus on the things that make us strong. Let we focus on love and peaceful co-existences.
The Ethiopian Herald June 16/2019
BY AMBO MEKASA
