Eritrean problems, Eritrean Solutions: The Mysterious Eritrean Conqueror of Tigray and the Beyond. The man who Manifested what later became "Axumite Empire"

Introduction

The theme in this blog is about the mysterious Eritrean man who created what we now remember as the Axumite empire.

This is a blog version of what you can read in the book, Ancient African Civilizations, Kush and Axum, by Stanley Burstein, from 1998, page 83-86 http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-African-Civilizations-Kush-Axum/dp/1558761489

About the Terminology

Strictly speaking there was not a nationality called "Eritrean" at the time, as the term was only a Greek (lingua franca) name for the Red Sea at the time. The reason why this modern term is justifiable to use on the ancient history of the soil that today is covered by Eritrea, is because the terms "Ethiopian", "Abyssinian" and "Axumite" is at least just as erroneous and unprecise as the term "Eritrean".

The history of Eritrea has been hijacked by the term "Abyssinia" since Mdre Bahri lost the war to the Amhara around the 1500s. Though it defeated and lived independently for many centuries after the Gonderian upper hand over BaHre Negassi YtsHaq, its existence as such seems to be overshadowed by the Christian and Muslim perceptions of the time, both in the West and in the East. At least, this is the impression I get from my humble attempt of trying to collect and understand Western data on Eritrea, combined with a 2-3 oral tales I´ve heard from specially the decendent of Bahre Negassi Tukkur.
Though Westerners such as Francesco Alvares, Henry Salt, James Bruce etc, acknowledged that Mdre BaHri/ Eritrea was an independent entity from Abyssinia, noting other differences between the two neighbourly countries as well, they nonetheless packed us as "Christian Abyssinians" all together. Here, it´s important to be aware that the term Christian at the time in Eritrea was not limited to the Kebessa. Foreign books tend to generalise quite a bit. Hence, while reading it, it´s up to us to have the socio-religious evolutions we´ve had within our country in chronological order, like we know it from home from our families, in mente so that we get clearer pictures of what happened in the 1400 and 1500s in Mdre BaHri.

This foreign "Abyssinian" lable for all could be a consequence of the fact that the Portuguese who had come to stop the House of Gonder provoked Jihad from the Adal empire, had made the term international for the first time in history. Mdre Bahrians as Christians became a collected victims of the Adalian anger, till the Mdre BaHrians, again, turned their back on the House of Gonder when Ahmed Gragn was no longer a threat. I will post a document on the issue between Gonder and Adal another time.

I also don't think the role of the Gonderian´s own ideas of who they were can be avoided and suppressed. This aggressive House of Gonder had created many legends to suit itself as an expansionist power to be reckoned with since 1262 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomonic_dynasty. This would be because the Abyssinian and Solomonic lands are famous for erroneous legends by many historians and archeologists, such as Stuart Munro-Hay. These legends were well alive at the time of the arrival of the different Westerners who had come to modern day Ethiopia, even just before the Portuguese and, ever since, in intervals centuries after. Consequently, as long as these foreign visitors had no immediate ways of falsifying the legends that they were hearing from the Abyssinians, they must have been regarded as truth or half truth that incidentally covered even Mdre BaHri. In fact, sadly, it proved itself to be so, many times.
Some of these legends would be blogged about another time, with sources. Most of these legends are branches of the Gonderian falsified Solomonic invention. A key note would be; how Solomonic is Eritrea?

Last, the British occupation of Eritrea in 1943 and their political interests for what became the future has probably hurt the realities of Eritrean history most, and it got worst when the country was forcefully consolidated with Ethiopia. The slight bright side of the regained sovereignty of Eritrea is, at least, we got some chance to claim back what was ours, albeit only nominally. The dark side of putting DIA as the head of the regained sovereignty, is that he purposefully and intentionally hurt the Eritrean history and identity more than anyone in the country´s known history. This in order to forcefully manifest the great Ethiopia secret desugn (anti Eritrean) of spring and summer 1991 (co-designers; David Shinn, Herman Cohen, Meles Zenawi, DIA, the Ethiopian general of Eritrea under the Derg; Dawit Woldegiorgis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agDxzPKVYI0 (and Israel?)) and his own personal interest as an ethnically born Ethiopian.

Where is the Mysterious Conqueror and Creator of "The Axumite kingdom" coming from?

The Empire of Axum
page 83-86 in the linked above book

"The survival of ancient texts often depends on fortunate accidents. The text translated below is a striking example of such an accident. The original inscription is lost. Its text survives, however, because an Axumite governer of the port of Adulis in the sixth century C.E. asked a visiting Greek merchant named Cosmas Indicopleustes ("The India-Sailor") to copy it. Cosmas later included his copy of the inscription in a book he wrote entitled The Christian Topography. The inscription celebrates the creation by a pagan Axumite king in the second or third century of an empire centred at Axum that includes most of Modern day Ethiopia and Yemen. Particularly noteworthy is the king´
s reference to the creation of a road that would enable merchants to travel directly from Axum to Egypt, thereby helping impoverished Kush by diverting commerce from the Nile route. "

The man in his own words, translated;

Having after this with a strong hand compelled the nations bordering my kingdom to live in peace, I made war upon the following nations, and by force of arms reduced them to subjection. I warred first with the nation of Gaze (my comment; Akkele Guzai), then with Agame (my comment; Agame region in Tigray, just outside the Eritrean border to Akkel Guzai) and Sigye (my comment; maybe Seraie), and having conquered them I exacted the half of all that they possessed. I next reduced Aua (my comment; the Tigrayan region of Adwa, just outside the Eritrean border to Seraie) and Tiamo, called Tziamo, and the Gambela, and the tribes near them, and the Zingabene and Angabe and Tiama and Athagaus and Kalaa, and the Semenoi-a people who lived beyond the Nile mountains difficult of access and covered with snow, where the year is all winter with hailstorms, frosts and snows into which a man sinks knee-deep. I next subdued Lazine and Zaa and Gabala, tribes which inhabit mountains with steep declivities abounding with hot springs, the Atalmo and Bega, and all the tribes in the same quarter along with them.

I proceeded next the Tangaiitae, who adjoin the borders of Egypt; and having reduced them I made a footpath giving access by land into Egypt from that parts of my dominions. Next I reduced the Annine and Metine - tribes inhabiting precipitous mountains. My arms were next directed against the Sesea nation. These had retired a high mountain difficult access; but I blockaded the mountain on every side, and compelled them to come down and surrender. I then selected for myself the best of their young men and their women, with their sons and daughters and all besides that they possessed. The tribes of Rhausi I next brought to submission; a barbarous race spread over wide waterless plains in the interior of frankincense country. (Advancing towards the sea) I encountered the Solate, whom I subdued, and left with instructions to guard the coast.

All these nations, protected though they were by mountains that were all but impregnable, I conquered, after engagements in which I was myself present. Upon their submission I restored their territories to them, subject to the payment of tribute. Many other tribes besides these submitted of their own accord, and became likewise tributary. And I sent a fleet and land forces against the Arabitae and Cinaedocolpitae who dwelt on the other side of the Red Sea, and having reduced the sovereigns of both, I imposed on them a land tribute and charged them to make traveling safe both by sea and land. I thus subdued the whole coast from Leuke Kome to the country of the Sabeans.

I first and alone of the kings of my race made these conquests (my bold). For this success I now offer my thanks to my mighty God, Ares, who begat me, and by whose aid I reduced all the nations bordering on my country, on the East to the country of the frankincense, and the West to Aitopia and Sasu. Of these expeditions, some were conducted by myself in person, and ended in victory, and the others I entrusted to my officers. Having thus brought all the world under my authority to peace, I came down to Adulis and offered sacrifice to Zeus, and to Ares and Poseidon, whom I entreated to befriend all who go down to the sea in ships. Here also I reunited all my forces and setting down this Chair in this place, I consecrated it to Ares in the twenty-seventh year of my reign (my bold).