Unit notes and practice questions
Everything here is for unit 3 of the Grade 10 History textbook: what the chapter covers, the short notes, practice questions with their answers, and the lesson video where one exists.
The cards filed under this chapter on the Grade 10 History page. Open one at a time.
When you use it
Use when explaining the diplomatic cause of the Battle of Adwa and the conflict between Ethiopia and Italy.
Watch out
The Amharic version stated Ethiopia 'could' use Italian diplomacy (optional), while the Italian text made it 'obligatory', falsely claiming an Italian protectorate.
Drafted from Grade 10 History, pages 45-68, then checked twice before it went up
| Year | Battle | Invading Force | Ethiopian Leader | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1868 | Aroge and Maqdala | Britain (Robert Napier) | Tewodros II | British victory, Tewodros suicide |
| 1875 | Gundat | Egypt (Colonel Arendrup) | Yohannes IV and Ras Alula | Decisive Ethiopian victory |
| 1876 | Gura | Egypt | Yohannes IV | Decisive Ethiopian victory |
| 1887 | Dogali | Italy | Ras Alula Engida | Ethiopian victory |
| 1889 | Metemma | Sudanese Mahdists | Yohannes IV | Yohannes IV died in battle |
| 1896 | Adwa | Italy | Menilek II and Taytu | Historic Ethiopian victory |
When you use it
Use when reviewing 19th century external threats, battle sites, and Ethiopian military leadership.
Watch out
Do not confuse the battle of Gundat (1875) with Gura (1876), both were against Egyptian forces but occurred in successive years.
Drafted from Grade 10 History, pages 45-68, then checked twice before it went up
| Year | Event or Action | Key Figures | Historical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1906 | Tripartite Treaty | Britain, France, Italy | Colonial powers divided Ethiopia into spheres of influence |
| 1907 | First Council of Ministers | Menilek II | Modern institutional structure to prevent succession crisis |
| 1911 to 1916 | Progressive Reforms | Lij Iyasu | Abolished Quragna and Lebashay, established municipal police |
| 1916 | Battle of Sagale | Ras Tafari vs Negus Mikael | Defeat of Mikael, solidified Iyasu's removal and began the Diarchy |
| 1930 | Battle of Anchim | Ras Tafari vs Ras Gugsa Wale | Defeat of conservative rebellion, paved way for Haile Selassie coronation |
When you use it
Use when tracing political developments, administrative reforms, and major internal clashes between 1906 and 1930.
Watch out
The Diarchy was a shared rule between Empress Zawditu (conservative camp) and Ras Tafari (progressive camp), ended only with her death in 1930.
Drafted from Grade 10 History, pages 45-68, then checked twice before it went up
| Phase or Front | Key Battles or Period | Key Figures | Characteristics and Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Front | Amba Aradom, Shire, Maychew (1935-1936) | Ras Kassa, Ras Mulugeta, Ras Seyoum, Ras Emeru | Italians used poison gas and air superiority. Emperor went to exile on May 2, 1936. |
| Southern Front | Ogaden, Sidamo, Bale (1935-1936) | Ras Desta Damtew, Dejjach Nesibu, Dejjach Balcha Safo | Resisted Marshal Graziani. Harar fell shortly after Addis Ababa. |
| First Phase Resistance | 1936 to February 1937 | Ras Desta, Abuna Petros, Abera Kasa | Conventional military battles led by upper-class nobility. Ended with the Graziani Massacre. |
| Second Phase Resistance | February 1937 to May 1941 | Belay Zeleke, Abebe Aregay, Shewareged Gedle | Guerrilla warfare led by lower nobility and Yewust Arbegnoch. Country liberated May 5, 1941. |
When you use it
Use when reviewing the key battle fronts of 1935-1936, the two phases of patriotic resistance, and the 1941 liberation of Ethiopia.
Watch out
The dividing line between the first and second resistance phases was the failed assassination attempt on Graziani and the February 1937 massacre, not the fall of Maychew.
Drafted from Grade 10 History, pages 69-116, then checked twice before it went up
10 multiple-choice questions written against this chapter, each with its answer and the reason. Try one before you open the answer.
Question 1
What was the traditional salt bar used as a medium of exchange in nineteenth-century Ethiopian long-distance trade called?
Answer: A Amole
Why
Salt bars called amole served as a major medium of exchange in nineteenth-century Ethiopia alongside the Maria Theresa Thaler.
Question 2
Which decisive battle fought on 29 June 1853 marked the end of the Zamana Mesafint?
Answer: C Battle of Ayshal
Why
At the Battle of Ayshal, Kassa Hailu defeated Ras Ali II, the last ruler of the Yajju dynasty, which symbolized the end of the Zamana Mesafint.
Question 3
At the Council of Boru Meda in 1878, Emperor Yohannes IV declared which doctrine to be the only official teaching of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church?
Answer: A Tewahdo
Why
Emperor Yohannes IV presided over the Council of Boru Meda in 1878, where Tewahdo was officially declared the only doctrine of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
Question 4
Which Ethiopian general led the army that decisively defeated invading Italian troops at the Battle of Dogali in 1887?
Answer: B Ras Alula Engida
Why
Ras Alula Engida, Emperor Yohannes IV's famous general and right-hand man, defeated the Italian forces at the Battle of Dogali in 1887.
Question 5
In nineteenth-century Ethiopian trade, what name was given to the southwestern Muslim Oromo merchants?
Answer: B Afqala
Why
Southwestern Muslim Oromo merchants were called Afqala, while northern Muslim merchants were known as Jabarti.
Question 6
The fierce Arsi Oromo resistance against Menilek's expansion was finally suppressed in September 1886 at which battle?
Answer: C Battle of Azule
Why
The Arsi resistance was brought to an end by the forces of Ras Darge Sahla Sellasie at the Battle of Azule on 6 September 1886.
Question 7
What was the key difference between the Amharic and Italian versions of Article XVII of the 1889 Treaty of Wuchale?
Answer: A The Italian text made Italian diplomatic mediation obligatory, while the Amharic text made it optional.
Why
The Amharic text stated that Ethiopia could use Italy's good offices in dealing with foreign powers, whereas the Italian text made it mandatory, effectively claiming a protectorate over Ethiopia.
Question 8
Which traditional legal practice of chaining the plaintiff and the accused together was abolished by Lij Iyasu?
Answer: B Quragna
Why
Lij Iyasu abolished the Quragna system, which chained plaintiffs and defendants together, and also banned the lebeshay system of magical thief-catchers.
Question 9
During the Egyptian invasion of Ethiopia in 1875, which invading force was completely destroyed by the Afar people?
Answer: D The force led by Werner Munzinger from Tajura
Why
Werner Munzinger led the Egyptian column that advanced from Tajura in Djibouti, but his entire expedition was destroyed by the Afar.
Question 10
Under the Hewett Treaty of 1884, what action did Ethiopia agree to take that directly triggered conflicts with the Sudanese Mahdists?
Answer: B Facilitating the evacuation of trapped Egyptian soldiers from eastern Sudan
Why
Ethiopia agreed to help evacuate Egyptian troops trapped by the Mahdists in eastern Sudan. This angered the Mahdists and led to violent clashes with Ethiopian forces from 1885 to 1889.
The app holds 12 questions on this unit, marked as you go. These are the first 10.
Unit 3 runs from page 44 to page 80 of the Ministry of Education edition.
Ministry of Education edition, English, 243 pages
Temari turns this chapter into timed practice and marks it as you go, with an AI tutor to explain anything that did not land.
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