Ras Gobena Dachi (Ge'ez: ራስ፡ ጎበና, 1821 - July, 1889) was an ethnic Oromo member of the Shewan aristocrats of central Ethiopia in the mid 1800s. He is known for coordinating his Shewa Oromo army with the central army of Menelik II, who later became Ethiopian Emperor, to incorporate more lands into the Ethiopian Empire in the late 1800s.¹

History

Early years

During his early years, Gobena was Prince of Falle before he gained fame around the region for his bravery, strength and leadership ability. During the time of Emperor Tewodros II, Gobena assisted southern rebellion who kept the Emperor's reign troubled with conflicts. In addition to Gobena's forces, other northern Oromo militias, Tigrayan rebellion and the constant incrusion of Ottoman Empire and Egyptian forces near the Red sea brought the weakening and the final downfall of Ethiopian Emperor Tewodros II who died after his last battle with a British expeditionary force.

In the 1870s, Gobena helped Menelik II to defeat another militia of the Amhara King Tekle Haimanot of Gojjam, a significant event which helped him to strengthen his alliance with Shewa Amhara rulers.

Southern expansion

Ras Gobena (earlier Dejazmach Gobena) became a famed Oromo chief who was close to Aba Mudda, a spiritual head of the Oromo. He gained support among various Oromo clans and he lead the western and southern military movement of Menelik II. According to historian Donald Nathan Levine, Ras Gobena did most of the southern expansion that incorporated more Oromo speaking peoples into Menelik's Ethiopian Empire, helped by Oromo soldiers that were led by various famous Oromo chiefs like Morada Bakere. In addition to Oromo communities, Ras Gobena defeated the militias of southern ethnic Sidama and Gurage communities. Near the end of his life in the 1880s, the Shewan army governed by Ras Gobena defeated the forces of the Muslim Gurage leader Hassen Injamo. ²

Some of the southern communities militarily opposed Ras Gobena's army through out his campaigns, while others, particularly Jimma Kingdoms, embraced the alliance with Ras Gobena and Menelik II, who later became the Emperor. Despite the opposition, historian Dr. Donald Levine states that some southern Oromos supported Ras Gobena and the Ethiopian centralization was "welcomed as a way to put an end" to "intertribal fighting" between the Oromo communities. ³ According to US Library of Congress, the movement of the competing Oromo groups and segments toward new land and pastures led to their disunity, where most Oromo communities raided and attacked each other. ⁴

Some Oromo writers believe that the Oromo Ras Gobena and the Amhara Menelik II were the first two people in Ethiopia with the concept of national boundary that brought various different ethno-linguistic communities under a centralized rule. ⁵

"The two most important historical figures who signify the introduction of the concepts of national boundary and sovereignty in Ethiopia are Emperor Menelik II and Ras Gobana Dache, who used guns manufactured in Europe to bring a large swath of Biyas (regions/nations) under a centralized rule." ⁶

Popular Culture

The sentiment of most Ethiopians toward Ras Gobena often correlates to 21st century Ethiopian politics. Ras Gobena is a controversial Oromo figure for some ethnic Oromos who think he was a traitor for allying with the Northern Ethiopians to conquer some southern regions. Though many Oromo communities battled and conquered each other for centuries, some contemporary Oromo politicians who favor ethno-political mobilization toward Oromo Unity often associate Oromo opposition to them as a betrayal act similar to that of the 1800s Ras Gobena and other Oromo leaders who allied with the Amhara and Tigray. In contrast, other Ethiopians who advocate Ethiopian unity and who oppose ethnocentric political movements often glorify Ras Gobena as an Ethiopian hero and as a unifying figure.

References