A Socio-Economic History of Däbrä Markos Town: 1936 To 1991

Abstract

The main aim of this study is to reconstract the socio-economic history of Debre Markos town from1936-1991. The study covers the period from the begning of Italian invasion until the removal of the Derg regime. In the period from 1936-1991, the peoples of the town like other towns people of different region observed important socio-economic and political development. The thesis begins with a historical survey of the town by surveying different development from its foundation, the interference of Italian and the reforms that took place after libration of Italian invasion and what kind of reform during the Derg regime, the study focuses to assess different changes and development that the town had gone through especially in socio-economic aspect. I tried to show the major progresses of the town in the fileld of tax begin from collection in kind to currency; the use of political power, exploitation, social domination, land holding and violence. How and when the town achived its basic institutes for the acceleration of both economic and social integration. I also tried to indicate basic socity cultural traditions that implemented in the town. To show the above progress I carefuly utilized archival source,oral informants and published and unpublished documents through crosschecking in the reconstraction of modern socio-economic history of our town. These sources were ablible in DMUCA, NALA, IES and from DMU liberary, Public library of Däbrä Markos and Kenedy liberary of Addis Ababa.