Kingdom of Gera

The Kingdom of Gera was one of the kingdoms in the Gibe region of Ethiopia that emerged in the 19th century. It shared its northern border with Gumma, its eastern border with Gomma, and was separated from the Kingdom of Kaffa to the south by the Gojeb River. Its capital was called either Chala or Cira.

This former kingdom was located in a basin surrounded with gently undulating hills, although extensive swampland existed in the northern hills. The population of this kingdom was estimated in 1880 to have been between 15,000 and 16,000.¹

Gera is also the location of Mount Ijersa, which is considered sacred to the Oromo. They believe that God will take his seat there at the time of the Last Judgement.²

History

According to Beckingham and Huntingford, there is evidence that the monarchy of Gera existed before the migrations of the Oromo people. However, the older dynasty came to an end with the murder of Tulu Ganje in 1840 by king Oncho of Guma, and a new one founded by Abba Baso.³

The kingdom enjoyed its greatest prosperity under king Abba Magal, who had been converted to Islam by king Abba Jubir of Gumma in 1866, although according to Trimingham a number of his subjects still professed Christianity. On King Abba Magal's death, his wife Genne Fa acted as regent for their son, both of whom became prisoners in Jimma when Gera was conquered by Dejazmach Besha Abua in 1887.⁴

See also

• Rulers of the Giba State of Gera

Notes

1. C.F. Beckingham and G.W.B. Huntingford, Some Records of Ethiopia, 1593-1646 (London: Hakluyt Society, 1954), p. lxxix.
2. G.W.B. Huntingford, The Galla of Ethiopia; the Kingdoms of Kafa and Janjero (London: International African Institute, 1955), p. 82
3. Beckingham and Huntingford, Some Records, p. lxxxv.
4. J. Spencer Trimingham, Islam in Ethiopia (Oxford: Geoffrey Cumberlege for the University Press, 1952), p. 202.