PhD DEFENSE – Fesseha Berhe Gebregergis
PhD DEFENSE
Fesseha Berhe Gebregergis ፍሰሀ በርሀ ገብርገርግስ
Doctoral candidate at Mekelle University (Ethiopia) and at EHESS (School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences – France) will defend his doctoral dissertation in History and Civilizations, entitled:
“The Dobǝᶜa of Northeastern Ethiopia. Palimpsest Persistence of a Frontier Muslim Society and Polity between Christian, Islamic, and Oromo Worlds (12th–19th Centuries).”
Thursday, December 18th 2025, from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Germany time)
at Gotha Centre for Transcultural Studies – Erfurt University.
The defense may also be attended from the library of the French Center of Ethiopian Studies in Addis Ababa (starting 3.30 p.m. Addis Ababa time).
Online attendance will also be possible. A connection link will be provided upon request at davide.ciuffini@sciencespo.fr
Dissertation supervisors:
Wolbert Smidt (Mekelle University) and Vincent Fourniau (EHESS)
Jury members:
– Marie-Laure Derat, CNRS, reviewer.
– Iris Schroeder, Universität Erfurt, reviewer.
– Kelemework Tafere, Frobenius Institut, Goethe Universität Frankfurt, examiner.
– Eloi Ficquet, EHESS, examiner.
– Peter Nadig, Mekelle University, examiner.
– Kiros Gebreyohannis, Mekelle University, guest.
Thesis abstract:
The thesis explores a former distinct society and polity in northern Ethiopia, the Dobǝᶜa, who are no longer viewed as a separate group but still exist, largely unknown to most researchers, in the form of ᶜalyät or descent groups in Rayya (southern Tǝgray and parts of northern Wällo) and beyond, preserving historical memories. The Dobǝᶜa were a population documented for centuries in various sources, demonstrating that they occasionally played a significant role in Ethiopian regional politics. This is why they are frequently referenced in sources on Ethiopian history. However, scholars have yet to understand their identity and their role within regional politics fully. Their origin and linguistic background remain essential topics in contemporary scholarly debates; yet, detailed studies on these topics are still lacking.
The Dobǝᶜa are part of a group of undoubtedly ancient peoples of Ethiopia, but their history remains obscure. By analysing diverse Ethiopian and European sources, including hagiographies, royal chronicles, travel accounts, ajami manuscripts, maps, and secondary materials—including lesser-known local secondary sources—and oral traditions, this PhD thesis project aims to reconstruct the history of this enigmatic people. It employs two approaches: first, it reconstructs the history of the Dobǝᶜa using ethnohistorical methods, rigorously analysing existing sources to assess their usefulness for historical reconstruction; second, it evaluates historical narratives (oral traditions) within a socio-cultural context. The abundance of written sources helps verify the accuracy of current historical narratives among the descendants of the Dobǝᶜa in southern Tǝgray and other parts of the wider region.
OpenEdition vous propose de citer ce billet de la manière suivante :
Secrétaire Scientifique (12 décembre 2025). PhD DEFENSE – Fesseha Berhe Gebregergis. UN ŒIL SUR LA CORNE / AN EYE ON THE HORN. Consulté le 17 janvier 2026 à l’adresse https://doi.org/10.58079/15c78



