Government and Administration of the Aksumite Empire – Part 2

The preference of the Aksumite imperial government to administer through pre-existing indigenous rulers was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it promoted the loyalty of subject peoples to the imperial government as they experienced little interference from the central monarchy in the running of their local affairs. On the other hand, it fostered a spirit of independence among the subject peoples, which at times, and particularly during kingship transfers, led to rebellion. After his ascension to the thrown, Emperor Ousanas states that he had to carry out a series of expeditions to re-establish his empire and put it in order again.¹ Emperor Ezana had to assign two of his brothers with the task of quelling the rebellion of some Beja (Bedawit) tribes in what is now the Eastern Sudan.²

Nevertheless, Aksumite rule was overall effective and merits admiration. It not only brought general stability to the region but also allowed it to prosper. This is testified by the presence of a number of urban centers, the development of many indigenous arts and crafts, impressive architecture, vigorous internal and overseas commerce, the minting of currency, and the lack of defensive walls even at Aksum itself. The Persian philosopher and religious leader Mani, who lived from 216 to 274 AD, designated the Aksumite empire as one of the four most important kingdoms of the world along with Persia, Rome, and Sileos (a Chinese or Indian kingdom).³

Besides, mastering populations as varied as the peoples of the Horn of Africa and South and Western Arabia is extremely difficult by any reckoning. Military campaigns had to be undertaken and then a system of administration established in environments which differed from the snowy mountains of the Semien to the hot, dry and salty plains of the Red Sea. The highest areas in the Abyssinian highlands reach over 4000 meters above sea level, and the lowest, in the Afar Triangle, about 100 meters below sea level. Moreover, the region is a land of contrasts not only for its topographic and climatic aspects, but also for the ethnological and sociopsychological traits of its inhabitants.⁴

To make up for the shortcomings of indirect rule, the Aksumite imperial government deployed garrisons in selected locations. In particular, it set up a number of garrison settlements on the Red Sea coast region of Arabia.⁵ The Bahir Negass was made responsible for the transportation and maintenance of troops that were rotated each year to relieve the garrisons deployed there.⁶ He had also the obligation to accommodate and entertain any returning army for two weeks, in order to help them recover from their fatigue. The Aksumite troops posted on the Arabian Peninsula numbered around 40,000 men.⁷

The functions of the Aksumite imperial government included safeguarding peace in the empire, securing trade and commerce, minting currency, undertaking public works (such as maintaining imperial roads and setting up monuments), handling foreign relations, and defending from external aggression. Allegiance to the King of Kings, the payment of periodic tribute, facilitating trade and commerce, promoting peace and order within their respective territories, making military contributions (both in manpower and logistics) when required, and administering their local affairs were duties of the constituents of the Aksumite empire.

The Aksumite empire had a written legal code, a few fragments of which still exist.⁸ But we lack most of its content. As a result, it is impossible to speak of its details.

Reference Notes

1. Munro-Hay, Stuart (1991) Aksum: An African Civilisation of Late Antiquity. Edinburgh University Press: Edinburgh. ↩︎
2. Ibid: pp.224-226. ↩︎
3. Gardner, Iain (1995) The Kephalaia of the Teacher: the Edited Coptic Manichaean Texts in Translation with Commentary. E.J. Brill: Leiden. ↩︎
4. Conti Rossini, Carlo (1928) Storia d’Etiopia: dalle origini all’avvento della dinastia salomonide. Istituto italiano d’arti grafiche: Bergamo. ↩︎
5. Hatke, George (2020) The Aksumites in South Arabia: An African Diaspora of Late Antiquity. In Migration Histories of the Medieval Afroeurasian Transition Zone. pp. 291-326. Brill. ↩︎
6. Abbadie, Arnaud-Michel (1868) Douze ans dans la Haute-Éthiopie (Abyssinie). Tome premier. L. Hachette et ce: Paris. ↩︎
7. Ibid: p.539. ↩︎
8. Munro-Hay (1991) p.148. ↩︎