Greater Tigray and the Mysterious Magnetism of Ethiopia

by Haggai Erlich

A history of the perennial struggle between Amhara and Tigray for hegemony in Ethiopia.

This is an analytical history of the role Tigrinya-speakers have played and are still playing in the history of Ethiopia and Eritrea, from Tigray’s very ancient incipience to the origins of today’s tragically fratricidal war.

Drawing from his huge corpus of publications on the Horn of Africa, Haggai Erlich sheds new light on major turning-points, as well as patterns of continuity. His history revolves around one key question: what was ‘the mysterious magnetism’ that held (and still holds) Ethiopia together? Erlich argues that there is an ‘Amhara thesis’ competing with a ‘Tigrayan thesis’ on what Ethiopia’s political and administrative system should be, and that the region’s history has often rotated around the axis of struggle between these two visions. The Tigrayans, though a minority, have had their periods of domination, the last ending in 2018. In between these eras, Tigrayans have been marginalised and weakened, including as the victims of their own internal rivalries, which culminated in the deep and bitter split between ‘core’ Tigrayans and Tigrayan Eritreans.

In the context of today’s war, Erlich’s insightful book offers an extremely timely introduction to Tigrayan history, and an indispensable key to understanding the roots of Ethiopia’s present crisis.

Genres: Ethiopia, Africa, Nonfiction

228 pages, Hardcover

Published November 23, 2023

Reviews

[Emily Gifford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very accessible to those interested in learning about contemporary Ethiopia through the lens of Tigray’s history. A particular lens but nevertheless an insightful one.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

not bad and a pretty good introduction to the region. on a personal note though, towards the end you get hints that the author was captivated by Meles at some point.