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 tradition, he claimed the right to the extensive 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 palaces in different regions of Jimma." [Herbert S. Lewis, "A Galla Monarchy: Jimma Abba Jifar, Ethiopia" (Madison, Wisconsin, 1965), p. 40]

The historian Mordechai Abir notes that during his reign he fought with Abba Bagido the king of Limmu-Ennarea for control of the district of Badi-Folla in the years 1839–1841. This district was important for control of the caravan route between the Kingdom of Kaffa on one hand and the provinces of Gojjam and Shewa on the other. While the two kings negotiated a peace in 1841, and sealed the treaty with the marriage of Abba Jifar's daughter to Abba Bagido's son Abba Dula, the king of Jimma eventually conquered Badi-Folla (1847) and secured control over this important caravan route. [Mordechai Abir, "The era of the princes: the challenge of Islam and the re-unification of the Christian empire, 1769-1855" (London: Longmans, 1968), p. 91ff.]

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 a venerated site. [Lewis, "A Galla Monarchy", p. 41]

References

Succession |office=Kingdom of Jimma
preceded=none
succeeded=Abba Rebu