CALL FOR PAPERS: ICES 22: Panel: Ethiopian Historiography: Evolution, Diversity, and TransformationHawassa University, 29 September – 03 October 2025

24 February 2025

Ethiopia’s historiographical tradition is among the richest in sub-Saharan Africa, with origins tracing back to the Aksumite period. While early practices laid the foundation, a formalized tradition of historical writing emerged in the fourteenth century, primarily to legitimize Christian kings and commemorate their achievements. Royal chronicles, authored by royal secretaries from the fourteenth to the twentieth centuries, remain central sources for understanding Ethiopia’s medieval and post-medieval history. Beyond their political purpose, Ethiopian rulers demonstrated intellectual curiosity by commissioning translations of Arabic historical texts into Gǝʿǝz during the medieval period, enriching Ethiopia’s historiographical tradition with broader regional perspectives.

Nevertheless, Ethiopian historiography extended far beyond the royal court. Nobles, institutions, and even individuals documented list of genealogies, property inventories, and monastic histories, preserving diverse community narratives alongside state-centered histories. This inclusive documentation expanded the scope of Ethiopian historiography, showcasing its intellectual and cultural dynamism.

The 19th century marked a pivotal shift with the rise of Amharic historiography, reflecting broader linguistic and cultural transformations. This era saw significant state-led initiatives of historical writing , such as Tewodros II’s promotion of Amharic, Mǝnilǝk II’s establishment of the Ministry of the Pen, and the bourgeoning of print media ever since. Under successive regimes, historical writing flourished through chronicles, autobiographies, and biographies that shaped official narratives.

In recent decades, Ethiopian historiography has continued to diversify. Individuals without formal historical training have published regional and national histories, reflecting widespread public interest in Ethiopia’s past. These non-academic efforts have enriched the historiographical tradition but also raise questions about the motivations and approaches behind local historical production.

This panel examines the evolution of Ethiopian historiography, tracing its continuity, diversity, and transformation. By analyzing both formal and informal historical practices, it seeks to illuminate the broader intellectual and cultural dynamics shaping Ethiopian historical writing.

This panel, therefore, focuses on exploring the diverse types of historiographical texts produced from the fourteenth century to the present. We invite contributions that examine historiographical works across all periods—medieval, post-medieval, modern, and contemporary—addressing the following key areas:

• use of historiographical texts for reconstructing the past
• purpose and motivations behind the creation of these texts
• non-historically-trained authors and informal historical productions
• authorship and the context of the texts
• textual criticism and methodologies, including case studies on editing and translation
• the production and historical context of the texts
• languages and cultural analyses of historiographical works
  
  

 We cordially invite all interested to submit their paper abstracts by e-mail to either of the two panel organizers listed below. The abstracts should be 250 to 300 words, and submitted before 30 May 2025.

Panel Organizers:

1/ Dr. Solomon Gebreyes, Research Fellow – PI of the DFG funded project, The Chronicle of King Śarḍa Dǝngǝl (r.1563‒1597): A Critical Edition with annotated English Translation, Hiob Ludolf Centre for Ethiopian and Eritrean Studies, University of Hamburg, solomon.gebreyes.beyene"AT"uni-hamburg.de.

2/ Junior-Prof. Dr. Hewan Semon Marye, Faculty of Humanities, Asien-Afrika-Institut, Hiob Ludolf Centre for Ethiopian and Eritrean Studies, University of Hamburg, hewan.marye"AT"uni-hamburg.de.