Did Industrialization In pre-colonial Somalia happen?

[Yeeyi]

Japan, after being almost 300 years of isolation, industrialize rapidly and Egypt (being under ottoman rule) mange to take parts of Somali land due to their industrialization plans. What did the Somali kingdoms/sultanate do to catch up to the rest of the world? Did they just bring in modern arms or did they try to make their entity more suitable for the modern age?
Some examples of industrialization
1. Adopt steam engine
2. Urbanization
3. Introduced western-styled education and import outside knowledge
4. Develop the economy using foreign technology and funding important factories
5. Centralize
6. Develop the military
Since Somali kingdoms/sultanate at that time had so low population numbers, I can’t see that it would have made them a superpower or anything threatening, but at least enough to avoid full on colonialization and lead us on the right track.

 

[Timo Jareer and proud]

Ajuuran did for a bit.

 

[James Dahl]

No to everything, the main issue that brought down the states of old wasn't technological but rather one of state institutions which remained clan based, and therefore decentralizing and unstable.

 

[Yeeyi]

No to everything, the main issue that brought down the states of old wasn't technological but rather one of state institutions which remained clan based, and therefore decentralizing and unstable.

Did they at least try? We know that some of the Somali kingdoms/sultanate knew about certain aspects about industrialization (steam boats, arms). Did the Majeerteen sultanate, Hobyo sultanate or the Issaq sultanates ever do certain aspects of industrialization, and if they did, can you show some examples. Do you know any books or sources online that talks about this?

 

[World]

Industrialization hasn’t even happened yet.

 

[CaliTedesse]

lol a society that looks down on craftsmanship come on

 

[CanIDimo]

Japan, after being almost 300 years of isolation, industrialize rapidly and Egypt (being under ottoman rule) mange to take parts of Somali land due to their industrialization plans. What did the Somali kingdoms/sultanate do to catch up to the rest of the world? Did they just bring in modern arms or did they try to make their entity more suitable for the modern age?
Some examples of industrialization
1. Adopt steam engine
2. Urbanization
3. Introduced western-styled education and import outside knowledge
4. Develop the economy using foreign technology and funding important factories
5. Centralize
6. Develop the military
Since Somali kingdoms/sultanate at that time had so low population numbers, I can’t see that it would have made them a superpower or anything threatening, but at least enough to avoid full on colonialization and lead us on the right track.

arjuran empire had the most extensive architectural legacy in africa and it was the only hydraulic empire in africa pre colonial, wallahi for a retard race, we were a ahead of our times, no other african or arabian empire harnessed water like we did.
we are indeed the superior race

 

[James Dahl]

Industrialization takes a lot of prerequisites, people point to Japan for instance but Japan didn't really start from zero, they had a lot of domestic industries and their industrial development was at an early Renaissance level, which is just short of the industrial age. Japan for instance had their own domestic firearms, industrial metalworking and etc, they only didn't have guns because laws prohibited them to protect the rights and social role of the Samurai.

Somalia's kingdoms were starting out the 19th century with a lot less to work with, they didn't have hundreds of years of early industry, and were still importing guns and steel in the 19th century and had no domestic industries that could be leveraged into entering the industrial age. This by itself is not fatal, two countries managed by extraordinary effort and sacrifice to build up an industrial base from nothing without colonial conquest and retain their independence, those being Thailand and Ethiopia. Somalia had another larger issue however and that is the institutions were not well suited for a centralized modern state, but remained and remain largely feudal and based on clan loyalty and family ties. Large states with many clans meant unstable states and the bigger they got the more effort they needed to use to keep their clans in line, and those efforts are efforts not being used to resist colonialism or develop industry.