alternatehistory.com
Axumite Civil War
Abyssinia was no stranger to civil wars, with many fought on grounds of religion, border disputes, disputing claims on counties, or petty reasons of any denomination.
This, however, was a war for the sake of the Beta Israel community itself; with many rebellious lords aiming to drive out the Jews from their lands, Prince Yacobe Kassa knew there was only one way he could protect his father’s legacy.
Rallying those still loyal to him and faithful to the Jewish community, he led them in war and proved his talent for war in scoring victory after victory, with the exception of a few defeats – nothing so devastating.
Martial tradition in Axum:
Before the Roman refugees came to Axum, like other Abyssinian tribes, the Axumites practiced a long tradition of fighting with long spears and curved sabres, using small shields made of wicker over a piece of carved wood – nothing as large as the Roman scutum [1].
Like the Abyssinians and the nomadic desert tribes, roman archers, or Sagittarii, favoured the use of the composite bow [2] . Under Roman training, however, Axumite archer volleys were far more efficient and well-executed, often in tandem with officers’ orders. Made with fine wood and using arrowheads of superior steel, Axumite arrows would be renowned as the best ever made in the Horn of Africa.
Axumite armour designs, at first, mostly copied the old Roman designs, including the Lorica segmentata, squamata, and hamata [3], though Axumite smiths would adapt the armour to suit Abyssinia’s harshly hot climate.
These factors, combined with the superior training, formations and more disciplined officers, and a more unified military command, would come to pave the way for Axumite dominance over the rebel lords.
The rebel lords, in comparison, were a motley collection of armies of varying discipline, equipment and sizes, and often mistrusted each other as much as they mistrusted their Jewish overlords. Lacking a unified command, some lords would break away and attempt foolhardy strategies, which often landed them in predictable situations.
And at the end of the civil war, the Jews reigned supreme, fervently of heart that they were destined to be the rulers of Abyssinia.
“We are favoured by God, men!” Prince Yacobe addressed his men, after the battle, “Truly, this is a sign that we are to be the salvation of the Jews of Abyssinia, and possibly all of Africa itself!”
It is rumoured that much wine and food were brought out for celebration that night, and all the Prince’s men would happily sing, dance and make merry without a worry in the world, as if they would never again be plagued by war.
Regardless, Yacobe’s control of Axum would be further solidified, and much of his life would be spent fortifying Axum and building all kinds of infrastructure needed to support a long war – one he felt was inevitable.
No one could ever ignore a prince beginning to grow too powerful for their liking, after all.
The State of the Abyssinian Court:
As one would expect, the entire court was in an uproar over how a measly Jewish state had come to grow so powerful, dominating and ruling over nearly a dozen states and presiding over a prosperous realm and a strong army, one that quickly came to rival the Royal Army.
Because the court and the Christian princes still favoured the Gavelkind type of succession laws, their individual fiefs were too small, and they could muster no real cohesive army against the Axumites.
Yet nonetheless, many agitated for a holy crusade against the ‘heretical’ Jews to cut them down to size, and the King of that time, Nahom Darge Abebaw, was a mere little boy meek and weak before the overbearing courtiers and nobles before him.
When the war was approved, King Nahom could only sit and watch as his beloved Regent Elesbann stamped the documents with his royal seal.
And so the stage was set for a religious war that would decide the fate of Abyssinia itself.
[1] Latin for the Roman shield, a rectangular-shaped one with a dome of metal in the centre and curved inwards towards the wielder.
[2] Composite bows were more expensive to make, but favourable for horse archery, especially in wide open plains and the deserts.
[3] Roman segmented armour, scale armour and mail armour respectively.
A/N: Back with an update. Sorry it took so long.
Axumite Civil War
Abyssinia was no stranger to civil wars, with many fought on grounds of religion, border disputes, disputing claims on counties, or petty reasons of any denomination.
This, however, was a war for the sake of the Beta Israel community itself; with many rebellious lords aiming to drive out the Jews from their lands, Prince Yacobe Kassa knew there was only one way he could protect his father’s legacy.
Rallying those still loyal to him and faithful to the Jewish community, he led them in war and proved his talent for war in scoring victory after victory, with the exception of a few defeats – nothing so devastating.
Martial tradition in Axum:
Before the Roman refugees came to Axum, like other Abyssinian tribes, the Axumites practiced a long tradition of fighting with long spears and curved sabres, using small shields made of wicker over a piece of carved wood – nothing as large as the Roman scutum [1].
Like the Abyssinians and the nomadic desert tribes, roman archers, or Sagittarii, favoured the use of the composite bow [2] . Under Roman training, however, Axumite archer volleys were far more efficient and well-executed, often in tandem with officers’ orders. Made with fine wood and using arrowheads of superior steel, Axumite arrows would be renowned as the best ever made in the Horn of Africa.
Axumite armour designs, at first, mostly copied the old Roman designs, including the Lorica segmentata, squamata, and hamata [3], though Axumite smiths would adapt the armour to suit Abyssinia’s harshly hot climate.
These factors, combined with the superior training, formations and more disciplined officers, and a more unified military command, would come to pave the way for Axumite dominance over the rebel lords.
The rebel lords, in comparison, were a motley collection of armies of varying discipline, equipment and sizes, and often mistrusted each other as much as they mistrusted their Jewish overlords. Lacking a unified command, some lords would break away and attempt foolhardy strategies, which often landed them in predictable situations.
And at the end of the civil war, the Jews reigned supreme, fervently of heart that they were destined to be the rulers of Abyssinia.
“We are favoured by God, men!” Prince Yacobe addressed his men, after the battle, “Truly, this is a sign that we are to be the salvation of the Jews of Abyssinia, and possibly all of Africa itself!”
It is rumoured that much wine and food were brought out for celebration that night, and all the Prince’s men would happily sing, dance and make merry without a worry in the world, as if they would never again be plagued by war.
Regardless, Yacobe’s control of Axum would be further solidified, and much of his life would be spent fortifying Axum and building all kinds of infrastructure needed to support a long war – one he felt was inevitable.
No one could ever ignore a prince beginning to grow too powerful for their liking, after all.
The State of the Abyssinian Court:
As one would expect, the entire court was in an uproar over how a measly Jewish state had come to grow so powerful, dominating and ruling over nearly a dozen states and presiding over a prosperous realm and a strong army, one that quickly came to rival the Royal Army.
Because the court and the Christian princes still favoured the Gavelkind type of succession laws, their individual fiefs were too small, and they could muster no real cohesive army against the Axumites.
Yet nonetheless, many agitated for a holy crusade against the ‘heretical’ Jews to cut them down to size, and the King of that time, Nahom Darge Abebaw, was a mere little boy meek and weak before the overbearing courtiers and nobles before him.
When the war was approved, King Nahom could only sit and watch as his beloved Regent Elesbann stamped the documents with his royal seal.
And so the stage was set for a religious war that would decide the fate of Abyssinia itself.
[1] Latin for the Roman shield, a rectangular-shaped one with a dome of metal in the centre and curved inwards towards the wielder.
[2] Composite bows were more expensive to make, but favourable for horse archery, especially in wide open plains and the deserts.
[3] Roman segmented armour, scale armour and mail armour respectively.
A/N: Back with an update. Sorry it took so long.
- Ebanu8
- Word Count: 740