A short history of Awi Agew horse culture, Northwestern Ethiopia

The Awi Agew is one of the most ancient inhabitants of the northern and central highland plateau of Ethiopia. They occupied most of this plateau until the seventeenth century but have been displaced or absorbed over most of this region by the Semitic-speaking peoples. Horses were probably introduced into Ethiopia from the Nile valley during the second half of the second millennium B.C. As the Agew are one of the early inhabitants of the aforementioned region of Ethiopia, their early introduction with horse breeding and training is noticeable, as they did in the area of early plant domestication. Gradually they learned to breed donkey with horse to produce mule, which is outstanding cultural creativity. Agew Meder (now Awi Zone) in Gojjam is also noted for its horse plow culture and long-aged horse riders association. However, there is no comprehensive study undertaken on the history of Awi Agew horse culture. This paper, based on published and unpublished sources and oral accounts, attempted to fill this gap by exploring the place of ancient Awi Agew people in the breeding and training of horses, investigating the beginning of their horse plow culture and looking into the history of Agew Horse Riders Association.

Automated summary

The Awi Agew people were one of the earliest inhabitants of the northern and central highland plateau of Ethiopia. They had a significant role in horse breeding and training, and their innovative breeding of donkeys and horses to produce mules was notable. The Awi Zone in Gojjam was known for its horse plow culture and long-standing horse riders association. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research on the history of Awi Agew horse culture, which this paper aims to address.