By Dr. Richard Pankhurst:-
We saw last week that Menilek, mainly after his victory at the battle
of Adwa in 1896, began Ethiopia’s modernisation. Now read on:
Another important development of this period was the introduction, by
whom is uncertain, of the Australian eucalyptus tree. Some of the first
plants were reportedly planted by Menilek’s French adviser, Casimir
Mondon-Vidailhet, in 1894 or 1895. The tree grew so fast that it was
soon extensively cultivated in Addis Ababa. Some landowners planted
large eucalyptus forests on their estates, and thereby solved the
capital’s hitherto serious shortage of both timber and fire-wood. The
eucalyptus tree was, however, a thirsty plant, which dried up rivers and
wells, and, by restricting grass cover, increased soil erosion.
Of Crucial Importance for Addis Ababa
The coming of the eucalyptus was of crucial importance in the history
of Addis
Ababa. The town’s shortage of wood had been so acute that
Menilek, in 1900, had actually envisaged abandoning the capital in
favour of a settlement 55 kilometres to the west, which Taytu named
Addis Alam, literally New World. The eucalyptus tree, however, grew so
fast that the Emperor, in the following year, abandoned the plan to
transfer the capital. The move had in any case been strongly opposed by
most of the foreign legations, as well as by some of the nobles. Both
had invested heavily in Addis Ababa buildings, and were reluctant to see
them abandoned. Almost the only support for the Addis Alam project
came, curiously, from Italy, which, wishing to please the monarch, went
so far as to erect a Legation at the new site.
The Russian Red Cross Hospital
The country’s first modern hospital meanwhile was set up in 1896,
immediately after the battle of Adwa, by a Russian Red Cross mission. It
had been despatched, by the slow-moving authorities in St Petersburg,
to treat Ethiopians wounded in the fighting, but, arriving after the
conclusion of hostilities, established itself in the capital instead.
The First Roads
The first years of the twentieth century, the period of peace, that
is, after the battle of Adwa, witnessed the construction of Ethiopia’s
first two modern roads. One, built with the help of Italian engineers,
linked Addis Ababa with Addis Alam. The other, constructed, with the
assistance of French technicians working on the railway, ran from the
old emporium of Harar to the new railway town of Dire Dawa. A shipping
service, linking Gambla on the Baro river, a tributary of the Nile in
west, with Khartoum in Sudan, came into existence shortly afterwards, in
1907.
The Bank of Abyssinia
During the next few years, the last of Menilek’s reign, a succession
of modern establishments came into existence. The first, set up by
imperial charter in 1905, was the Bank of Abyssinia. An affiliate of the
British-owned National Bank of Egypt, it was run largely under the
supervision of British staff. The Bank of Abyssinia was engaged in most
ordinary aspects of banking, but also handled most of the Emperor’s
commercial affairs, which were largely undifferentiated from those of
the Ethiopian state. The bank was also responsible for the issue of the
country’s currency, including the issue of paper money, inaugurated in
1914-15.
The Etege Hotel
The country’s first government hotel, founded by Empress Taytu, and
known as the Etege, literally Queen, was established in 1907. It was
such a novelty that Menilek’s chronicler, drawing a distinction with the
free hospitality traditionally afforded at state banquets and those of
the nobility, found it necessary to explain that guests had to pay for
what they consumed.
The Copts, and the Menilek School
The first modern school, the Menilek II School, which taught in
French, was founded by the Emperor in 1908. Having to contend with
Church opposition to Western ideas, he entrusted it, and three others in
the provinces, at Harar, Ankobar and Das, to Egyptian Coptic teachers,
to whom the local priesthood, and their Egyptian Coptic head, Abuna
Matewos, could raise no objection. Earlier, with Ilg’s help, Menilek had
despatched three youngsters in 1894 for study in Switzerland. Others
were later sent to Russia, which was selected as an Orthodox Christian
country, like Ethiopia, with strong monarchical traditions.
The Menilek Hospital
The first Ethiopian Government hospital, the Menilek II, was
established in 1910, with the assistance of several foreign doctors.
Some of them, including several German specialists, had come to treat
the Emperor, who was then mortally ill. The establishment was located on
the site of the earlier Russian Red Cross hospital, which had ceased
functioning a few years earlier.
The Newspaper “Aymro”
A State printing press was set up in 1911. It was used for the
publication of the first real Amharic newspaper, “Aymro”, as well as
various decrees and other official documents.
Several small-scale industrial enterprises were likewise established
at this time, among them a hydro-electric plant and a cartridge factory,
both at Aqaqi, and saw-mills in the Managasha forest, west of Addis
Ababa.
“Water Worships Menilek”
Another innovation was a water pipe, which ran from the Entotto
mountains, above the town, to the palace compound. The latter was
situated on elevated ground, so that the water had to travel upwards for
part of its journey. This at first created considerable amazement, and
caused a poet to exclaim that “even water worshipped Menilek”.
Getting to Work on Time
A large clock, one metre square, was later installed above one of the
palace buildings. It was visible from afar, and chimed every hour,
thus, it is reported, enabling the citizens, perhaps for the first time
in their lives, to go to work on time.
A New, and More Commercialised Way of Life
The early years of the century also coincided with the expansion of
Addis Ababa. The city, after the coming of the railway, grew rapidly,
and developed an increasingly commercialised way of life. Innovations
included stone buildings, which replaced wattle and daub huts;
corrugated iron roofing, which replaced thatch; and mechanical grain
grinding-mills, which replaced pestles and mortars worked by hand. Among
other developments mentioned may be made of the setting up of bakeries,
for the manufacture of European-type loaves, which were beginning to be
eaten instead of, or as well as, enjera, the traditional Ethiopian-type
bread; the sale of enjara, which had formerly been made only at home
for family use; butchers’ shops, for a population which had hitherto
slaughtered its own livestock; hotels, restaurants, and drinking houses,
for paying customers, who had previously eaten and drunk at home, or in
other people’s houses as non-paying guests; and commercial, in many
cases open-air, tailors’ shops, instead of traditional hand sewing.
These shops often made use of Singer sewing machines, imported from the
United States, and acquired by the tailors on very convenient
hire-purchase terms.
Source: http://www.linkethiopia.org
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