Benevolent masters and voiceless subjects: slavery and slave trade in southern Wällo (Ethiopia) in the 19th and early 20th centuries

Throughout the 19th century, slavery in Ethiopia, which had existed since antiquity, continued as an institution although half-hearted attempts were made by contemporary rulers to restrict or outlaw slave trade without abolishing slavery itself. Domestic slavery was prevalent throughout the country. In North Central Ethiopia, slaves from peripheral areas acquired through raiding and purchase were employed in manual labor. This article examines the situation of the territory of Wällo by focusing on the established slave markets in the region and the social integration of slaves and their descendants at the local level. It concludes by examining different hypotheses accounting for the virtual absence of organized resistance by slaves.