Yejju

Yejju
Yajju, Edjow
	Portrait of Woodage Asahel, a Yejju Oromo elite located in Gondar.
Regions with significant populations
	Wollo Province
Languages
	Afaan Oromo
Religion
	Islam and Christianity

The Yejju Oromo, also historically known as the Yajju, Edjow or Edjou Galla,^[1] are a sub-clan of the Barento branch of Oromo people. They are one of the northernmost communities of Oromo people residing in Ethiopia, along with the Raayyaa.^[2]

The Yeju were people that were first mentioned in the 16th century Futuḥ al-Ḥabash chronicle under the name "Al-Ejju". They inhabited a district called "Qawat” located in eastern Shewa. Eventually they settled in Angot instead of returning to their home district of Qawat. According to the historian Merid Wolde Aregay they were originally Christians but many were converted to Islam by Ahmad Gran and assisted him in his conquest of the province of Bete Amhara. He also states that there can be little doubt that the Al-Ejju that are mentioned in Futuḥ al-Habasha are the forefathers of the latter known Yejju people of the Zemene Mesafint period. The Oromo partially assimilated the Yejju and called them by the name of “warra sheik”. Due to their native origin, the yejju mostly spoke Amharic and adapted themselves better than the rest of the Oromo clans in Wollo to the traditional social and political structures of Christian Ethiopia.^[3]^[4]^[5]

The Yejju dynasty were known as the "Warra Sheik", meaning; the descendant of Sheikh Omar. According to the Yejju tradition, Sheikh Omar was an Arab from the Arabia peninsula who during the Ethiopian-Adal war settled in Angot/yejju. The Yejju dynasty dominated Ethiopia during the Zemene Mesafint period.^[6]^[7]^[8]

According to professor Donald Crummey the Yejju were of non-Oromo origin, however they were influenced by the Oromo such as in cases of intermarriage.^[9] The ethnic makeup of the Yejju is complex. One theory is that the Yejju are the results of various layers of people: the Amhara population of Angot, remnants of the forces of Ahmad Gragn, and the migrating Oromo.^[10]

^ Huntingford, G. W. B. (2017-02-10). The Galla of Ethiopia; The Kingdoms of Kafa and Janjero: North Eastern Africa Part II. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-315-30809-8.
^ "Africa :: Ethiopia — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
^ Melaku, Misganaw Tadesse (6 September 2019). Social and Political History of Wollo Province in Ethiopia: 1769-1916 (PDF). University of the Western Cape. pp. 98–99.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
^ Aregay, Merid Wolde. Southern Ethiopia and the Christian kingdom, 1508-1708: with special reference to the Galla migrations and their consequences (Thesis). 1971.{{cite thesis}}: CS1 maint: location (link) pp. 138-139
^ Crummey, Donald (1975). "Society and Ethnicity in the Politics of Christian Ethiopia during the Zamana Masafent". The International Journal of African Historical Studies. 8 (2): 277. doi:10.2307/216650. ISSN 0361-7882. JSTOR 216650.
^ Aregay, Merid Wolde. Southern Ethiopia and the Christian kingdom, 1508-1708: with special reference to the Galla migrations and their consequences (Thesis). 1971.{{cite thesis}}: CS1 maint: location (link) pp. 138-139
^ Prouty, Chris (1986). Empress Taytu and Menilek II : Ethiopia, 1883-1910. Internet Archive. London : Ravens Educational & Development Services ; Trenton, N.J. : Red Sea Press. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-932415-11-0.
^ Melaku, Misganaw Tadesse (2020). "Social and political history of Wollo Province in Ethiopia: 1769-1916". University of the Western Cape: 98–99.
^ Crummey, Donald (1975). "Society and Ethnicity in the Politics of Christian Ethiopia during the Zamana Masafent". The International Journal of African Historical Studies. 8 (2): 277. doi:10.2307/216650. ISSN 0361-7882. JSTOR 216650.
^ Melaku, Misganaw Tadesse (2020). "Social and political history of Wollo Province in Ethiopia: 1769-1916". University of the Western Cape: 99.

[1] Huntingford, G. W. B. (2017-02-10). The Galla of Ethiopia; The Kingdoms of Kafa and Janjero: North Eastern Africa Part II. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-315-30809-8.

[Factbook-2] "Africa :: Ethiopia — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2020-06-29.

[3] Melaku, Misganaw Tadesse (6 September 2019). Social and Political History of Wollo Province in Ethiopia: 1769-1916 (PDF). University of the Western Cape. pp. 98–99.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)

[4] Aregay, Merid Wolde. Southern Ethiopia and the Christian kingdom, 1508-1708: with special reference to the Galla migrations and their consequences (Thesis). 1971.{{cite thesis}}: CS1 maint: location (link) pp. 138-139

[5] Crummey, Donald (1975). "Society and Ethnicity in the Politics of Christian Ethiopia during the Zamana Masafent". The International Journal of African Historical Studies. 8 (2): 277. doi:10.2307/216650. ISSN 0361-7882. JSTOR 216650.

[6] Aregay, Merid Wolde. Southern Ethiopia and the Christian kingdom, 1508-1708: with special reference to the Galla migrations and their consequences (Thesis). 1971.{{cite thesis}}: CS1 maint: location (link) pp. 138-139

[7] Prouty, Chris (1986). Empress Taytu and Menilek II : Ethiopia, 1883-1910. Internet Archive. London : Ravens Educational & Development Services ; Trenton, N.J. : Red Sea Press. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-932415-11-0.

[8] Melaku, Misganaw Tadesse (2020). "Social and political history of Wollo Province in Ethiopia: 1769-1916". University of the Western Cape: 98–99.

[9] Crummey, Donald (1975). "Society and Ethnicity in the Politics of Christian Ethiopia during the Zamana Masafent". The International Journal of African Historical Studies. 8 (2): 277. doi:10.2307/216650. ISSN 0361-7882. JSTOR 216650.

[10] Melaku, Misganaw Tadesse (2020). "Social and political history of Wollo Province in Ethiopia: 1769-1916". University of the Western Cape: 99.

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