Queima Cattle Tribute in the Christian Kingdom of Northern Ethiopia, with Special Reference to Its Historical Significance

Abstract

The Oromo migrated into the Christian kingdom of northern Ethiopia in the 16th and 17th centuries. Although several studies have examined the military and administrative reforms that occurred during this period, little is known about the kingdom’s financial reforms. I evaluated the historical significance of the Queima cattle tribute imposed during this time and concluded the following. The state revenue of the kingdom decreased during the period of the Oromo migration. Every person who owned cows paid one cow for every ten cows owned every three years during the reign of Susnəyos (r. 1607–1632); this tribute was known as Queima by the Jesuits and täkws in Amharic. Queima was imposed during the first half of the 1550s in an effort to reconstruct the kingdom, which had been devastated by the Muslims during the first half of the 16th century. Yohännəs I (r. 1667–1682) abolished the tribute in 1667 for several reasons, including the heavy burden it placed on the peasantry. Queima was a principal tribute, and the revenue collected from it contributed to the survival of the kingdom.