Abba Jifar I
Moti Abba Jifar I was the first king of the Gibe Kingdom of Jimma (reigned c. 1830 - c. 1855). He was the son of Abba Magal, who was a leader of the Diggo Oromo.
Abba Jifar built upon the political and military base his father had provided him, and created the Kingdom of Jimma. As a result, in common usage Jimma was no longer referred to as "Jimma Kaka" but Jimma Abba Jifar.
Herbert S. Lewis credits him for many "many administrative and political innovations", despite the lack of specific historical evidence. According to oral tradtion, he claimed the right to the extenive areas of the newly conquered land as well as virgin or unused land, which he used to reward his family, followers and favorites -- and himself. "Abba Jifar built at least five paalces in different regions of Jimma."1
He was also the first king of Jimma to embrace Islam, owing his conversion in 1830 to Abdul Hakim, a trader from Gondar. Lewis notes that as of 1960, Abdul Hakim's tomb in Jiren was still venerated.2
Notes
- Herbert S. Lewis, A Galla Monarchy: Jimma Abba Jifar, Ethiopia (Madison, Wisconsin, 1965), pp. 40
- Lewis, A Galla Monarchy, pp. 41