Pioneers of Change in Ethiopia: The Reformist Intellectuals of the Early Twentieth Century (Eastern African Studies (London, England).)

Ethiopia's political independence, won in part by adaptation to modern forms of warfare at the end of the 19th century, allowed it to control, more than any other contemporary African state, its further economic and political engagement with the West, and to chart for itself its own patterns of modernization . Under Menilek's direction and encouragement a steady stream of Ethiopians was sent around the world to study in many different countries. They returned with the skills of their new education in Europe and America, and at home they began to lay the foundations of a new literature and political philosophy. Intellectuals were not just the servants of the state under Menilek and his successors, but increasingly they were its critics. Their numbers were decimated by the Italian reprisals after the Graziani massacre in 1937; the surviving intellectuals formed the nucleus around which Emperor Hayla-Sallase rebuilt his administration after the Italian defeat in the Second World War. Bahru Zewde, one of the foremost historians of modern Ethiopia, has constructed a collective biography of a remarkable group of men and women in a formative period of their country's history. Bahru Zewde, One Of The Foremost Historians Of Modern Ethiopia, Has Constructed A Collective Biography Of A Remarkable Group Of Men And Women In A Formative Period Of Their Country's History. He Traces Their Influence On The Articulation And Resolution Of Such Central Political Issues As 'the National Question', And The Legacy Of These Reformist Intellectuals On The Revolutionary Intellectuals Of The 1960s And 1970s. It Is A Unique Contribution To The Intellectual History Of Both Modern Ethiopia And Modern Africa.--jacket. Modernization & The Role Of Intellectuals -- The Concept Of Modernization -- East Meets West -- Ethiopian Antecedents -- The Expansion Of Modern Education -- The First Generation -- The Children Of Fortune -- The Proteges Of Emperor Menilek & Ras Makonnen -- The Self-educated -- The Graduates Of Menilek Ii School -- The Second Generation -- The Middle Eastern Transit -- The French-educated -- The Italian-educated -- The British-educated -- The American-educated -- The Catholic Group -- Independence, Efficiency & Equity -- General Perceptions -- Foreigners & Foreign Powers -- Political Economy -- Administrative Efficiency -- Social Justice -- The Expansion Of Knowledge -- Education -- History & Historiography -- Language & Literature -- Social & Political Impact -- The Intellectuals & The Rulers -- Administrative Positions -- Legislative Measures -- Interpreters & Envoys -- Public Dissemination Of Ideas -- Corporate Identity -- The War. Bahru Zewde. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 212-222) And Index. Bahru Zewde, one of the foremost historians of modern Ethiopia, has constructed a collective biography of a remarkable group of men and women in a formative period of their country's history.Ethiopia's political independence, won in part by adaptation to modern forms of warfare at the end of the 19th century, allowed it to control, more than any other contemporary African state, its further economic and political engagement with the West, and to chart for itself its own patterns of modernization. Under Menilek's direction and encouragement a steady stream of Ethiopians was sent around the world to study in many different countries. They returned with the skills of their new education in Europe and America, and at home they began to lay the foundations of a new literature and political philosophy. Intellectuals were not just the servants of the state under Menilekand his successors, but increasingly they were its critics. Their numbers were decimated by the Italian reprisals after the Graziani massacre in 1937; the surviving intellectuals formed the nucleus around which Emperor Hayla-Sallase rebuilt his administration after the Italian defeat in the Second World War. North America: Ohio U Press; Ethiopia: Addis Ababa U Press (PB)