Abstract

Governance and Administrative Structure of Gondar City
Mulatu Wubneh
Chapter
First Online: 02 January 2023

Part of the Local and Urban Governance book series (LUG)

Abstract

This chapter covers the “Gondarian period,” a period when no less than a dozen emperors and one empress ruled Ethiopia with Gondar as their imperial seat. Many of these rulers left legacies in the form of historic buildings that constitute part of the historic resources of the city. These emperors had to deal with major political and religious problems that shaped the long-term development of the country. After about 130+years of rule, the imperial power in Gondar began to decline, and by 1769, the Zemene Mesafint set in, a period when the imperial power declined, the administration of the country fractured, and the ruler in Gondar was nothing more than a puppet.

In 1855, Emperor Tewodros rose to power and tried to unite the country. The rulers that came after him reinforced the centralization of power in the country. The centralized administrative system and the governance structure were reformed during the Derg and the EPRDF eras; however, their efforts had limited impact as ideology and the lack of resource commitment constrained the drive to reform the administration and governance structure of the country.