Queima Cattle Tribute in the Christian Kingdom of Northern
Ethiopia, with Special Reference to Its Historical Significance

HIROKI ISHIKAWA

Tokyo ]ogakkarz College

The Oromo migrated into the Christian kingdom of northern Ethiopia in the 16th and 17th
centuries. Although several studies have examined the military and administrative reforms that
occurred during tllis period, Little is known about the kingdom's financial reforms. I evaluatedthe llistorical significance of the Queima cattle tribute imposed during this time and concluded
the following. The state revenue of the kingdom decreased during the period of the Oromomigration. Every person who owned cows paid one cow for every ten cows owned every three
years during the reign of Susn::Jyos (r. 1607-1632); this tribute was known as Queima by theJesuits and tiikws in Amharic. Queima was imposed during the first half of the 1550s in an effort
to reconstruct the kingdom, which had been devastated by the Muslims during the first half ofthe 16th century. Yol)ann::Js I (r. 1667-1682) abolished the tribute in 1667 for several reasons,
including tl1e heavy burden it placed on tl1e peasantry. Queima was a principal tribute, and tl1e
revenue collected from it contributed to the survival of the kingdom.
Keywords: Christian kingdom, Ethiopia, history, Oromo, Solomonic Dynasty, tribute, cattle

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Purpose of1his Evaluation
The emperors of the Christian kingdom of northern Ethiopia expanded their territ ory during the
14th and 15th centuries, oppre ssing the Muslims who inhabited the eastern part of the Ethiopian
Plateau. H owever, during the .first half of the 16th century, the Muslims be gan to take the offensive,
and the Oromo moved northward. As a result, Christian society was thrown into confusion, and thete rrito ry of the Christian kingdom was remarkably reduced (Map 1).
This crisis compelled the emperors to carry out reforms. Merid (1971) and Abir (1980) reported
on the militaq and administrative reforms that occurred during the period of the Oromo migrationin the 16th and 17th centuries. However, little is known about the financial reforms of this time.(l)According to Pankhurst (1961: 188; 1990: 8), a new form of cattle tribute was instituted during
the reign of Ga.lawdewos (r. 1540-1559).'2 > To date, however, little attention has been p aid to theimportance of this tribute, whicl1 the Jesuits call ed Queima. My pu rp ose is to clarify the historicalsignificance of this tribute by investigating its ec ono mic im portan ce and the reasons for its introduc­tion and abolition.(J)1.2. Sou1-cel"J

1.2.1. Ga'az Sources
1he most impor tan t sources for the history of northern Ethiopia at this time are chr o�icl es written
Nilo-Ethiopiarz Studies 12: 1-12 (2008)
Copyright© 2008.Japan Association for Nilo-Ethiopian Studies

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2

Sire•1 Walqayt

/1

.

,

,,

·'

,I.

(

$lill!mt!;)agades�men

Wligiira

IFremonal

Tigre 0l
1•TlimbcnI'ilndilrta 1,'

Ab!lrgille

S!Ullwa

Laslll ,
,

'

,

#

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Thei"Migration Routesof the Oromo

Christian-Controlled Areas
Beginning of
the 16th Century
Beginning of
the 17th Century

>

0

lOOOm

LOOkm

200km

Map 1. Northern Ethiopia during the Oromo Migration Period

in G;:)'n (classical Ethiopic). These chronicles are divided into the Royal Chroniclef5l and the Short
Chronicfe.<6l 1he Zenahu la-Galfa<7) (History ofthe Galla) is the principal source on the Oromo migra­
tion and was written in 1593 by Bal;rr�y, an Ethiopian Orthodox clergyman.

Ba.l;u·�y wrote about

the genealogy of the Oromo and the history of their migration into the Christian kingdom; he also
analyzed why the Christians were inferior in strength to the Oromo.

ISHIKAWA: Queima Cattle Tribute in the Christian Kingdom of Northern Ethiopia

3

Table 1. Emperors, 1508 to 1706
Em peror!Abnii D;,ng;)J

Period of reign
1508-1540

Galawdewos

1540-1559

Minas

1559-1563

Sar�a D;)nggl

1563-1597

Ya'qob1597-1603

Zad;)ng;)l1603-1604

Ya'qob1604-1607

Susn<Jyos

1607-1632

Fasiladas

1632-1667

Yobiinn<Js I

1667-1682

Iyas u I

1682-1706

1.2.2. European Sources
In the mid-16th to the mid-17th centuries,Jesuit missionaries wrote many letters and volumes about
their work. Their writings are highly valued by scholars of northern Ethiopian history during thisperiod. The following four works, written in Portuguese,<8l are most important in my analysis: Paez's
Historia de Ethiopia (Pais 1945-1946<9>; Beccari 1969 II & Ill), Barradas's Tractatus tres historico­geographici (Beccari 1969 IV), Almeida's Historia de Ethiopia alta ou Abassia (Beccari 1969 V-VII),and Lobo's Itinerdrio (Lobo 1971).<10>

2. THE OROMO MIGRATION AND ITS INFLUENCE ON STATE REVENUE
2.1. Tributes during the Reign ofSusnoyos

The Jesuits were able to obtain specific information on state revenue because they had a close rela­tionship with Susn;:}yos (r. 1607-1632) and other nobles. Their reports are invaluable to the study oftaxation in the Christian kingdom; Pankhurst (1984-1985: 62) described them as "the first compre­
hensive information on Ethiopian state revenues." According to Paez (Pais 1945-1946 I: 236-238;

Beccari 1969 II: 283-286) and Almeida (Beccari 1969 V: 79-82), Susn;:}yos received the follow­
ing items as tribute from provinces and districts<11l: (1) gold from 3:nnarya02> and some districts in
Gojjam<13l; (2) gold paid by governors of each province and district; (3) cotton cloth, honey, butter,and mantimentos<14l levied in each province and district; ( 4) horses from Gojjam and Tigre; (5) taxes
collected in markets; (6) customs revenue; (7) food from crown lands such as the reguengof15l; (8) foodfrom the peasants of"Dambea, Gojam, Begameder, and other provinces" apart from the crown lands;(9) butteJ from herdsmen; (10) cloth or gold from weavers; and (11) cattle from the Queima tribute.
Paez and Almeida also reported that the Oromo migration caused several serious changes in staterevenue until the reign of Susngyos.
2.2. Influence of the Oromo Migration on State Revenue

2.2.1. The Oromo Migration as Recorded in the History of the Galla
Mter presenting the genealogy of the Oromo in the History of the Galla, Balp·;:}y stated<16l:
They [the Oromo] have neither king nor master like other peoples. However they obey the luba
during eight years. Mter eight years, another luba is given its name and the predecessor retires.
They do this at each time. The word luba means "those who are circumcised at the same time"(Guidi 1961-1962 I: 225; translation my own)

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Table 2. Lubas of the Ororno during the 16th Century
Luba
MelbaiJ

Period ofleadership
1522-1530

M uda na

1530-1538

Kilole1538-1546

Bifole1546-1554

M;,sle1554--1562

f:Hirmufa

1562-1570

Rob ale1570-1578

Birmage1578-1586

M ul ata

1586-1594'

Source: Beckingham and Huntingford 1954:208-210.

Bal:rr�y wrote about the history of nine /ubas (Table 2) in the History ofthe Galla (Guidi 1961-1962

I: 225-230).

Beckingham and Huntingford (1954: 208-210) specified this period by comparing

Bal:rr<�y's information with the writings in the Royal Chronicles.

The Oromo started to invade Bali when Melbal:l held /uba (1522-1530). They made incursions
into Fatagar during the period of Bifole (1546-1554). Mer attacking Arnhara, the Oromo began
to invade Begfungdr during the period of I;larmufa (1562-1570). They devastated Shoa and started
to attack Goj
j am during the period of Robale (1570-1578). During the period of Birmage (15781586), Dambya was devastated by Oromo incursions. By the period ofMul'ata (1586-1594), Damot
and Shoa had been ruined by the Oromo.
At the end of the 16th century, the Oromo made repeated incursions into the regions around
Lake Tana, which was the center of the kingdom at that time. They often attacked Tigre, Begamadr,
and Gojjam during the reign of Susoayos (Esteves Pereira 1892-1900 I: 116-122, 216, 223-236,
249-252, 262-263).
2.2.2. Lost Provinces and Districts
1he Jesuits noted reductions in the Christian territory during the second half of the 16th centwy(Beccari 1969 V: 9, 11; XI: 130-134). Almeida stated that the emperors used to rule "30 coun­tries" and "17 provinces, or districts smaller than countries," but only "17 countries" and "9 provinces"obeyed the present emperor, Susn;;�yos. The Oromo migration reduced the territory of the Christian
kingdom by nearly half(Beccari 1969 V: 9, 11). Almeida also stated that the emperors who had ruled
before the Oromo migration had received more tributes than Susnayos (Beccari 1969 V: 81). Clearly,
the emperors lost vast amounts of revenue due to the Oromo migration.
2.2.3. Devastation in the Regions .Bordering the Oromo Lands
The Oromo migration also had a major influence on the tributes of the regions that were still under
the control of the emperors. The Oromo incursions devastated the bordering lands and drained the
populations:Mul'ata of Boran affijcted the Christians of Damot. It dispersed them and devastated theircountry. Shoa and Damot were devastated in this period. (Guidi 1961-1962 I: 229; translation
my own)These regions were devastated not only by the Oromo, but also by Christian soldiers because theemperors allowed the latter to forage on military expeditions. Supplying food to soldiers was a heavy
burden for poor peasants (Beccari 1969 V: 82).
The kingdom ran up expenses as a result of repairing military establishments. For example,

ISH1KAWA: Queima Cattle Tribute in the Christian Kingdom of Northern Ethiopia

5

the Christians used flat-top mountains called iimba as forts or shelters in wartime. The chronicle

ofYol)ann:;,s I (r. 1632-1667) reported that the emperor repaired 12 broken iimbas to protect theChristians from the Oromo (Guidi 1960-1961 I: 8).

According to the Jesuits, the emperors exempted some tributes for regions that were alreadygroaning under the heavy burden of the war against the Oromo. 1he reason that the governors of"Begameder, Amahar:l., Holed, Xaoa" did not pay so much gold was that these regions had been rav­

aged by the Oromo (Beccari 1969 V: 81}. Sar�a D:;,ng:;,l (r.1563-1597) exempted the tribute of horses
from Gojjam and instead ordered the people to use the horses to fight the Oromo (Pais 1945-1946

I: 237; Becca.ri 1969 II: 284; V: 79).

2.2.4. Evasion ofTributes
As the Oromo migration continued, several regions left the Christian kingdomCl7J and neglected to

pay tribute. The amount of gold brought in from 3nnarya decreased sharply (Pais 1945-1946 I: 236;

Beccari 1969 II: 283; V: 80). 3nnarya suffered great losses against the Oromo without military help

from the Christian kingdom. It was difficult to send gold from 3nnarya to the emperor because its
northern regions had come under the control of the Oromo during the reign of Siir� D�ng:;,l. It also

seems reasonable to assume that the Oromo migration was merely an excuse for the region's failure

to send gold; the chronicle ofSusnayos revealed one instance when Beoiiro, the governor of3nnarya,

appropriated gold that he should have sent to the emperor (Esteves Pereira 1892-1900 l: 239).

3. QUEIMA CATTLE TRIBUTE
3.1. What is the Queima?

The Amhara and the Agaw of the Ethiopian Plateau were farmers and raised several types of domes­
ticated animal such as cows, goats, and sheep. Jesuit missionaries in the first half of the 17th century
marveled at the abundance of livestock. Many people in Tigre had 2000 or 3000 cows in additionto oxen for cultivation, and some people had as many as 10,000 cows (Beccari 1969 IV: 94}. As in

od1er East Mrican societies, catde are a symbol of wealth in northern Ethiopia (Messing 1957: 119;Beccari 1969 IV: 94}.

Almeida provided the most famous explanation of the Queima catde tribute:
We must take into consideration one tribute. A little less than 80 years passed since this tribute

had been imposed. Every person who has vacas pays one vaca in ten every three years. Because

there are innumerable herds of cattle in this land and most of them are vacas, this tribute is great

revenue for him [the emperor]. He has divided his countries and provinces so that some of them
pay this tribute each year. People call it "burning (queima}" because they burn a part of ilie skinof the cow for the emperor such as a brand. (Beccari 1969 V: 81-82; translation my own)

This account reveals iliat cows (vacas in Portuguese) were collected for the Queima, as opposed tooxen (boi) or bulls (touro).

Barradas referred to the Queima as one tribute item collected inTigre and wrote that it was calledtacussa (Beccari 1969 IV: 185}. Lobo reported iliat the tribute was called tucus (Lobo 1971: 361-362).
The A.mharic word tiikws (pronounced toks} means brand (Kane 1990: 990). Clearly, tacussa or tucus
means tiikws, which was the Amharic name for the Queima.
Reports by Barradas on d1e collecting of cows for the Queima were more detailed than those of any
other Jesuit. According to Barradas, the collectors chose cows that were not pregnant. If a farmer

did not own 10 cows, the collectors paired him with another farmer to bring the number up to 10(Beccari 1969 IV: 185}.

As far as the number of cows collected, Paez wrote:6

Nilo-Ethiopian Studies

Gojam supplies 12,000 [cows], Ola.ya 5000, Damot 2000, Amhara 2000, Begmeder 6000, Dara
5000. Although Dambia, Oagra, <;alamt, and many other provinces also supply, I could notknow the numbers exactly. Therefore I leave them. However,Tigre supplies 15,900, <;agade andOalcait 3000 each. (Beccari 1969 II: 286; translation my own. See also Pais 1945-1946 I: 238)
According to this passage, 53,900 cows were collected for the Queima, not including those f rom"Dambia, Oagra, <;alamt, and many other provinces." Therefore, the total number of the cows col­lected was more than 53,900.
According to the Jesuits, the emperor did not receive all of the cows because he often exemptedowners of numerous cows from paying the tribute and gave many other cows to the collectors or as
rewards to the people (Beccari 1969 IV: 185; V: 82).<18) For example, when tl1e Jesuits searched forthe remains of Crist6vao (Christovam) da Gama,<19) who was killed by the Muslims at the begin­ning of the reign of Giilawdewos, Susnayos gave 2000 of the cows collected for the Queima to Takla

Giyorgis (the governor ofTigre) and his soldiers who had participated in the search (Beccari 1969

VI: 502). Also, according to Barradas's "The Annual Report of the Ethiopia Mission from April 1630
to the Same Month of 1631" dated 20 May 1631, Susnayos augmented the Queima for the Jesuitchurch in Fremona<2o) (Beccari 1969 XII: 482). Thus, Susnayos gave most of the cows to soldiers,
noblemen, and clergy. The rest would be consumed in the royal camp.

The Jesuits reported that cows were used for a variety of purposes in northern Ethiopia. The people
loved to eat the raw meat, which was indispensable at banquets (Beccari 1969 IV: 165; Lobo 1971:366).<21> 1he hide was an important item for trade, and people used it to make clothes (Beccari 1969
IV: 114, 153, 256-257).

Cows were also used in marriage and in making reparations for adultery(Beccari 1969 IV: 177-178; Lobo 1971: 371-373), and they played an important role in barter (Lobo
1971: 369-370). The people that were given cows by the emperor would have used them for these
purposes.
3.2. Intr·oduction andAbolition ofthe Queima

3.2.1. Introduction of the Queima

In Chapter 20 of the first livro (book) of Historia de Ethiopia alta ou .llbassia, Almeida stated that the

Queima had been imposed less than 80 years ago. Pankhurst (1984-1985: 69; 1990: 8) stated that

this tribute had been imposed during "the reign of Gii.lawdewos" or "around 1540." Almeida wrote
Chapter 1 of the first book of Historia de Ethiopia alta ouAbassia in approximately 1628 (Beckingham& Huntingford 1954: xxxi). However, he worked on the book intermittently. Therefore, one can­not conclude that all chapters of the first book were written in 1628. Chapter 20 of the first bookcontains valuable information on the date of its writing. Almeida stated that the people of 3:nnarya
had sent gold to Susnayos 5 years ago and he had stayed on the land of the Damotes (the people ofDamot) at that time (Beccari 1969 V: 80). Almeida had been ordered by A. Fernandez t o go to theland of the Damotes at the end of 1624, and he had stayed there in 1625 and 1626 (Beccari 1969
VI: 425, 427, 440, 476). Thus, Almeida wrote Chapter 20 between 1630 and 1631. Thus, it seems
reasonable to conclude that the Queima was imposed during the first half of the 1550s, or the lOth
to 15th years of the reign of Gii.lawdewos, because it had been imposed less tl1an 80 years before thewriting of Chapter 20.
Why would Gii.lawdewos impose this tribute? 1he Muslims who inhabited the eastern part of
the Ethiopian Plateau often made incursions into the Christian kingdom during the reign ofLabna
Dangal (r. 1508-1540). As a result, the kingdom was on the verge of collapse at the end of his reign.

Galawdewos, who ascended the throne in 1540, killed AJ:unad b. Ibrahi:m, supreme commander of the
Muslim army, in the third year of his reign. After repulsing the Muslims from the kingdom, in thetenth year of his reign, Gii.lawdewos gained a victory in the military expedition against Adal or d1e
Muslims' land in the eastern part of the Eiliiopian Plateau. Of note is the fact that Giilawdewos took
several measures to reconstruct the kingdom upon returning from Adiil (Conzelman 1895: 46-59).
He constructed a town for the people who had lost their houses to the Muslims:

ISHIKAWA: Queima Cattle Tribute in the Christian Kingdom of Northern Ethiopia

7(When Galawdewos returned from Adiil, the kingdom was in peace.) Galawdewos, being mer­ciful and gracious, gave foods to the people of each class in suitable proportion ( ... ) He con­structed a town in one of the regions of Wag to gather the clispersed people and to give houses
to the persecuted people. (Conzelman 1895: 46-47; translation my own)
He also built a church declicated to the Virgin Ma.ry (Conzelman 1895: 49, 50, 52).

However,

Galawdewos was busy fighting from the 16th year of his reign on because the Muslims of Ada.t had

mounted a counterattack from the east, an army of the Ottoman Empire was coming south fromthe coast of the Red Sea, and the Oromo pressure was intensifying from the south. Thus, it seems
reasonable to conclude that the Queima was imposed not around 1540 when Galawdewos was fight­
ing the Muslims, but during the first half of the 1550s when he was making an effort to reconstruct

the kingdom.
Crummey (2000: 55-56, 59) described seven land charters during the reign of Gilawdewos. How­ever, these documents do not provide information on revenue at that time, nor is there reference totaxation in other G;l'n documents on the reign of Gilawdewos or in the chronicle of Ghlawdewos
and the Short Chronicle.<22l Two Portuguese staying in northern Ethiopia during this reign wrote of

their experiences, but did not refer to the Queima (Bermudez 1875; Castanhoso 1898).

It is difficult to determine how Galawdewos used the cows collected because there is no definitive

information on the tribute during his reign. However, judging from the date of its introduction, it
is likely that the tribute was one measure to help reconstruct the Muslim-ravaged kingdom. One

may assume that Galawdewos, who moved constantly for military expeditions and during the recon­

struction, chose cows for the tribute because they are mobile animals and were used for a variety of
purposes.
3.2.2. Abolition of the Queima
There has been no research on whether the emperors continued to collect the Queima during the
Gondar Period (1632-1769). Information on the state revenue during the reign oflyasu I (r. 1682-1706) is well known from the testimony of Kho.dja Murad. Murad, an Armenian merchant who had
been sent to Batavia by the emperor, reported the tributes of the 14 regions in northern Ethiopia byrequest of the Dutch authorities (van Donzel 1979: 93-94).<23> The Agaw yielded annually 100,000

cattle, 2000 pieces of cloth, 20,000 jars of honey, 1000 gow·ds of cheese, and 1000 jars of butter, butother regions paid only gold (van Donzel 1979: 94). Although Murad did not describe the wholestate revenue,<24) his testimony makes it clear that not all regions paid cattle to the emperor. In ad­

dition, Poncet (1713), Prutky (1991), and Bruce (1790), who traveled in northern Ethiopia from theend of the 1690s to the beginning of the 1770s, did not refer to the Queima.

Although little attention has been given to the following passage in the chronicle of Yol)ann;lS I, it

has great significance for the study of the Queima:

The Lord again made the people listen to His mercifi.d and compassionate voice. On the 19thofT;lqamt [27 October 1667], a herald circulated the following proclamation as the voice of ourking: "I will have mercy on you. I will abolish the tribute 'brand of the cattle' [takws za-lahm]."

The hearts of the whole people were filled with great joy and jubilation. They said, "Bless theLord, the God oflsrael who works miracles! Bless His name of glory eternally and everlastingly!

The whole land should be filled with His glory! Amen." (Guidi 1960-1961 I: 7; translation myown)

lJ1e new emperor issued this proclamation immediately after taking the throne. It is obvious that the

takws zii-lahm in this proclamation refers to the Queima. But why was the Queima abolished?
For one thing, the burden of the Queima was too heavy for the peasants, and the violence wroughtby the collectors of the tribute afflicted the peasants (Beccari 1969 V: 82).

The exemption of the Queima was one of fow- measw·es undertaken by Yol:tann�s I immediately

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upon taking the throne. Yol)ann;)S I first released the prisoners who had been imprisoned dming thereign ofFasiHidas (r. 1632-1667). He then arrestedFasiladas's children and sent them to Mt. Wahni.
Next, he proclaimed the exemption of the Queima. Last, Yol;tannas I gave gold, silver, and cloths

from the royal treasury to the people (Guidi 1960--19611 6-7). During the Solomonic dynasty, it

was common to arrest the children of the previous emperor, and it was not rare for a new emperor to
bestow valuables on the people. However, the granting of amnesty and exemption of tributes were
not customary.
Because the chronicle ofFasUadas was not handed down, sources from which to examine his rule
are limited to the brief accotmt in the Short Chronicle, some records written by Jesuits who were ex­pelled by him, and a travel account written by al-Haymi, a Yemeni ambassador who visited the king­dom dming Fasiladas's reign.l25l 'TI1ese limited accounts contain many references to imprisonments
and executions of important people. Fasiladas tmned a critical eye toward his father's pro-Roman
Catholic policy, expelling the Jesuits just after his enthronement. He then executed his uncle Sa'alli
K.ras tos who was an ardent Roman Catholic (Basset 1882: 29; Perruchon 1897-1898: 361). In the,

15th year of his reign,Fasiladas arrested his brother Galawdewos on suspicion of being implicatedin a plot and executed him together with some nobles (Basset 1882: 31; Perruchon 1897-1898: 366;
Beccari 1969 XIII: 292). At the end of his reign,Fasiladas imprisoned Whlda Giyorgis, a principal
courtier, and Whlda Giyorgis's brothers and arrested his own son Dawit (Basset 1882: 33; Perruchon
1897-1898: 371, 372). It is unusual to read about the imprisonments of so many in1portant persons
in the Short Ch1·onide, suggesting that Fasiladas was a strict leader. It seems reasonable to supposethat the release of prisoners and the abolishment of the Queima were meant to conciliate nobles who

had been disaffected by the coercive rule of Fasiladas and who possessed many cows, as rich people
in northern Ethiopia usually did.
Finally, Fasiladas and Yol�fumas I often made military expeditions against theAgaw d1at inhabited
the regions around Lake Tana. The center of the Christian kingdom had moved to these regions from
Shoa dw·ing the second half of the 16th centmy.l26> As a result, the emperors increased their militarypressme on theAgaw. According to the Sh01-t Chronicle,Fasiladiis went to Gojjam and fought against

several groups of Agaw sucl1 as the J:Iankasa, Matakhl, Zigam, Dangala, andAzfula dming the 4th,

5th, lOth, 18th, 27th, and 29ili years of his reign (Basset 1882: 30--33; Perruchon 1897-1898: 363366, 370). The author of the Sho1·t Chronicle wrote that "he [Fasiladas] fought against the l:J.ankasa,

and killed many men, sacked their cattle, and took their women and children prisoner" in the descrip­tion of the military expedition against the I;:Iankasa (Basset 1882: 32; Perruchon 1897-1898: 367).
It is reasonable to assume that the emperor and his soldiers plundered numerous heads of catde inother military expeditions. Yo� linnas I also undertook several military expeditions against this area
(Basset 1882: 34; Perruchon 1899: 168; Guidi 1960-1961 I: 11-12, 14-15). According to Taddesse(1988), who exan1ined the relationship between the emperors and the Agaw, the land of theAgaw
was incorporated into the Christian kingdom during ilie reign ofYol;lannas I. Another reason for ilie
abolition of the Queima is that Yol)annas I must have expected to obtain many heads of catde from
theAgaw.

3.3. Historical Significance ofthe Queima

Lobo provided figures for the price of domestic animals dming the reign of Susnayos. After explain­
ing the prices for cows and oxen, Lobo stated that one cow had sold for more than 2 patacaPn andthat one could usually be bought for 1 pataca. Sheep and goats could be bought at the rate of six andyoung goats at the rare of nine for one piece of cloth, whicl1 was worth approximately 1 pataca (Lobo

1971: 362). W hat kind of cow sold for 1 pataca or 2 patacas? Messing, who investigated Amhara so­ciety from 1953 to 1954, reported on the prices of domestic animals possessed by Amhara peasants:

A good, milk-giving cow is worth 50 MT,<zs) but an old cow ready for slaughter bri.ngs only 15
MT. A farmer needs at least 2 oxen for plowing, and a well-to-do farmer may have about 8.
Oxen are not contributed in marriage, but are loaned or given to the groom by his father at theISHIKAWA: Queima Cattle Tribute in the Christian Kingdom of Northern Ethiopia

9time land is allocated to him for plowing. A good, strong ox is worth 40 MT, but hardJy everis such a one for sale; instead, he is more commonly traded for two male calves. An old ox forslaughter can be bought for 15 MT, and if the skin is still good it may be sold in turn for up to
four MT(Messing 1957: 130)
A sheep brought from 3 Ethiopian dollars(= 2 MT) to 6 Ethiopian dollars(= 4 MT), depending
more on the season than on the quality(1vlessing 1957: 130). The ratio in value of"an old cow readyfor slaughter" to a sheep was about 5:1 at the beginning of the 1950s. According to Lobo, the ratio invalue of a cow to a sheep was 6:1. Thus, one may say that the cow that sold for 1 pataca or 2 patacas
was "an old cow ready for slaughter."
As previously mentioned, more than 53,900 cows had been collected for the Queima. Assumingthat one cow cost 1 pataca, as Lobo reported, the revenue from the Queima was more than 53,900
patacas. Although there is no definitive information on the revenue from some tribute items suchas grain or cotton cloth, the Jesuits reported that the revenue of other items that was comparable tothat of the Queima.
The total amount of gold brought from 3:nnarya and Gojjam was 26,500 patacas. This was less thanhalf of the revenue of the Queima. The gold paid by the governor of Begrunadr amounted to 4000
cmzados (patacas),<29l whereas the Queima was 6000 cows (Pais 1945-1946 I: 236; Beccari 1969 IT:
283). The governors of Tigre paid gold worth 25,600 cruzados (Pais 1945-19461: 236; Beccari 1969
II: 283-284) or 23,100 patacas (Beccari 1969 IV: 83-85). For the Queima, the governors ofTigre
paid either 15,900 cows (Pais 1945-1946 I: 236; Beccari 1969 II: 283) or 30,000 cows(Beccari 1969
IV: 185); the latter estimate should be used because Barradas was better informed than Paez about
T igre. llms, the revenue of the Queima exceeded that of the gold paid by provincial governors, and it
follows that the Queima was an important tribute item during the reign of Susnayos.
The Queima was collected between the first half of the 1550s and 1667, when the emperors of theChristian kingdom were fighting the Oromo. I t seems reasonable to suppose that emperors suchas Susn:}yos received numerous cows for the Queima and distributed them to noblemen, clergy, andsoldiers. The vast revenue from the Queima was important in helping the emperors to administer
the affairs of state and fight the Oromo. It is entirely fair to say that this revenue contributed to thesurvival of the Christian kingdom in northern Ethiopia during the period of Oromo migration.

4. CONCLUSIONSMy main conclusions are as follows. The state revenue of the Christian kingdom of northern Ethiopia
decreased as its territory was remarkably reduced by the Oromo migration during the second halfof the 16th century. During the reign of Susn:}yos, each person who owned cows paid one cow forevery 10 cows owned every 3 years. This cattle tribute was called Queima by the Jesuits and tiikws
i n Amharic. In an attempt to reconstruct the kingdom, which had been devastated by the Muslims
dw·ing the first half of the 16th century, Gii.lawdewos imposed the tribute during the first half of the1550s. Upon taking the throne in 1667, Yol)ann:}S I abolished the Queima for three reasons. Fust,the burden of the tribute on the peasantry was too heavy. Second, he needed to appease tl1e nobles,
who were displeased with his father Fasiladas's rule. Third, Yol)ann:}S I expected to acquire numerous
heads of cattle from the Agaw. The revenue of the tribute was vast, and it was a principal tribute item.
The Queima was collected at a time when the emperors of the kingdom were fighting the Oromo andthe state revenue was decreasing; revenue from the Queima contributed to the survival of the kingdom
during the period of the Oromo migration. The emperors made not only military and administrativereforms, but also a financial reform, to help ensure the survival of the Christian kingdom.

10

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NOTES(1) Pank.hurst (1984-1985) examined taxation in the Christian kingdom prior to the reign ofMenelik II, andCrummey (2000) studied the gw-alt land-holding system from the 13th to the 20th centuries. NeitheJ;discussed financial reforms during the period of the Oromo migration.

(2) When transliterating G;,':n and Amharic scripts, I have observed Aethiopica: lntematio��al Journal of
Et hio pian Studies. However, 1 have used transcriptions such as Ethiopia, Amhara, Shoa, Tigre, Gojj arn,and Tana, because these are well known.

(3) Sh.imada (1984) investigated the value of cattle and the social and economic importance of the cattle

tribute in northern Cameroon during the colonial period.My analysis owes much to his study.
(4) One must pay close attention to the ethnic and religious biases in Jesuit reports and in the works in G;,'az,which were mainly written by the clergy of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Extended comment on thesebiases is beyond the scope of this paper. I dis cuss the distinctive historiography during the Solomonic

dynasty in another article.

(5) 'This paper cites the chronicles of Ghlawdewos, Susn;�yos, and Yobfum;:,s I. The original texts of the chron­icles are as follows: Chronicle of Giilawdewos (Conzelman 1895): Bodleian Library, MS. Aeth. 29, fols.

43r-54v; British Library MS Or. 821, fols. 116r-145v; Bibliotheque Nationale (Paris), MS Eth. 147,

fols. 95v-117r. Chronicle of Susn;:,yos (Esteves Pereira 1892-1900): Bodleian Library,MS Aeth. 30, fols.
lr-75r. Chronicle ofYo].1ann;:,s I (Guidi 1960-1961 I: 1-55; IT: 1-56): Bibliotheque Narionale (Paris),MSd'Abbadie 167, fols. 1r-27v; Bodleian Library,MS. Aeth. 30, fols. 81v-112r.

(6) 1l1e Short Chronicle consists of genealogy from Adam to Yakuno A.mlak, the founder of the Solomonic

dynasty, and short histories of the emperors of this dynasty. This chronicle, also called rhe AbbreviatedChro nicle, is referred to by scholars as the Short Ch ron icle because its contents are not solely digests of theRoyal Chronicles.

(7) Schleicher's (1893) G;,'az text of the History of the Galla was based on fols. lr-3r of the MS Or. 534
in the British Library. Scholars have criticized its inaccuracy and instead prefer to use a work by Guidi(1961-1962) based on the same original text.

(8) Most Jesuit missionaries in northern Ethiopia were Portuguese.

(9) The spelling and accenting of Portuguese words varied by writer during the 17th century because Portuguese
orthography was not yet firmly established. In this case, Paez and Pais refer to the same person.

(10) 1l1e original teA"tS are as follows: Historia de Ethiopia by Paez: manuscript preserved in the Historical

Archive of the Society of Jesus in Rome, and MS778 of the Arquivo Distrital de Braga. Tractatus tres
historico--geographici by Barradas: manuscript preserved in the Historical Archive of the Society of Jesus in

Rome. Historia de Ethiopia a/ta ou Abassia by Almeida:MS Add. 9861 of the British Library. Itinertirio by
Lobo: MS 813 of the Arquivo Distrital de Braga.

(11) There were many administrative units in the Christian kingdom. 1l1e Jesuits called the larger ones reino(country) and the smaller ones prov{ncia (province). However, scholars call the former province and thelatter district.
(12) 3nnarya, which the Jesuits called Nareli, was situated in the Gibe basin. This kingdom recognized theemperor, ald1ough it was surrounded by the Oromo.

(13) There was no gold mine in Gojjam itself (Beccari 1969V: 35-36). However, Bruce (1790 Ill: 552) re­
pOt·ted that inhabitants of the neigh boring regions brought gold to Goijam.

(14) In thi s case, this word probably means grain.

(15) The reguengo is land that came under the possession of the royal family as a result of conquest or confisca­tion in Portugal.

(16) The History of the Galla is an important source for learning about the Oromo age set system or the

Gada system during the migration period. On the relation between the Gada system and the tuba, see

Mohammed (1994: 9-17) and Asmarom (1973: 90).

(17) Such a political movement was obvious in Shoa, which became the center of the empire of Menelik II(Bmce 1790 Ill: 255-256).
(18) "Captains and soldiers" collected cows for the Queima (Beccari 1969V: 82).

(19) Crist6vao (Christovam) da Garna was the fourth son ofVasco da Gama. He entered nord1em Ethiopia
after a military expedition against Suez. He fought against the Muslim army to relieve the Christian

kingdom, but was captured and killed at the beginning of the reign of Giilawdcwos. Susnayos ordered asearch for his remains because the Jesuits were eager to send them to Portuguese India (Beccari 1969 V:

ISHIKAWA: Queima Cattle Tribute in the Christian Kingdom of Northern Ethiopia

11501-502).
(20) 1his was a Jesuit residence in Tigre.
(21) Northem Ethiopians raised oxen for food in a special manner (Beccari 1969 II: 230; V: 41; Lobo 1971:362), but it was common for them t o eat cow meat.

(22) 1here is only scant information on the tributes in the G�'n chronicles. For example, there is only one
reference to the Queima in the chronicle of Susn�yos: Susn�yos ordered his servant "to brand" when the

period of"takws" arrived (Esteves Pereira 1892-1900 I: 40-41). Clearly, he ordered the collection of cows

for the Queima because this tribute was called takws.

(23) Van Donzel (1979: 89-98) translated this document into English and published it.
(24) Murad reported on the regions along the trade route between the Red Sea and the inland. Other impor­tant provinces of the Christian kingdom such as Dambya and Begam�dr were not included in his list.
(25) Al-Haymi was an ambassador sent by an Imam ofYemeo to Ethiopia in 1647. Van Donzel (1986) pub­lished the English translation of al-Haymi's travel account.
(26) From the mid-1 6th century on, the emperors established their camps aro�md Lake Tana. FasiHidas chose
Gondar as the capital of the kingdom in the fourth year of his reign (Basset 1882: 30; Perruchon 18971898: 363).
(27) Pataca was a generic Portuguese term for silver coin.

(28) MT here refers to the Maria 1heresa dollar. This silver coin was used in Ethiopia up to the mid-20th cen­tury, after it became invalid in Austria. For further details on the use of tllis coin in Ethiopia, see Pankhurst(1979-1980).

(29) The cwzado was a gold coin minted in Portugal. One of Paez's cruzados was equal to one of Almeida's

patacas.

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HIROIG ISHIKAWA: Tokyojogakk.an College, 1105 Tsumma, Machida-shi, Tokyo, 194-0004,]apan.
E-mail.· lfhikawahrk@aol. com