Arab-Ethiopian War | |||||||||
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Part of Abbasid Colonization of Africa | |||||||||
Abbasid and Ethiopian armies at the Battle of Amhara | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
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Oromo Kingdom | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Caliph Al-Rahim I Ayyob Al-Rajul |
Tasfa Giyorgis Amda Mikael | ||||||||
Strength | |||||||||
235,000 Abbasid troops 22,000 Swahili troops |
200,000 Ethiopian troops 8,000 Oromo troops | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
115,000 Abbasid troops 8,000 Swahili troops |
186,000 Ethiopian troops killed 4,000 Oromo troops killed 14,000 Ethiopians enslaved 4,000 Oromo enslaved 160,000 civilians killed |
The Arab-Ethiopian War was a conflict in East Africa between the Muslim Abbasid Caliphate and the Coptic Empire of Ethiopia. Originally a war of conquest against the last stronghold of Christianity on the continent, the war ultimately spiraled into a much bloodier conflict, ultimately sparking the Humanist movement in the Caliphate. After the war, although Ethiopia was annexed, the Caliphate quickly transitioned to an elective system of government as a result.