HISTORY A Small Proof for How Far West Somali Territory Was

[daljirkadahsoon]

I just stumbled across a source from a European explorer who saw a site that is still told in oral narratives today- a site where Imam Ahmad would tie his horses. The explorer mistakenly refers to Ahmed Guray as Muhammad

It is located in modern day Addis (known to the Oromos as Fin-Finne) and the area is still inhabited by Karrayu (of Karanle descent) and other Somali clans.

 

[Idilinaa]

You don't need to look at random accounts by a random obscure European explorer from 1800s to see how far west Somali inhabited territories stretched.

You can see it clearly from medieval sources, archeological records and cultural accounts from our Ethiopian highland neighbors who we were basically bordering and clashing against. Somalis were pretty much the dominant majority in the horn with a large population spread out over a wide region.

Something @The alchemist has pointed out before:

@Shimbiris see how the late medieval Abyssinians (Habash) considered the camel a regular food among the Muslims for meat, of which we know only Somalis had the camel population to eat that normally. We're shown repeatedly through all relevant indicators that the general Islamic region in the medieval days was inhabited by Somalis.

Thomas Guindeuil, "What do Christians (Not) Eat: Food Taboos and the Ethiopian Christian Communities (13th-18th c.)"(2014): p. 66

Pay attention to how the source said neighboring communities. It means even in the far the Somali periphery, showing that Somalis had a presence deep into Ethiopia, so far that on the margins camel meat was very accessible. It shows one important thing if we are to do a serious analysis.


The Muslims that live in those Habash areas today do not eat camel meat:

View attachment 320193
Éloi Ficquet, "Flesh Soaked In Faith," (2006): p. 45

Lij Iyasu, the emperor of Ethiopia, slaughtered a camel to forge some form of political situation between Muslims. Notably, the camel was chosen for the Muslims. To the Christian Ethiopians, its original ethnic association changed toward a purely religious one, when in fact there is nothing in Islam that is generally camel emphasizing in meat consumption compared to cow, goat, and sheep.

View attachment 320194
Éloi Ficquet, "Flesh Soaked In Faith," (2006): p. 53

Notice the false association between the camel and how important it is for Muslims when it is a tradition of perception by the Christians because of the ethnoreligious association of Somali camel eaters. In their logic from the medieval age: Somalis ate camels --> Somalis were Muslims and the predominant demographic --> thus camel important Muslim diet.

Later they falsely as you see above with an emperor trying to form ties with Muslims by slaughtering a camel for symbolism. I wanted to correct the whole thing but either way, this is important evidence of how even down to the modern era, non-Muslims in the region carried a tradition of their own thinking that camel was an important Islamic meat when it was merely important for Somalis.

The dromedary is the emblematic animal of the lowlands, as he can carry heavy loads (up to 300 kg) over long distances, and can resist high temperatures and lack of water. Dromedary breeding is usually done in association with small livestock (goats or sheep), both of which tolerate full nomadism, unlike cattle which do not. Samantha Kelly, "A Companion to Medieval Ethiopia and Eritrea" (2020): p. 401-2

But lowland pastoralists were of course not the only medieval Ethiopians to tend livestock: highland farmers did as well. The zebu, originally from India and domesticated in antiquity, was a key element of the crop-livestock production system, as a work animal and for its dung that served as fuel and manure. Though poor in milk production, it was also raised for its meat, and the hide was made into leather. Smaller livestock like sheep and goats were also raised for their meat and hides. Sheepskin was often worn as a mantle, while goatskin was the favored material for parchment. Horses and donkeys were used for riding and as load animals. Samantha Kelly, "A Companion to Medieval Ethiopia and Eritrea" (2020): p. 402

Muslim Ethiopians, of course, observed their own food customs, regulations, and rituals, which reinforced the distinctions between these peoples. Dromedary meat, for instance, was eaten exclusively by Muslims: in the early fourteenth century, Ibn Baṭṭūṭa mentioned the massive slaughtering of dromedaries in Zäylaʿ for meat consumption. The Lives of medieval Ethiopian saints also record that captured Christians were urged (and refused) to eat dromedary, as its consumption was understood as synonymous with Muslim identity. Even where meats acceptable to both religions were concerned, the rituals of slaughtering differed, which effectively prevented any commensality between Muslims and Christians as soon as meat was included in the meal. Samantha Kelly, "A Companion to Medieval Ethiopia and Eritrea" (2020): p. 405

The region was originally and majorly inhabited by Somalis. Here is archeological evidence using medieval fauna assemblages that shows the earliest domesticates was the camel. If the first inhabitants were Ethio-Semites that came and inhabited from somewhere central or southern central of northern Ethiopia, no rational claim of camel pastoralism can be made to attribute to them -- an animal we know strictly utilized in the lowlands inhabited only by Somalis and no Semites for its desert and arid adaptation.View attachment 319498

Non-Somalis who came from the highlands and settled in a place pretty farmable like Harlaa (mixed economy region) would not have camel herding as their primary livestock choice when they could easily keep subsisting with the same farming adaptive profile. They would not have camel access without a camel-handling population there, to begin with. Conclusive evidence shows that animal herding was present as the primary mode of economic strategy before any structure was built.

Other forms of ruminants, goats, and cattle were considerably present. This is understandable, given the conditions of the region. Agro-pastoralists will have a mixed subsistence with conditions presenting greener opportunities in somewhat relatively nice arid places, keeping more bovids. Camels become less practical in a more settled environment or, better put, local herding. This is nothing new and is the integral complex configuration of what it means to live as we do, adaptable for multi-form subsistence depending on environmental conditions/pressures. But the fact that the earliest phase sees an increase of camel fossils is evidence of the ethnographic picture of a Somali presence, not a Semitic one.

I am picking the earliest layer that happened to be the time where the major component was the camel, even though camel was used in the other phases but was dominated by other animals, understandably:
View attachment 319499

 

[daljirkadahsoon]

You don't need to look at random accounts by a random obscure European explorer from 1800s to see how far west Somali inhabited territories stretched.

You can see it clearly from medieval sources, archeological records and cultural accounts from our Ethiopian highland neighbors who we were basically bordering and clashing against. Somalis were pretty much the dominant majority in the horn with a large population spread out over a wide region.

Something @The alchemist has pointed out before:

I know! I just found it interesting because I'd not seen it before and I didn't know people preserved such little details in their memory like where he stabled his horses

 

[Zak12]

dominant majority in the horn with a large population spread out over a wide region.

But wasn't the total Somali population by 1900 only a million? The Ethiopian empire already had millions of people way before the 20th century

 

[Idilinaa]

But wasn't the total Somali population by 1900 only a million? The Ethiopian empire already had millions of people way before the 20th century

Yeah thats post medieval collapse population numbers declined and some of the ones included in the Ethopian numbers are assimilated Somalis in the far west.

Ethiopia was less of an empire more of a collection of landlocked rural fiefdoms in the 20th century.

 

[BidaarBoy]

I always thought he went further west than Addis is that not true or?

 

[daljirkadahsoon]

He conquered further West yes. What we're saying is that the Somali inhabited lands were further west than people realise today

 

[BidaarBoy]

Ethiopia was less of an empire more of a collection of landlocked rural fiefdoms in the 20th century.

Semantic brain rot it was an empire

 

[Idilinaa]

He conquered further West yes. What we're saying is that the Somali inhabited lands were further west than people realise today

Semantic brain rot it was an empire

Empires are centralized with a bureaucratic structure and infrastructure. Ethiopia was feudal and decentralized.

Also i wouldn't say that Somalis was far into a territory like Addis either , it is more than likely what @daljirkadahsoon showed is simply the memories of the conquest of Imam Ahmed that remained in that area. It does not have to do with Somali inhabitant, not sure if we were that far west.

As far as i know Somalis inhabited South Showa, Awfat, Awsa and the Harar highlands to the west and Hadiya and Bali in the south-central. Where our population history and remnants still persist.

 

[Zak12]

How accurate would you guys say this map is for galbeed?

 

[Idilinaa]

How accurate would you guys say this map is for galbeed?

View attachment 328333

That's not a map of Galbeed.

It would be interesting if we were going to reconstruct Somali population distrubtion in the medieval times it would look different than our modern perceptions of what these historical locations were.

For example historical Bali is not the same as the current day Bali zone. Bali was far too the North and East of it near the shabelle river.

 

[daljirkadahsoon]

Empires are centralized with a bureaucratic structure and infrastructure. Ethiopia was feudal and decentralized.

Also i wouldn't say that Somalis was far into a territory like Addis either , it is more than likely what @daljirkadahsoon showed is simply the memories of the conquest of Imam Ahmed that remained in that area. It does not have to do with Somali inhabitant, not sure if we were that far west.

As far as i know Somalis inhabited South Showa, Awfat, Awsa and the Harar highlands to the west and Hadiya and Bali in the south-central. Where our population history and remnants still persist.

There are still to this day Somali people and people of Somali descent who own the land around modern Addis and live there from since before the Conquest times.

 

[daljirkadahsoon]

That's not a map of Galbeed.

It would be interesting if we were going to reconstruct Somali population distrubtion in the medieval times it would look different than our modern perceptions of what these historical locations were.

For example historical Bali is not the same as the current day Bali zone. Bali was far too the North and East of it near the shabelle river.

How do you know this? This is very interesting . Please do share I've not seen a serious attempt to map the historic territories.

 

[Idilinaa]

There are still to this day Somali people and people of Somali descent who own the land around modern Addis and live there from since before the Conquest times.

I haven't seen any evidence of that. Can you share with me any sources?

 

[daljirkadahsoon]

I haven't seen any evidence of that. Can you share with me any sources?

This is something I know from people it's not a textbook thing but there might be books that mention it.

 

[Idilinaa]

This is something I know from people it's not a textbook thing but there might be books that mention it.

Tell us more about it when you find any real sources on that .

How do you know this? This is very interesting . Please do share I've not seen a serious attempt to map the historic territories.

About the location of Bali? There are studies that takes a look at it and they take a look closer look at medieval sources and the information they give us to determine it's location among others.

Final conclusion and map of it's location:

 

[Step a side]

Ethiopia's train route, in which it is said the Somalis populate numerous historical areas including Afdem, Mulu, Mieso, Awash, Metehara and Adama (Hadamo or Haadaamo). Somalis were less than 70 miles away from Addis Ababa (known in ancient times as Barara and Finfine) in which Hawiye nomads till this day deliver Meat and Milk to the markets of Addis Ababa.

Hawiye reach all the way from Nazareth to djiboutian towns as reer Babili which was recognised as the oromised Hawiye and also inhabiting the train route from djibouti to dire dawa and addis going past afdam and mieso according to this 1940s piece.

 

[Step a side]

Here is Fardaano (Degodia) counted amongst the native clans of Sidame along with Sexawle.

 

[Idilinaa]

View attachment 328340Ethiopia's train route, in which it is said the Somalis populate numerous historical areas including Afdem, Mulu, Mieso, Awash, Metehara and Adama (Hadamo or Haadaamo). Somalis were less than 70 miles away from Addis Ababa (known in ancient times as Barara and Finfine) in which Hawiye nomads till this day deliver Meat and Milk to the markets of Addis Ababa.

Hawiye reach all the way from Nazareth to djiboutian towns as reer Babili which was recognised as the oromised Hawiye and also inhabiting the train route from djibouti to dire dawa and addis going past afdam and mieso according to this 1940s piece.

Hawiye is just one clan among Somali i don't why you guys are trynna drag them into all directions. And the oromonized Somalis are not just Hawiye,

But yeah that statement isn't entirely wrong a lot of areas was inhabited by Somalis before the Oromo invasions, you can see it in the medieval sources and chronicles.

It does not however mean that those territories belong to us today. The statement by the Liberation Front is clearly advocating for the Oromos under the name Abbo and Wariya who they incorporated into their struggle in effort to librate their territories from the Ethiopian Government. Similar to how Harari's formed group inside the SYL and the Liberation Front.

 

[daljirkadahsoon]

Here is Fardaano (Degodia) counted amongst the native clans of Sidame along with Sexawle.

View attachment 328341

Do we know what Barara means