Haggai Erlich – författare

This is an analytical history of the role Tigrinya-speakers have played and are still playing in the history of Ethiopia and Eritrea, from Tigray's very ancient incipience to the origins of today's tragically fratricidal war. Drawing from his huge corpus of publications on the Horn of Africa, Haggai Erlich sheds new light on major turning-points, as well as patterns of continuity. His history revolves around one key question: what was 'the mysterious magnetism' that held (and still holds) Ethiopia together? Erlich argues that there is an 'Amhara thesis' competing with a 'Tigrayan thesis' on what Ethiopia's political and administrative system should be, and that the region's history has often rotated around the axis of struggle between these two visions. The Tigrayans, though a minority, have had their periods of domination, the last ending in 2018. In between these eras, Tigrayans have been marginalised and weakened, including as the victims of their own internal rivalries, which culminated in the deep and bitter split between 'core' Tigrayans and Tigrayan Eritreans. In the context of today's war, Erlich's insightful book offers an extremely timely introduction to Tigrayan history, and an indispensable key to understanding the roots of Ethiopia's present crisis.

This volume is a comprehensive historical exploration of the Red Sea, a vital maritime route that connects the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. It highlights various pivotal moments and struggles from Aden to Suez, including the conflicts between Islamic powers and European imperialism over the route to India, ultimately leading to Western domination of the oceans. It highlights that the sea remains a theater of global strategy and a site of international trade and security struggles. The book integrates and summarizes relevant studies on the Arab Middle East, Ethiopia, and the Horn of Africa. From biblical times and the medieval struggles for global dominance to the current era of intense international competition along the maritime corridor known as the "Silk Road," it explores this enigmatic waterway. The book illuminates the significance and future importance of the sea's history. It is essential for all researchers interested in maritime borders and Ethiopian and Arab history.