ደግያት ባህታ ሓጎስ/Daggiyat Bahta Hagos

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Childhood

Bahta Ḥagos was born between 1839 and 1850 in Säğänäyti, a town in the historical province of Akkälä Guzay (present-day Debub/Southern region of Eritrea). He was the son of Shum Ḥagos Andu (ሓጐስ ሹም ዓንዱ) and Wäyzäro Wnahu (ወይዘሮ ውናኡ), the daughter of Shum Mosahzgi (ሓጐስ ሞሳዝጊ)2. It’s said that Bahta’s grandfather, Andu Habal, had become wealthy from bringing salt from the lowlands around Massawa3; neither of them was part of the nobility4, however. Bahta’s lineage traced back to the humble house of ʿEgälto, a branch of the Ṣanʿadäglä descent group.

Although he lived his childhood as a peasant, working his father’s land and herding goats and cattle like many highlanders of the time, local tradition recalls that he was renowned from an early age for his courage and strength. One story tells of a traveller passing through Säğänäyti who challenged anyone to a fight; while the other children stayed silent, he alone stepped forward7.

During his late teenage years, Bahta Ḥagos encountered a major challenge when his father, Ḥagos Andu, aligned himself with the Hamasien ruling family of Märäb Mǝllaš, the House of Šäʿazzäga. This alliance was driven by his friendship with the Kantiba of Karnishem (a town in the historical province of Hamasien - present-day Central region of Eritrea), who had been appointed by Ras Ḥaylu of Šäʿazzäga8, and by his hope that supporting Ras Ḥaylu would secure him a similar title in Säğänäyti. However, the šmagles (elders) of Säğänäyti chose instead to back the traditional House of Ḥazzäga, which upheld their democratic system and the independent authority of Akkälä Guzay.

As a result, Ḥagos Andu was condemned to death in a Säğänäyti Bayto session11. The loss of his father at this critical stage undoubtedly left a deep mark on Bahta Ḥagos and may in part explain his later ambitions for power.

The Killing Of Fitawrari Émbayye

The first major event for which Bahta Ḥagos is remembered was his involvement in a dispute with Fitawrari Émbayye, the son of the then-governor of Akkälä Guzay, Arʾaya Śəllase Dəmsu13. This conflict arose as a direct consequence of the excessively harsh taxes imposed by Arʾaya Śəllase Dəmsu after his release from imprisonment in Mäqdäla, where he had been held until Emperor Yohannes IV’s successful rebellion against Tewodros II14.

In October 1875, at Säğänäyti, soldiers of Ras Arʾaya Śəllase Dəmsu attempted to levy taxes on the townspeople. This provoked a clash in which several individuals on both sides were wounded or killed, among them ጓንጉል/Gwangul, the uncle of Bahta Ḥagos. Enraged by his uncle’s death, Bahta intervened and, in the heat of the conflict, killed Fitawrari Émbayye15. Over 20 of Émbayye’s soldiers were killed, while eight men of Säğänäyti were dead16.

Although the death of Fitawrari Émbayye undoubtedly grieved his father, Ras Arʾaya Śəllase Dəmsu, he nevertheless pronounced a verdict of mercy18 towards Bahta Ḥagos and the others involved in his son’s killing. This was likely because of the rather harsh measures Émbayye had inflicted on the Säğänäyti people and the number of lives he had taken or harmed.

Life as a Šafta (Rebel)

In September 187620, Emperor Yohannes IV directed Ras Alula to confront Ras Wäldä Mikaʾel Sälomon of Ḥazzäga and depose him from authority in Märäb Mǝllaš. To carry out this mission, Ras Alula passed through Akkälä Guzay, where he plundered the property of Bahta Ḥagos and his family in Säğänäyti21, famously taking Bahta Ḥagos’s favourite cow. Säğänäyti itself suffered the wrath of Alula22.

Therefore, to avoid further persecution of themselves and the people of Säğänäyti, Bahta Ḥagos and his brothers fled to the Asaorta Saho lands, north-east of Säğänäyti, and eventually settled in the town of Agämäda24. There, they became Šafta from 1876 to 1880. They began amassing loot, including firearms, through the forceful coercion of passing caravans.

However, the Šafta activities seem to have taken a toll on Bahta Ḥagos. Seeking another way to regain control of his homeland Säğänäyti, he clashed with his brother Kahsu, who wanted to keep raiding caravans to stockpile arms for a later, forceful conquest. The dispute escalated, and Bahta told his brother he would either kill him or surrender him to Alula to have him killed. Kahsu replied, “Go and surrender to Alula”. Bahta prayed through the night and, at dawn, killed his brother. The act haunted him for the rest of his life25.

Bahta Ḥagos & The Habab

By 1880, Ras Alula’s lieutenant, Bälatta Gabru, was tasked with expelling Bahta Ḥagos from Akkälä Guzay, a mission he successfully carried out28. Bahta Ḥagos then moved north into the land of the Habab29 (in the Sahel region of Eritrea, northeast of Keren, in today’s Northern Red Sea Region, specifically the Nakfa Sub-zone30). The Habab Käntiba Hamid Hassen granted him refuge from Ras Alula’s pursuit, but even there, he was not safe. Ras Alula repeatedly attacked the Habab, regarding the region as the rightful territory of the Ethiopian Empire. In October 1880, for instance, Alula launched a raid with an army of more than 12,000 men31. Alula eventually withdrew to Šäʿazzäga in Hamasien after Rashid Pasha and Bahta Ḥagos assembled some 7,000 riflemen and prepared to strike from the rear, with the support of their garrison at the fort of Sanhit (at Keren)32.

On 16 January 188235, Ras Alula raided the region around Debre Sina and imposed tribute, which was then delivered to the monastery at Debre Sina (just east of Keren). As his troops withdrew, Bahta Ḥagos and Sängäl, in defiance of the tribute, attacked and looted the monastery, leading to the deaths of several monks36. At the same time, Rashid Pasha ( Egyptian Commander at Massawa) retaliated by burning villages that had paid Alula’s tribute. This cycle of reprisal continued, and in April 1882, Ras Alula returned to Debre Sina to pursue the Habab and suppress their resistance in the area37.

Bahta Ḥagos & The Italians

Historical Background

With the collapse of Egyptian control and influence in Massawa, Senhit, Habab, and the surrounding regions between 1882 and 1885, a power vacuum gradually emerged, soon to be filled by the Italians. Advancing northwards from their colonial foothold at Assab in southern Eritrea, and aided by the Afar Sultan Mohamed Hanfare, the Italians gained momentum. On 25 January 1885, Egypt signed a secret agreement with Italy to withdraw from the historic port of Beilul in southern Eritrea40. The following month, in February 1885, Italian forces under Admiral Caimi occupied the port of Massawa41.

During this period, Akkälä Guzay remained in turmoil, positioned beside the Egyptian and later Italian-controlled coastline. The region became a battleground between these powers and the forces of Emperor Yohannes, particularly those led by Ras Alula. In 188542, for instance, Ras Alula launched a campaign against Catholic missionaries, which undoubtedly affected sections of Akkälä Guzay’s Catholic population.

Around May 1888,46 Däbbäb Ar’aya (2nd son of Ar’aya Ṣəllase Dəmṣu) was appointed governor of Akkälä Guzay by Emperor Yohannes after spending years as a šafta in the region and acting as an ally of the Italians (though he eventually defected47). On 9 March 1889, during the Battle of Metemma, Emperor Yohannes IV and several important nobles, including Ras Ar’aya Ṣəllase Dəmṣu & Däǧǧazmač Gabr Farus (Governor of Akkälä Guzay)48, were killed in the ensuing chaos.

With Italian arms and backing49, Däbbäb Ar’aya rebelled against Ras Mengesha (son of Emperor Yohannes IV and heir). By 3 July 1889, he had encamped at Adwa, and between 17 and 19 July, he reached Mekelle, where soldiers of Ras Alula arrested him50. This set of events left Akkälä Guzay in a state of turbulence, and it was in these circumstances, Bahta Ḥagos entered negotiations with the Italians at Massawa in 1889.

On 2 May 188952, Emperor Menelik II concluded the Treaty of Wuchale with Italy, formally setting the boundary between the Ethiopian Empire and the new colony of Eritrea. The agreement placed Asmara & Halai as the colony’s edge53. Between 2 and 4 August 188954, Italian forces occupied Asmara with the support of Bahta Ḥagos, who protected their flank with three hundred men.

Still unsatisfied with their territorial gains, the Italians pushed further into Seraye and Akkälä Guzay, advancing as far as the Mareb River, regarded as the “natural frontier” of Eritrea. By February 1890, the whole of Akkälä Guzay, including the Shimezana district (bordering Agame), had fallen under Italian control, and Bahta Ḥagos was promoted to Däǧǧazmač of the province55.

Däǧǧazmač Bahta Ḥagos eventually clashed with Däǧǧazmač Sebhat Arigawi56, the provincial ruler of Agame. Their feud was soon halted when Arigawi sought a truce, as the great famine of the 1890s was at its peak. Unlike the Eritrean colony, which could draw some relief from the Italian mainland, the Tigrayans and the rest of Ethiopia had no such support and were severely affected.

By the early 1890s, Däǧǧazmač Bahta Ḥagos had gathered well over 500 troops, with some accounts noting that he possessed more than 2,000 rifles, and had become the most powerful indigenous leader, particularly after the Italians killed Kefla Yasus, the son-in-law of Ras Wäldä Mikaʾel Sälomon57. He also accumulated considerable wealth, with one-tenth of the tax from Akkälä Guzay going into his pockets58, with one source stating he had around 600,000 lira59 (Italian currency pre 2002).

The strength of Bahta’s army was evident when they served as part of the Askari contingent alongside the Italians60 at the Battle of Agordat on 21 December 1893 against the Mahdists, a battle they won despite being heavily outnumbered.

Yet Bahta did not command universal support. Kantiba Metalka of Maratta-Sabana, south of Säğänäyti, famously declared, “I do not know any Bahta here; I do not recognise anyone above me”. This confrontation was eventually defused when the Kantiba’s daughter married Bahta’s eldest son. Bahta’s eldest daughter, Tamnit, later married the son of Kantiba Asmrmon of Maraba, west of Säğänäyti, while his second daughter, Lamlam, married Menelik Sebhatu of Karnishem in Hamasien63. All of these sons-in-law were required to convert to Catholicism.

The Rebellion

In June 1893, the Italians under General Oreste Baratieri disbanded Däǧǧazmač Sebhatu of Karnishem and his army. This incident, combined with the gradual erosion of the indigenous nobility, the loss of native land rights in the colony, and the widespread sexual abuse of women (such as the use of local women in Italian military brothels68), strongly influenced Däǧǧazmač Bahta Ḥagos to rise in rebellion against the Italians69.

On December 14, 189472, a dramatic event unfolded at the residence of Giovanni Sanguinetti, the governor of Säğänäyti. Bahta Ḥagos, accompanied by his brother Sängäl and his son Gabra Madhen, arrived for their usual coffee. However, the visit was a ruse. After finishing their coffee and liquor, Bahta Ḥagos and his associates suddenly grabbed the governor. They threw Sanguinetti to the ground and bound him, with Bahta Ḥagos pinning the governor’s head with his knee73.

Then an interesting dialogue occurred between Batha Hagos & Sanguinetti:

Gabra Mika’el Germu, an intellectual and interpreter serving the Italians, provided additional dialogue attributed to Bahta Ḥagos74…

Bahta Ḥagos and his associates then severed the telegraph lines to Asmara, effectively cutting off all communication between Säğänäyti and the Italian headquarters. Gabra Egzi’abeher, the interpreter for the Italians, was offered assistance to care for his blind mother in Asmara and promised a prestigious title if he would cease aiding the Italians and instead join Bahta’s side75. However, Gabra refused. Enraged by this, Bahta Ḥagos exclaimed the following:

On the night of December 14th 1894, he issued the following proclamation encouraging all those in Akkälä Guzay and in colonial Eritrea in general to rise against the Italians:

However, some remained hesitant and not fully committed, including his brother Sängäl and his son Gäbrämädhén. Which prompted Bahta Ḥagos to lament the following memorable quote76:

There is also a slightly longer version, referencing the arrival of Italians at Assab & Massawa…

The Battle of Halai

On 15 December 1894, General Oreste Baratieri ordered Major Pietro Toselli to march with his askari forces into Akkälä Guzay to suppress Bahta Ḥagos’s rebellion. Toselli reached Säğänäyti on 16 December, where he entered into negotiations with Bahta Ḥagos, who had gathered an army of roughly 2,000 men.

The discussions soon deteriorated, and by 18 December, Toselli commanded his troops to advance into Säğänäyti late in the afternoon. By then, however, Bahta Ḥagos and his forces had already withdrawn north-eastwards to the village of Halay, aiming to secure the stockpile of armaments stored there and take control of the strategically positioned fort.

At the Fort of Halai, around 250 askaris were stationed under the authority of Captain Castellazzi77 & Lieutenants Soliani and Basile78, in a well-defendable position. Bahta Ḥagos sought to negotiate with the Italian commander through two Catholic priests, Abba Kefla Maryam and Abba Takla Haymanot79, but little progress was made. The Italian officer was merely stalling for time, awaiting the arrival of Toselli’s reinforcements from the flank.

Possibly realising this deception on the afternoon of 18 December, at around 1:30 PM80, Bahta Ḥagos gave the order to assault the fort. Despite the defenders’ advantage of firearms and fortifications, Bahta’s men gradually gained ground and appeared on the verge of capturing the fort, as they had surrounded it.

However, before they could prevail, at around 4:45 PM81, Captain Toselli and over 1,200 askaris arrived from the flank and deployed a barrage of artillery.

By 6 PM84, Bahta’s forces were surrounded and were routed, leading to their defeat and the death of Bahta Ḥagos himself, at a place called ዑና ቀራንኤኡ/Una Qarnyehu85, west of Halai near a church86. With 11 askari killed and 22 wounded on the Italian side, and many more on Bahta’s side. Bahta’s brother Sängäl and a smaller contingent escaped southwards to Tigray, where they were given refuge by Ras Mengesha87.