An Ethiopian Empire

ChaosNDiscord

So sometime today I started wondering if it were possible for an Ethiopian Empire that has acquired at least major regional power status survive until the time of about the rise of nationalism and the world wars. Specifically, an Ethiopia that has converted to Ethiopian Orthodox, though the POD could occur prior.

I'd also be willing to run with it still being Axum or Punt (if you go by the theories that Punt was in fact Ethiopia).

My personal idea was an empire that for whatever reason expanded more than it did OTL, setting up trade ports across the Indian Ocean (in OTL they were noted for their learning the monsoon winds and even teaching Roman traders how to navigate them) and quite possibly conquering more of the eastern coast of Africa. This woul give them a greater power base to withstand the eventual Muslim onslaught without completely sapping their strength (maybe). As far as I can see it would be a stretch, but I'd like to keep it from going completely ASB.
 

Riain

Banned
I'm reading about the Crusades at the moment, I'd love an Ethiopian Empire to be in touch with the Kingdom of Jerusalm via the outposts at Aqaba and Pharohs Island. But alas Ethiopia was in a dark age at the time.
 

ChaosNDiscord

Ah, but what if Ethiopia managed to avoid the dark ages? While Europe languishes, Ethiopia could be a center of learning and culture.

Unfortunately I'm not sure what POD would make that happen.
 

Orko

Perhaps have an Ethiopia tha modernised like Japan did IOTL during the 19th century, and then take part in the scramble for Africa, taking all of the horn of Africa, southern Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi, and being able to resist the Europeans.
 

Saepe Fidelis

ChaosNDiscord said:
So sometime today I started wondering if it were possible for an Ethiopian Empire that has acquired at least major regional power status survive until the time of about the rise of nationalism and the world wars. Specifically, an Ethiopia that has converted to Ethiopian Orthodox, though the POD could occur prior.

I'd also be willing to run with it still being Axum or Punt (if you go by the theories that Punt was in fact Ethiopia).

My personal idea was an empire that for whatever reason expanded more than it did OTL, setting up trade ports across the Indian Ocean (in OTL they were noted for their learning the monsoon winds and even teaching Roman traders how to navigate them) and quite possibly conquering more of the eastern coast of Africa. This woul give them a greater power base to withstand the eventual Muslim onslaught without completely sapping their strength (maybe). As far as I can see it would be a stretch, but I'd like to keep it from going completely ASB.
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Didn't that happen eventually? Abyssinia lasted until 1936 and was one of two countries to avoid colonisation. It was Christian and moderately power-it defeated several Italian incursions and fielded a fairly modern army.
The way to make it more powerful would be for the Emperor to align with Britain and modernise agriculture in the early 20th century while reforing the army so that the officer corps had less political power. That way the country's more prosperous and Mengitsu never gets a chance to stir things up.
 

yourworstnightmare

Banned
Orko said:
Perhaps have an Ethiopia tha modernised like Japan did IOTL during the 19th century, and then take part in the scramble for Africa, taking all of the horn of Africa, southern Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi, and being able to resist the Europeans.
Click to expand...
Extremely hard. Ethiopia was acctually reborn during the mid 1800s, after for a long time only been a couple of rivalling petty kingdoms. Ethiopia also consisted of several ethnic groups and religions, and the Amharas had not always an easy time controlling the other groups (and they fought each other too). Also Ethiopian administration was very weak, the emperor's power barely reached the outskirts of Addis Abeba. Oh, and then there was slavery, slave trade and slave raids of course, that flourished even though it was forbidden.
 

ChaosNDiscord

I think honestly it would have to be an early POD. Something to prevent the 'age of princes' when Ethiopia degenerated into a warloard state ala China early 1900s.

Perhaps something so Ethiopia manages to fend of the Muslim invasions more easily (maintaining a strong navy and control over red sea/indian ocean trade) and is thus able to keep contact with Europe and Byzantium. Then it would be less likely to stagnate as it would be exposed to Western European technology and improvements (and Islamic tech too, since Ethiopia for the most part maintained good ties with the islamic world).
 

jmberry

Also, Changing the Times has a TL where Ethiopia becomes a great power in the 19th Century. I don't have a link, and it ends before WWI, but if you dig around the pre-2005 archives you could find it.
 
Tobit

Tobit

I like the idea of Portuguese-Ethiopian alliance, the Portuguese could help the Ethiopians build a fleet and advance their sciences.

Also when the Dutch and English eventually sweep the Portuguese out of the Indian Ocean the Portuguese could strike back from Ethiopia.
 
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