Talha Jafar

Talha bin Jafar
Personal life
Born	1853 (1853) Wollo Province, Ethiopia
Died	1936(1936-00-00) (aged 82–83) Chiro, Hararghe, Ethiopia
Era	19th-20th century
Region	Horn of Africa
Main interest(s)	Hadith, Fiqh
Religious life
Religion	Islam
Denomination	Sunni
Tariqa	Mahdi

Talha bin Jafar was a nineteenth century Argobba-Ethiopian rebel in Ifat and later governor of Wadessa, Hararghe in Ethiopia. ^{[1] [2]} He belonged to the Mahdi Sufi tariqa. ^[3]

Militant career

Beginning in 1879 he led a resistance movement against the Abyssinian emperors Yohannes IV and later Menelik II due to the states hostile policies towards Muslims in the region. ^{[4] [5] [6]} According to historian Abdussamad Ahmad, his militia expanded significantly as persecuted Muslims from various regions of Abyssinia, including Gonder, joined his ranks. ^[7] At first Mikael of Wollo did not take Talha's revolt seriously and dismissed him as merely an individual intoxicated by the narcotic chat leaf, however Mikael was proven wrong when Talha's forces managed to defeat an army sent to quell the rebellion. ^[8]

Talha was also part of the Mahdist Sudanese invasion of Ethiopia which had sacked several major towns including Gonder. ^[9]

Political career

During the reign of Lij Iyasu, he was appointed governor of Wadessa in the Harar region of Chercher. ^[10]

See also

Hassan Enjamo, rebel leader of Hadiya

References

1. Zewde, Bahru (17 March 2002). A History of Modern Ethiopia, 1855–1991. Ohio University Press. ISBN   9780821445723.
2. Hassan, Mohammed. Reviewed Work: Islam in Nineteenth-Century Wallo, Ethiopia: Revival, Reform and Reaction by Hussein Ahmed. Michigan State University Press. p. 150. JSTOR   41931349.
3. Ali, Ali (January 2015). The Development of Islamic Education System in Ethiopia: Its Features, Relevance and Influence on Muslim Culture With Reference to South Wallo (PDF). Addis Ababa University. p. 84. Archived from the original (PDF) on Jun 20, 2023.
4. Ancel, Stephane (2015). "A Muslim Prophecy Justifying the Conversion of Ethiopian Muslims to Christianity during Yoḥannəs IV's Reign". Annales d'Éthiopie. 30 (1): 328. doi: 10.3406/ethio.2015.1592 . Archived from the original on Apr 11, 2023 – via Persée.
5. O'Fahey, Rex S. (2003). The Writings of the Muslim Peoples of Northeastern Africa. Brill. p. 62. ISBN   9789004109384.
6. Falola, Toyin (26 September 2020). The Palgrave Handbook of Islam in Africa. Springer International Publishing. p. 463. ISBN   9783030457594.
7. Ahmad, Abdussamad. Muslims of Gondar 1864-1941. Annales d'Éthiopie. p. 168.
8. H., Ahmed (2002). "19th-Century Islamic Revival in Wallo, Ethiopia". Isim Newsletter. Leiden University. p. 26. hdl: 1887/17537 . Archived from the original on Jun 20, 2023.
9. Caulk, Richard (2002). Between the Jaws of Hyenas - A Diplomatic History of Ethiopia (1876-1896). Harrassowitz. p. 440. ISBN   9783447045582.
10. Ahmed, Hussein (1989). "The Life and Career of Shaykh Talha B. Ja'far (c. 1853-1936)". Journal of Ethiopian Studies. 22. Institute of Ethiopian Studies: 23. JSTOR   41965976.