Battle of Dodota

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Battle of Dodota
Part of Menelik's Expansions
DateDecember 1883
Location
Dodota, Arsi Province, Ethiopia
Result Arsi victory[1]
Belligerents
Ethiopian EmpireShewa Arsi Oromo
Commanders and leaders
Negus Menelik II

Leenjiso Diga

Jatene Bultum WIA
Casualties and losses
Heavy Minimal

The Battle of Dodota, also known as the Battle of Doddota, was a military engagement fought on December 1883[2] between a force of Arsi Oromo led by Leenjiso Diga and Jatene Bultum and a Shewan force led by Negus (King) Menelik II. This was during Negus Menelik II's second campaign against the Arsi.

Prelude[edit]

During the December 1883 Arsi campaign, Menelik II had invaded with the goal of annexing the Arsi territory.[3] Karim ElAmin states that from the very beginning of their entry into Arussiland the Shawan troops were met with a stubborn resistance from Arussi fighters led by Gosa Dillamo. Acedemic sources agree that after Menelik and the Arsi cavalry fought at the Qalata River. After the battle, Menelik camped in Arussi for a few days.[4][5]

Battle[edit]

As Negus Menelik II and his army was heading back to Shewa, they encountered Arsi cavalry at a short distance of 20 km to the south of the Awash River. The battle lasted for several hours and the Arsi cavalry defeated the Shewan troops. All sources also agree that Menelik's imperial drum "negarit" was captured during the fighting and many soldiers were killed and Negus Menelik II narrowly escaped death.[6][7] Abbas Gnamo states Menelik's Shewan army and himself were pursued on horseback from Dodota to Modojo (present day Mojo) back to Shewa.[8] Karim ElAmin says that Menelik himself is said to have managed to escape only because of the speed of his war-horse. According to informants the pursuing Arussi fighters were obliged to turn back because one of their leaders, Jatené Bultum, was wounded by shots fired at him by the Shawan soldiers.[9]

Aftermath[edit]

After the battle, the Arsi warriors took the negarit home back to a place called Burqunte (present day Dera, Ethiopia), where the Sabiro clan reside.[10][11]

References[edit]

  1. ^ ElAmin, Karim, "An Historical Study of the Shawan-Amhara Conquest of the Oromo and Sidama Regions of Southern Ethiopia 1865-1900 (Doctoral)" (University of Khartoum, 2009) p. 148 "During the battle which followed, and which lasted for several hours, the Arussi Oromo gained their first military victory."
  2. ^ Tibebu, Teshale (1995). The Making of Modern Ethiopia 1896-1974. Red Sea Press. p. 43. ISBN 9781569020012.
  3. ^ Gnamo, Abbas (January 23, 2014). Conquest and Resistance in the Ethiopian Empire, 1880 - 1974: The Case of the Arsi Oromo. Brill. p. 157. ISBN 9789004265486.
  4. ^ ElAmin, Karim (2009). An Historical Study of the Shawan-Amhara Conquest of the Oromo and Sidama Regions of Southern Ethiopia 1865-1900 (Doctoral). University of Khartoum. p. 148.
  5. ^ Gnamo, Abbas (January 23, 2014). Conquest and Resistance in the Ethiopian Empire, 1880 - 1974: The Case of the Arsi Oromo. Brill. p. 150. ISBN 9789004265486.
  6. ^ ElAmin, Karim (2009). An Historical Study of the Shawan-Amhara Conquest of the Oromo and Sidama Regions of Southern Ethiopia 1865-1900 (Doctoral). University of Khartoum. p. 148.
  7. ^ Harold G. Marcus, Grover Hudson (1994). New Trends in Ethiopian Studies: Papers of the 12th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies. University of Michigan. p. 538. ISBN 978-1-56902-013-5.
  8. ^ Gnamo, Abbas (January 23, 2014). Conquest and Resistance in the Ethiopian Empire, 1880 - 1974: The Case of the Arsi Oromo. Brill. p. 150. ISBN 9789004265486.
  9. ^ ElAmin, Karim (2009). An Historical Study of the Shawan-Amhara Conquest of the Oromo and Sidama Regions of Southern Ethiopia 1865-1900 (Doctoral). University of Khartoum. p. 148.
  10. ^ Haji, Abbas. "Arsi Oromo Political and Military Resistance Against the Shoan Colonial Conquest (1881-6)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-25.
  11. ^ Berhane-Selassie, Tsehai (2018). Ethiopian Warriorhood: Defence, Land and Society 1800-1941. James Currey. p. 200. ISBN 978-1-84701-191-6.
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