Nation of Jeberti
WHAT THE BOOKS SAYS ABOUT JEBERTI.
Islam numbers 72,000 adherents on the Eritrean Plateau. It is represented by
two ethnic bodies: first, the Mohammedan, Saho-speaking tribes which live as
immigrants in the Plateau Divisions; secondly, the sect of the JIBERTI
(the" ELECT"), which is settled in small groups throughout the country.
The JIBERTI are ethnically identical with the Coptic inhabitants of the Plateau,
and speak their language, Tigrinya. They trace their conversion to one
MOHAMMED EL NEGASH, a self-appointed disciple of the Prophet, of
Abyssinian origin, said to have lived at the time of the Hejira. Mohammed EL
NEGASH is buried in the Tigrai near ADDIGRAT, and his tomb has become a
place of pilgrimage for all MOHAMMEDANS of JIBERTI persuasion.
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Copts and Catholics rarely intermarry; Christians
and MOHAMMEDANS HARDLY EVER; but apart from … The Copts and MOHAMMEDANS
communities seems STATIC. Its said that, in the past, certain tribes were
converted from COPTIC Christianity to ISLAM (e.g. the MINIFERI in the
Akele-Guzai) while others exchanged Islam for Coptic Christianity: TODAY,
LARGE-SCALE CONVERSIONS OF EITHER KIND NO LONGER HAPPEN.
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ASMARA TOWN
Of Asmara little need be said except
that its population numbers over 140,000, of which over 100,000 are
non-Europeans of diverse descent and race. The majority of the native
inhabitants of Asmara are Eritreans Copts (about 70,000), but there are also,
many Eritrean MOHAMMEDANS, SAHO and JIBERTI origin (over 25,000), and a few
Catholics of Ethiopian Rite (1900); there are finally, considerable sections of
non-Eritrean descent, above all. Ethiopians, Sudanese and Yemeni Arabs. Their
professions are of the great diversity typical of large towns.
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The district of Dekki Teshim includes two suburbs of Asmara
Godaif and Gajjiret. The two most important villages in the rural part of the
district are Addi Sogdo, the capital of the district, and Tsada Kristian. Dekki
Teshim is a rich agricultural district, though it had to cede much of its
fertile land to the township of Asmara.
Many of the people in the districts,
too, seek their live hood in the town. With the exception of a few JIBERTI
MOHAMMEDANS and a small group of Protestant convert of Swedish Mission, the
population is COPTIC.
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MINABE ZERAI. The
majority of the people are Coptic Christians; there are also small groups of
MOHAMMEDANS and CATHOLICS.
DEMBEZAN. The large majority of
the people are Copts, though there is the usual admixture of MOHAMMEDANS
and CATHOLICS.
AD TEKLEZAN. A Quarter of the population is
MOHAMMEDAN, of JIBERTI persuasion; the rest are Copts, though there are a
few CATHOLICS.
KARNESHIM. Karneshim North has a small
Mohammedans minority.
ANSEBA. With exception of small
Moslem minority, the people are Copts.
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In pre-Italian times, Adi Ugri was a small village, situated on
the hill now occupied by Italian fort. In 1894, the modern town was founded, as
a military and administrative centre, and the old village was moved to its
present site. Adi Ugri is to day an important market town, with population of
2200, half COPT and half MOHAMMEDAN. Among the MOHAMMEDANS, there are men of
JIBERTI extraction,
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The main villages are ARREZA (the
chief’s village). ADDEBAI, TSADA ADI, ADI AHSA, MELAD MANTE (with a MOHAMMEDANS
POPULATION).
ZAID AKOLOM. A large and moderately fertile district,
with a scattered population (5000). It has one large village, TUKUL. A few
MOHAMMEDANS live in the small village of ADI KENTIB;
ANAGIR. The
people number 2000 and are in roughly equal proportion COPTS and MOHAMMEDANS.
The COPTS are of diverse descent, the MOHAMMEDANS are of JEBERTI and
ASSAORTA extraction.
The district has only one large village, ABI ADI,
which is ALL MOHAMMEDAN. This small but rich district formed in Ethiopian times
the…
TSELLIMA. Borders on the LOGGO CHWA district in the HAMASIEN,
and formed up to the time of the Italian occupation part of that Division and
district. The people (numbering 12,000) claim common descent with those of LOGGO
CHWA in the HAMASIEN and LOGGO SARDA in the Akele-Guzai, and also follow the law
of logo Chwa. By religion, they are COPTS, but there is a considerable group of
recently converted PROTESTANTS, and numerous JIBERTI MOHAMMEDANS of
Tigrai extraction live in several villages. Many of these Mohammedans recently
emigrated to Asmara and the west for lack of land. For though very
fertile,
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DOBUB. The population, 5000
strong, is of same descent as that of the district GUHCHA. The majority
of the people are COPTS, there are also three MOHAMMEDAN villages peopled by
JIBERTI and ASSAORTA.
DEMBELAS. The district lies in
the dry and barren northwest corner of the corner of the country on the AGORDAT
border. It is rich in livestock, but poor in agricultural land. Like the people
of Liban, another district bordering on Agordat, the people of Dembelas
cultivate across the frontier and claim resti rights in that area. The
Population numbers 6,600 and is largely COPTIC; JIBERTI and ASSAORTA form
a small MOHAMMEDAN minority. The main villages are Adi Tsetser (the residence of
the Chief), Kennan Koba, and Mai Mefalis.
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TERAIMNI. (Population1800) was gulti of GODEFELASSE,
peopled by dependents of Enda Asgodom. Among them are a few MOHAMMEDANS,
descendants of the people of SENAFE
MAI TSADA. This names
comprised originally three territories, which are today independent districts
the MAI TSADA. Enda AZMACH OGBIT and DEKKI BOKRI. The people in all three
districts are akin, descended from ADKEME and MELEGA…. The majority of the
people are COPTS; there is a MOHAMMEDANS minority as well as a group of
Catholics of Ethiopian Rite.
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AILA. A
small district, bordering on Kohain, with only six villages and a population of
1100. The majority are Copts, and there are a few JIBERTI
MOHAMMEDANS
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ADI CAIEH. (in vernacular
ADD GHAYER), originally a small village, became the administrative centre and a
modern township in 1892. With its foundation. TOKONDA lost its former
importance, though it still remains the official residence of the Chief. Like
all towns, ADI CAIEH has a heterogeneous population, composed of COPTS and
CATHOLICS, MOHAMMEDANS of JIBERTI persuasion, ASSAORTA tribesmen
and ARABS from YEMEN and HADRAMOUT.
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METS’HE. The people of Mets’he are largely Copts,
though there is a small Catholic settlement at BIRKITO, and a very old colony
of JIBERTI MOHAMMEDAN at COATIT.
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SAGANEITI. In Saganeiti there also a few JIBERTI
MOHAMMEDANS.
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ADI GULTI. The majority
are Copts; The MOHAMMEDAN minority, of JIBERTI sect, has given the
district its hereditary chiefs. The main settlements are BARAKIT (the residence
of the chief). BIHAT, ADDI ATAL and EGRI MANDA:
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COLONIA CATTOLICA. The population numbers only 700, and
includes a few families of COPTS and MOHAMMEDANS, which live as "guest" in the
CATHOLIC colony.
DEBBAR ISLAM. Another "autonomous village". It
lies on the hill north of AKRAN, and its barren lands stretch to the west, to
the ETHIOPIAN border. The population, 250 in number, is MOHAMMEDAN, of
JIBERTI persuasion. IN THE TIME OF EMPEROR JOHN, THE PEOPLE WERE FORCED
TO ADOPT COPTIC CHRISTIANITY, BUT AFTER THE ITALIAN OCCUPATION, THEY REVERTED TO
OLD FAITH. AT THAT TIME, TOO, DEBBAR ISLAM ("HILL of the MOHAMMEDANS") was
made autonomous under its own chief
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