Book Review: ‘Once Upon a Time in Ethiopia’

2026-01-28 - 18:52

Garbis Korajian’s autobiography is not only an engaging memoir, but an important commentary on a microcosm of society in Ethiopia during the mid 20th century. The subject of Ethio-Armenians is an ever-romantic one. Many people have now heard of the Arba Lijoch, “The Forty Children” (or orphans) brought to Ethiopia by Negus Teferi (later Emperor Haile Selassie) in the 1920s to form a marching band. These Armenian orphans have achieved almost mythical status in Armenian diaspora folklore and in modern Ethiopian history as ‘the first marching band under the leadership of their maestro, Kevork Nalbandian.’ But what of the Armenians who were already established in Ethiopia — those who came one at a time from remote corners of the Ottoman Empire, the British Empire and Persia? People like Korajian’s great-grandfather, Boghos Markarian, who appeared in Adwa in 1866 and became indispensable to the regnant king and later to the king of Shoa (later to be crowned Emperor Menelik II). Or Sarkis Terzian, who turned up in the 1880s and was instrumental in procuring arms for the Emperor’s impending war against the Italians — a decisive victory for Ethiopia over the colonially ambitious Italians at the Battle of Adwa on March 1, 1896. Or what about the many Armenian individuals who helped Emperor Menelik, and later Emperor Haile Selassie, in forging ahead with the modernization of their feudal country, establishing European systems of governance, taxation, municipal administration and policing? What is their legacy? Only vestiges remain. Those who have heard of Ethio-Armenians, or rather Armenians of Ethiopia, are often under the impression that they constituted a very large, powerful, privileged and incredibly rich community in the many thousands. But the truth is that the Armenians of Ethiopia never numbered more than 1,200 souls — and that was in the years just after the First World War to the Second World War. Many had found refuge in Ethiopia while escaping the atrocities perpetrated against them in their homeland: the Ottoman Empire. These weary people tried to replicate their lives in the welcoming, Christian country and did their utmost to live useful and industrious lives. When the Italians invaded and occupied Ethiopia in 1935, many Armenians could not face living under their tyrannical rule, which reminded them so much of what they had escaped. Many uprooted themselves for safety, dispersing once again — some as far afield as Argentina. Korajian very interestingly sets out what effect the Italian occupation had on the remaining Armenians. Even though almost all had been loyal to Ethiopia and Ethiopians, they were hitherto looked on with suspicion, due to the color of their skin. They never regained the trust that they had previously enjoyed. Korajian describes events from that point onwards which illustrate the difficulties Armenians faced. The December 1960 coup d’état, which took place while Emperor Selassie was out of the country, was the second tolling of the death knell for the community. For when the Emperor returned and triumphed over the coup instigators, he promised modernization and a policy of ‘Ethiopia for Ethiopians.’ This meant that many Armenians were thrown out of government jobs and, in the private sector, employers were compelled to favor Ethiopians. So, many of the youth and families who had relied on such employment had no choice but to leave the country or become destitute. Korajian has the advantage of being able to tell his story from an almost unique perspective. His grandfather had been a trusted advisor to Haile Selassie, his grandmother was a lady of mixed race and his father and mother insisted on giving him an Armenian and Ethiopian education. He lived in a large compound with many of his relatives, together with their extended families and staff. He went to university in Ethiopia. He lived through the painful and terrifying Derg years, walking the tightrope of being a white Ethiopian. He is able to describe in detail the perils he faced and his final successful escape — a story worthy of being made into a film. This timely book debunks some of the myths which paint a rosy picture of what it meant to be an Armenian in Ethiopia. However much they loved the country, however loyally they served their Emperor, however diligently they worked, ultimately, they were not wanted. The final toll of the bell was the advent of the brutal Derg regime in 1974, which led to the near-total dispersal of this once tiny but vibrant community.