The Aksumites

The African continent is renowned for its vastness, diverse cultures, peoples, languages, and rich history. As one of the oldest inhabited regions, Africa has witnessed numerous migratory waves and the rise and fall of powerful kingdoms and empires. However, it is important to note that the concepts of "empire" and "kingdom" may not fully account for the political-military phenomena that existed in Africa. Therefore, the use of these terms must be understood as conventions, and some specialist historians in Africa have already adopted alternative concepts such as "centralized unit" and "political-military unit". In this video, we explore the history of the Axumite Empire, an African kingdom that left a significant mark on history.

When referring to the past, various types of traces such as archaeological finds, paintings, or preserved texts are used to understand the existence of nomadic kingdoms or peoples. It is also important to acknowledge that the understanding of space in earlier times was different from what we have today. The name "Africa" did not always refer to the continent, and scholars such as Kwame Appiah and Mudimbe argue that the "idea of Africa" was invented after the 15th century. These spaces of time are inventions resulting from discourse and human relationships, and it cannot be assumed that ancient Egyptians had the notion of living on the African continent.

The Axumite Empire, which encompassed territories now occupied by Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia, emerged in the 1st century CE. The region had been inhabited for much longer, as evidenced by the discovery of a 3 million-year-old fossil in Hadar, Ethiopia. The Axumite Empire was preceded by the Dʿmt kingdom, which was established in the north of Ethiopia and Eritrea around the 8th century BCE. Although there is debate about whether this civilization was native to Africa, it left its mark on the region through its language, Ge'ez, which originated from Sabean peoples who lived in the region since 2000 BCE.

The Axumite Empire rose to prominence in the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE, establishing dominance over present-day Yemen, Somalia, and several smaller tribes to the southwest. The tribes that were subjugated had to pay tribute, typically in the form of cattle. The rulers of Axum called themselves "Negusa Negast" or "king of kings", suggesting that conquered rulers could continue to reign over their own peoples in a system analogous to vassalage and tax payments.

Axum's success was due to its control of trade in the region, with exports including gold, ivory, salt, slaves, tortoiseshell, frankincense, myrrh, rhinoceros horns, obsidian, and emeralds. These goods were shipped to the main port of Adulis and exchanged for goods brought by Arab traders, such as textiles, weapons, and glassware. Axum was the first sub-Saharan kingdom to have its own mint, and its coins adhered to Roman weight standards.

In the mid-4th century CE, the Negusa Negast, Ezana I, officially adopted Christianity, which had already been present among the Aksumites due to their proximity to Palestine, the birthplace of the faith. Egyptian traders and missionaries brought Christianity to the region during the first centuries of the 1st millennium CE, and official acceptance by Axum may have occurred because the kingdom had important trade connections with the North African provinces, particularly the Roman Empire. The form of Christianity in Axum was similar to that adopted in Coptic Egypt, and the most important church was at Axum, which housed the Ark of the Covenant.

Axum went into decline from the end of the 6th century CE due to overuse of agricultural land, incursions by nomadic pastoralists, and rebellions by vassals. From the beginning of the 7th century CE, there was fierce competition between the trading networks of the Red Sea, where Arab Muslims sought supremacy. The ancient Axum Empire ceased to exist at the end of the 8th century CE.

Despite its decline, the legacy of the Axumite Kingdom lives on in the medieval kingdom of Abyssinia, which developed in the territory where Axum reigned. The Solomonic dynasty, founded around 1270 CE, claimed direct descent from the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Christianity remains a significant presence in Ethiopia today.