Arjo as a Garrison Town: The Roles of Its Appointees in the Regional and National Politics, 1884-1935

Abstract

Using the years 1884–1935 as a starting point, this article seeks to examine how Arjo's appointees helped establish and solidify feudal-based Naftegna systems in the areas south of Abay, west of Gibe, north of the Gaba Rivers, and East Sudan, as well as how they stabilized national power and sparked succession intrigues. Their contributions to establishing and molding 'Modern' Ethiopia were substantial, the report contends, even though their activities have received little academic attention. The study used a historical research approach and a qualitative research design, with evidence derived from primary and secondary sources, oral data, and the stories of travelers. Arjo was a fortress town that provided a bastion for imperial court appointees, according to the study's interpretation of these facts. It had a crucial role in the tightening of the Makegna, which allowed for the acquisition of territory, as well as in monitoring the borders of neighboring autonomous governments and the counter-Anglo-Egyptian occupation of Sudan. Furthermore, the study shows that Arjo became a major hub from which these appointees rallied the country's people and resources to fight foreign invaders. They also played a key role in calming political unrest during the imperial court's power struggles.