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feeling against selling it to someone out- side one's family is exceedingly strong among the Menzes. Those who migrate from Manz retain a deep sentimental attachment to any rest they may happen t o own there, and the claim of some- one who has been away from his family's land even for more than a generation is greatly respected in Manz. This sentiment is expressed in a favourite Manze proverb: Ye Menze rest ba shi amatu / la balabetu; Menz rest (belongs) to its owner until the thousandth year. Menz was also traditionally distinguished for its religious devotion and adherence to fasting, giving it an aire of conservatism. An example of Menz's conservatism is illustrated by the attempted revolt of Mesfin and Merid Biru, but it can not represent the entire Menz, and this must not mislead the reader; two brothers and the sons of one of
Ethiopia's largest landowners. Following the
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These continual contests and their self-interestedness, make them conservative, and they keep what they say. Each individual, or several families being the issue of a great man, build their houses, wherever they find convenient for the sake of their property, or for the purpose of more easily watching their fields. On this account therefore you do not see large villages in Mans [
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that as no strong royal hand is able to govern them, every trifle causes them to be at variance with each other. A little affront or a small matter that happens on account of the boundaries of their fields, raises such animosities between them, that they draw their swords and they keep their words.
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and take away land from
Christians. As proof, the brothers played tape recorded statements of alleged government declarations broadcast over Radio Ethiopia which stated as much. Despite that their effort was doomed, it wasn't until October 1975, that security forces were able to finally track down
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The culture of Menz is further distinguished by its selective emphasis on certain values which are universal in Amhara culture. Chief among these are the values of rest, - Rest, land inherited from a relative, usually father or mother, is an object of the highest respect and devotion in Menz. The
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than other provinces, but were instrumental in shaping the history and culture of the
Ethiopian state during the 19th and 20th centuries. Menz especially is of anthropological interest because the culture of Menz differs in certain respects from the standard culture of the Amhara people. Menz is
221:
to organize a rebellion among peasants in Menz. Although this was not the center of their family's vast landholdings, it was only in Menz that they could obtain peasant support. Because of the area's isolation they could sell to the peasants their own interpretation of the events. They told the
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wrote that the people of Menz "have the character of being brave, quarrelsome, inhospitable, inherently brave, and if they are educated, they can change their behaviour, and they are resilient in nature, and they are born with truth." Krapf continues, observing
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Journals of the Rev. Messrs. Isenberg and Krapf, Missionaries of the Church
Missionary Society, Detailing their proceedings in the kingdom of Shoa, and journeys in other parts of Abyssinia, in the years 1839, 1840, 1841 and
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became birthplaces of a line of rulers which culminated in the Shewan branch of the
Imperial family of Ethiopia. It is for these reasons that Shoans often refer to Menz as "ye Amara mentch',"the source of the
202:]. They do not fight against a common and general enemy, but they give attention to the enemies that they know with evidence, and therefore they say, "We will not fight against the innocents [
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Donald Levine explains that Menz was divided into three parts: Mama Meder in the center; Lalo Meder in the south; and Gera Meder in the north. Further, he defines its boundaries as "the
157:, a leading warlord of Menz, extended his power to the south by conquest, proclaimed himself ruler of Shewa, and defeated all of his rivals. Afterwards Menz, along with
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in the north, and in the east a long chain of mountains which pour forth the waters that drain across Manz and which divide it from the lowlands of
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208:], who do not harm us; but we fight with the proven enemy in the nearby, who ever they are as long as proven to be harmful."
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Mesfin and Merid and kill them. In general, they are the peoples of God, and they trust in God, and they mean what they say.
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166:, with "Menze" having historically been used by southern populations as a catch-all term for all "
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149:. This small province came to form the core of the autonomous Ethiopian state of
137:(who ruled in the early 14th century) as a Muslim province, where it is called "
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This article is about the historic
Ethiopian province. For other uses, see
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known as the "legends home" or in
Amharic, "jegnoch hager". For example,
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254:(pdf) The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 3 June 2008)
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Wax and Gold: Tradition and
Innovation in Ethiopia Culture
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Donald Levine, "On the history and
Culture of Manz",
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174:during the late 19th century Ethiopian imperial
186:Based on discussions with neighboring peoples,
133:came from Menz. Menz is first mentioned in the
124:came to prominence later in the history of the
53:, located inside the boundaries of the modern
100:." This would roughly equate to the modern
293:(London: The British Academy, 1989), p. 80
217:, in January 1975 they slipped away from
267:(Chicago: University Press, 1972), p. 28
370:
65:described Menz as lying "westward" of
69:but between that former province and
291:The Historical Geography of Ethiopia
16:Former province in northern Ethiopia
346:(New York: Africana, 1978), pp. 87f
13:
352:
317:On the History and Culture of Manz
14:
399:
181:
135:Glorious Victories of Amda Seyon
344:Ethiopia: Empire in Revolution
336:
321:
309:
296:
283:
270:
257:
244:
141:", and mentioned again in the
1:
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378:History of the Amhara Region
362:, 9 (Spring, 1964), 204-211.
226:government was dominated by
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252:"Local History in Ethiopia"
10:
404:
360:Journal of Semitic Studies
342:Marina and David Ottaway,
333:, (London, 1843), pp. 301f
115:
18:
106:Gera Midirna Keya Gebriel
63:William Cornwallis Harris
38:
88:rivers in the west, the
230:who would destroy the
210:
110:Mam Midrina Lalo Midir
383:Provinces of Ethiopia
193:
21:Menz (disambiguation)
289:G.W.B. Huntingford,
215:Ethiopian Revolution
188:Johann Ludwig Krapf
263:Donald N. Levine,
222:peasants that the
80:in the south, the
55:Semien Shewa Zone
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307:
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232:Ethiopian Church
143:Royal Chronicles
126:Ethiopian Empire
40:
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353:Further reading
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315:Donald Levine,
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155:Negasi Krestos
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45:) is a former
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182:Local culture
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96:, Gedem, and
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90:Qechene River
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59:Amhara Region
56:
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44:
41:, romanized:
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28:
22:
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304:Wax and Gold
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278:Wax and Gold
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147:Baeda Maryam
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75:
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26:
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219:Addis Ababa
78:Mofar River
71:Marra Biete
47:subdivision
372:Categories
239:References
176:expansions
168:Abyssinian
131:Menelik II
120:The Shewa
306:, pp. 31f
250:Cited in
159:Merhabete
302:Levine,
276:Levine,
172:settlers
139:Manzehel
51:Ethiopia
228:Moslems
116:History
102:woredas
86:Wanchet
57:of the
35:Amharic
164:Amhara
122:Amhara
94:Efrata
82:Adabay
388:Shewa
151:Shewa
98:Qawat
67:Gedem
330:1842
224:Derg
108:and
84:and
43:Mรคnz
31:Manz
27:Menz
205:sic
199:sic
145:of
104:of
49:of
39:แแแ
29:or
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178:.
170:"
153:.
112:.
73:.
61:.
37::
33:(
23:.
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