page_title: Chewa regiments
section_title: Weapons & Education
hierarchical_section_title: Chewa regiments / Weapons & Education
caption_attribution_description: English: Dejazmach Hailu, governor of Hamasien, armed with a shotel curved sword. Right of him, his attendants carrying his shield and spears. Left of him, soldiers armed with machlock guns. (Description according to Christopher Spring: African Arms and Armour. British Museum Press, London 1993, ISBN 0-7141-2508-3, plate 22
context_page_description: Chewa were the feudal noble warrior class of Ethiopia. Originally recruited and appointed for the Emperor army service, they formed a class of professional soldiers, also known for traditional warriorhood practices and a rich cultural background.
  They were allocated with land grants for their sustainement. Their installation in settlements were instrumental in creating the nucleus of urban centers as well as the land tenure system through Ethiopia and Eritrea. By the early 20th century, scholars could identify 66 villages in Eritrea with a Chewa settlement origin.
context_section_description: The classic weapons of antiquity and medieval Ethiopia where the curved sword (shotel), the spear (tor).
  Distance weaponry such as bows and javelins (armah) were practised.
  Armour, such as coat of mails, was also well known.
  Firearms became more widespread under the reign of Dawit II. Matchlocks, light artillery, being introduced at this period.
  The Chewa acquired proficiency in weapon use from their young age : being trained from their childhood with games such as Akandura (Darts) and Gena (ገና, Field hockey) which figurated combats.
  Hunting (Aden) traditions played an important role in the upbringing of a Chewa warrior. The killings of wild beasts were rewarded by the patron, or Mekwuanint, to whom the Chewa belonged to. An elephant killer would for example hence wear a silver chain around his neck, a gold earring in his right ear. A rhineceros killer would be awarded a cross earring, and a gold chain with silk threads for his neck. Along with these jewellery gifts, prizes of weaponry were also frequent.
caption: Dejazmatch Hailu Teweldemedhin, Tewodros II's shum of Hamasien
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