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Horn of Africa, Cultural Hegemony and Language: The imposition of Amharic…
Horn of Africa
Relations
Empire
Trade routes:
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It was situated in a strategic location in which it had contact with Africa, The Middle East and Asia which have been known for their trading systems
The Aksum Empire grew from it's trade route in the Red Sea
Tradings with Egypt, Arabia and India brought extreme wealth
Geography
Due to its location, the Horn of Africa has the capability to have a network of cultural exchanges and trades with the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
There's geopolitical dynamics to take into account, given its close proximity to other regions which may take interest in its regional and global powers
Its proximity to these other regions also influenced the Horn of Africa's cultural heritage, making it take on foreign languages, traditions, etc.
Culture
Language: the Horn of Africa carries linguistic diversity. Mission stations in the 19th century coincided with a rapid increase in Tigrinya and Oromo language production. Then Amharic replaced Geez as the official language of the state. Cultural assimilation led to the marginalisation of other languages, such as Tigrinya and Oromo. Theatre was looked at as a "multilingual local".
Literature: various forms of literature contributed to the spread of the Amharic language, such as the first Amharic play. This language started to be viewed as the centre language due to "peripheral" literatures.
Oral traditions: these have been undertaken as Ethiopian "folklore", including things such as praise poetry as well as the "wax and gold" poetic tradition. Theatre negotiated things such as pre-colonial traditions as well as partaking in intercultural experiments.
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- Cultural Hegemony and Language: The imposition of Amharic reflects a form of cultural hegemony, where the language and culture of the colonizer are privileged over indigenous languages and cultures.
- Impact of Colonialism on Literature: The Italian presence did not alter the literary forms or values of Amharic literature. This highlights how colonial powers failed deeply influence local cultures, nevertheless, the aftermath of colonization still perpetuated hierarchies and power dynamics.
- Oral vs. Written Traditions: The study mentions the lack of comparative studies between oral and written traditions. This tension with oral traditions often being marginalized or treated as primitive, is a common theme in post-colonial discourse.
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