Battle of Hadiya (1569)

The Battle of Hadiya was fought between the forces of the Hadiya led by their Garad (chief) Aze, and the Ethiopian Empire under Emperor Sarsa Dengel.[1] The Hadiya ruler had refused to pay tribute to the Ethiopian emperor, which lead to the conflict.[2]

Battle of Hadiya
Date1569
Location
Hadiya (south of the upper Awash River)
Result

Decisive Ethiopian victory

  • Hadiya is reannexed
  • Aze maintains nominal rule over Hadiya
Belligerents
Hadiya Sultanate
Sultanate of Harar
 Ethiopian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Garad Aze of Hadiya Emperor Sarsa Dengel
Strength
1700 Cavalry (non combatants)
Large infantry (non combatants)
500 Malassay
Unknown
Casualties and losses
Heavy; Entire Malassay force annihilated Minimal

Battle

edit

Emir Uthman of Harar dispatched 500 Malassay warriors donned in cuirasses to assist Hadiya however Aze's own men, who were large in number, refused to fight the invading Ethiopian army.[3][4] Hadiya soldiers cited their refusal as being due to already having sustained heavy casualties during the Oromo migrations. The Malassay of Harar, finding themselves alone in battle, were thus easily defeated by the Ethiopian forces.[5]

See also

edit

Battle of Hadiya (1600s)

References

edit
  1. ^ Cerulli, Ernesta (2017). Peoples of South-West Ethiopia and Its Borderland. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781315307978.
  2. ^ Ethnographic Survey of Africa. International African Institute. 1956. p. 86.
  3. ^ Aze. Encyclopedia Aethiopica.
  4. ^ Braukamper, Ulrich (2002). Islamic History and Culture in Southern Ethiopia. Lit. p. 59. ISBN 9783825856717.
  5. ^ Hassan, Mohammed. Oromo of Ethiopia 1500-1850 (PDF). University of London. p. 311.