COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES SCHOOL OF HISTORY AND HERITAGE MANAGEMENT POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM DIRECTORATE

Abstract

he current Kacha Bira woreda has underwent immense historical transformation—political, social, and economical. However, little is known about these historical accounts of the feudal Emperor Haile Sellassie I and Derg regimes. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the historical development (1941 to 1991) of the Woreda with a focus on the political, social, and economic dimensions. Based on a collection of sources from national archives, written and oral, some major happenings in the Woredas occurrences have been fully discussed. Following the Italian takeover of Ethiopia in 1936, the political and socioeconomic structure of Kacha-Bira Woreda underwent a significant transformation. It is believed that the Italian occupation, which lasted from 1936 to 1941, served as a catalyst for the creation of Kacha- Bira Woreda. The restoration of Emperor Haile Sellassie I to power in 1941 contributed forLand ownership patterns might have shifted, with the introduction of new taxation systems. Economic changes aimed to abolish corvee labor, yet peasants still faced heavy taxes, including church tithe and education fees. Forceful conversion to Orthodox Christianity was imposed, seen as undermining traditional religious and cultural values, strengthening resistance against feudal oppression.After the fall of the feudal regime, significant political and socio-economic developments also occurred in the woreda. Despite some negative effects on the society, socialist Derg regime has made structural transformation such as distribution of the feudal and bourgeoisie's lands to poor peasants and establishment of cooperative workers associations and peasant associations to improve the lives of peasants. As a result, after the advent of the socialist-militarist Derg rule in 1974, the majority of the residents of the woreda had enjoyed an increase in their quality of life.