8°12′57.737″N36°37′40.980″E / 8.21603806°N 36.62805000°E /8.21603806; 36.62805000
Kingdom of Gumma | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. 1770–1902 | |||||||
 The five Oromo kingdoms of theGibe region | |||||||
| Status | Part of Ethiopian Empire (1885-1899) | ||||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||
| History | |||||||
• Established | c. 1770 | ||||||
• Separatist Government | 1899–1902 | ||||||
• Annexed byEthiopian Empire | 1902 | ||||||
| |||||||
| Today part of |  Ethiopia | ||||||
TheKingdom of Gumma was akingdom in theGibe region ofEthiopia that emerged in the 18th century. Its eastern border was formed by the bend of theDidessa River, which separated it from (proceeding downstream to upstream)Limmu-Ennarea to the northeast, and the kingdoms ofGomma andGera to the south. Beyond its northern border were variousMacha Oromo groups, and to the westSidamo groups. Its territory corresponds approximately with the modernworedas ofGechi,Borecha, andDidessa.
This former kingdom was mostly located on a plateau with an average elevation of 6500 feet, and had a population estimated in 1880 of about 50,000. Its inhabitants had a reputation as warriors.[1] Beckingham and Huntingford considered Gumma, along with Gomma, was the least economically developed of the Gibe kingdoms; however Mohamed Hassen notes that, with the exception of the northern and western boundaries where constant raiding by her neighbors, theArjo in the north and theNonno in the west, forced those living in those parts to embracepastoralism, the land was intensively farmed and grew many of the same crops as the other Gibe kingdoms --sorghum,wheat,barley andcotton, except forcoffee.[2]
According to the reigning Gomma dynasty, they descended from a sheikh who came fromMogadishu.[3] They tied their recent origin to a man called Adam. Around 1770, he came to live in the area, and is said to have then helped in the deposition of the last king of the previous dynasty, Sarborada. The historian Mohammed Hassen, in discussing this tradition, suggests this tradition about Adam "was invented so as to Islamize the original founder of the dynasty."[4]
KingJawe was converted toIslam by merchants fromShewa andBegemder, and in turn he imposed his religious faith upon his subjects.[5]
In 1882, KingAbba Jubir of Gumma convinced the kings of Ennerea, Gomma and Jimma to form a confederacy known as the "Muslim League", to counter the threat from some of the Macha Oromo, who in turn formed their own alliance, the "League of the Four Oromo". At first the Muslim League had little success against this threat, for the other members did not support Abba Jubir against the Macha, until his elder brother Abba Digir was captured. At this point the people of Ennerea came to their help, but even with this help Abba Jubir had no more success and was forced to negotiate an armistice with the Macha for the safe release of his brother. Abba Jubir then went to war against Jimma, and sacked its capital, despite Gomma and Limmu-Enerea coming to the aid of Jimma.[6]
Despite the failure of the Muslim League, Gumma remained a stronghold of Islam, and provided asylum to men exiled from the other Gibe kingdoms.[7] It was conquered by EmperorMenelik II in 1885, but the kingdom remained a "hotbed of rebellion and Muslim fanaticism against alien colonial administration."Firisa, son of the last king, had found sanctuary in theSudan after the conquest, and returned in 1899 to declare ajihad against the conquerors. Firisa was eventually captured in 1902, then executed inJimma soon afterwards.[8]
