Ethiopia has a millennia-old history. Semitic Abyssinians, mostly Amhara and Tigray, and Cushitic Agaw ruled “Ze Etiyopia,” or Abyssinia. The Arab-descended Harari and Afars lived on the Ethiopian highlands’ eastern escarpment, especially the lowlands. They founded the Ifat and Adal Sultanates. Central and southern regions had Sidama and Semitic Gurages, among others. In the 10th century BC, D’mt’s capital, Yeha, became a regional power. The first-century AD Aksumite Kingdom established its capital in Aksum, Tigray. It quickly conquered South Arabia, Meroe, and other Red Sea territories. Ezana made Christianity the national religion in the early fourth century. Ezana’s Aksumites called themselves “Ethiopians”. Philostorgius was the first foreign author to adopt this word for the Aksumites shortly after.<\/p>\n
The rise of Islam in the Arabian peninsula caused trade to shift away from Christian Aksum, causing its collapse. Aksum’s economy collapsed, isolating it and ending its commercial domination. The Zagwe dynasty moved the capital from Aksum to Lalibela. In the 13th century, the Solomonic dynasty superseded Zagwe. Ethiopia ruled the Horn of Africa in the early Solomonic period after military reforms and imperial expansion. Did you know this all?<\/p>\n