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A History of Addis Ababa from Its Foundation in 1886 to 1910 Peter Garretson Weisbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2000. Pp. xxi, 226; maps. Cloth DM 128.00
Peter Garretson's A History of Addis Ababa from Its Foundation in 1886 to 1910 is a revised Ph.D. dissertation the author completed in 1974. While some of the findings are dated, the publication of this pioneering study of Ethiopia's first permanent capital is a welcome addition to the growing literature on urban studies in Ethiopia. The thesis of the book, stated in the preface, is that Addis Ababa is essentially an indigenous city because its founder, Menelik II of Ethiopia, had no plan to create a capital that would have lasting effects on the future social, economic, political, cultural, and military developments of the country.
Chapter one provides a background to the long history of Ethiopia's roving capitals, particularly those in the kingdom of Shewa during the period preceding the founding of Addis Ababa. Much of this chapter is devoted to the foundation and growth of Addis Ababa with emphasis on the major economic and political developments that led to its consolidation as a major national center for Menelik's incipient empire. The second chapter discusses the organization of the imperial palace and imperial titles and dignitaries, and makes a survey of the population of the city. The last chapter focuses on economic activities such as the operation of long-distance trade and the role of foreign and Ethiopian merchants, including Menelik, his wife Taytu, and the nagadras, or chief of merchants....