kingdom · Horn and East Africa

Kingdom of Jimma

1790 CE – 1932 CE (approx.) · capital Jiren

The richest of the Oromo kingdoms of the Gibe region, famous for its coffee and markets, which kept autonomy within Ethiopia until 1932.

Origins

Jimma, also called Jimma Abba Jifar, emerged around 1790 when Oromo groups in the Gibe valley, who had settled there during the migrations of earlier centuries, formed a monarchy under Abba Magal. It grew by absorbing neighbours, and under Abba Jifar I (r. 1830 to 1855) the dynasty adopted Islam.

Rule and society

The king ruled through appointed governors and officials, a departure from the egalitarian Oromo gadaa system. Jimma's markets, especially at Hirmata near the capital Jiren, traded coffee, ivory, civet, gold and slaves. Abba Jifar II (r. 1878 to 1932) submitted to Menelik II in 1882 and paid tribute in return for internal autonomy.

Decline and legacy

After Abba Jifar II's death in 1932 Haile Selassie ended Jimma's autonomy and made it a province of the Ethiopian Empire. Abba Jifar's palace at Jiren is preserved, and Jimma is now one of Ethiopia's main coffee towns.

Lineage

Kingdom of JimmaEthiopian Empire 1270 CE – 1974 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Jimma. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-jimma
MLA
“Kingdom of Jimma.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-jimma. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Jimma.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-jimma.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Jimma’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-jimma (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻