This work introduces an alternative paradigm that claims that the primary industry of imperial Ethiopia has been (and still is) one that has evolved around the Abyssinian national mission vis-a-vis the populations it rules from a point of conquest. Abyssinia, like Catholic Spain in the Americas, carried out a series of 'civilising' missions (Christianising), that has spanned centuries to modern times. Around a theocratic mission evolved a service type industry, the author calls theo-industry. On that basis, the work demonstrates how well-known categories of 'land-tenure', namely, the gult/goolt, the gultenya/gooltenya, the rist, the ristenya, the gabbar and related others are categories of a fiscal system of theo-industry, not of an agrarian system or agrarian industry. It is argued how these rather complex categories belong in the realm of wages and pensions of a service-type industry, not in those of agriculture. By failing to establish the functional link between agriculture and the national mission of the rulers, the scholars of Ethiopian studies have so far been unable to identify this 'elusive' but all-pervasive primary industry of Ethiopia. That in turn, the author argues, has had a rub-off effect in hindering a clear and comprehensive understanding of issues such as poverty and famine. The central topic of this work is the 'identification' of this 'elusive' industry. The study of its evolution, set in historical grounds, of its dynamics and the intricate maze of multi-natured relations is attempted. On this basis, the option of creating an independent (from theo-industry), and more importantly, renewable agricultural industry is proposed as the key to tackling chronic levels of poverty and famine in Ethiopia / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)