The Oromo of Ethiopia A History, 1570-1860

By Mohammed Hassen 

The Oromo, who constitute nearly half the population of Ethiopia, are the largest single national group in the Horn of Africa. Yet the history of the Oromo has been totally neglected. Since the creation of the modern Ethiopian Empire in the 1800s, historians have chosen to ignore the Oromo, who, for political reasons, were portrayed as "newcomers" to Ethiopia and generally considered as people "without history". This study breaks with that tradition and established conclusively not only that the Oromo were one the indigenous peoples of Ethiopia, but also that they had their own fascinating history, culture, religion, and political institutions.