The Welqayt (Question)

C.C.R. and John Ellero conducted their scholarship under the Italian colonial and fascist eras. Read their work, and take this under consideration. I believe in reading the works of even my enemies so that reading between the lines some truths may be gleaned. As many of you likely already know, but some may be learning for the first time, the Welqayt Question is one very close to my heart. My maternal grandfather is from there and lived there. His father was the one that was properly ethnically Welqayt (whatever that means), while his mother who raised him was of South Gwender. His father’s side ruled the area for centuries, with a direct descent from their last ancestor on the Solomonic throne Emperor Susnyos. My grandfather gave up his feudal claims to Ajiré (just outside of Dabat), but during the communist era somehow meritocratically became governor of all of Begemder (Gwender), including Welqayt. Having armed his people, and survived an assassination attempt by a communist official, he retired and became an author. In addition to his Amharic memoir and two translations of kings’ chronicles from English to Amharic, he wrote an Opposition Letter to then President Meles in November 1991 (when I was one year old) regarding the blueprint TPLF had released which showed Tigray subsuming Welqayt (and Raya, formerly of Welo not the elite dating service app).