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What is Harla?
Harla were a Hamitic pagan tribe that existed in the Horn of Africa. They would accept Islam through their port Zaila and the sahaba settled in Harla domain after Axum.
When did the Harla exist?
Harla existed probably in ancient antiquity until atleast, the 16th century Adal wars, defeat by a combined portugese, abyssinian army. Harla kingdom was situatede between Harar & Dire Dawa with chinese coins recently found dating back to 13th century
Who were the Harla?
Harari people (speak Harla language (partially assimilated by semites arabs & argobba
Zay people near lake zway (still speak a corrupted harari-harla & assimilated by gura tribes)
Silte people (speak a corrupted Harari-Harla) assimilated by gura tribe)
Reer hamar (reportedly speak a corrupt dialect resembling harla. Assimilated by various tribes persian, arab, somali)
Sheekhal somali clan (claim descent from Harar Arab Sheikh Aw Abadir) (assimilated by somali)
Abdirahman Jabarti, Darod Sub clans Harti, etc inhabiting puntland, ogaden & various other regions (assimilated by somali)
Other Somali clans such as Dir, Issaq, Issa etc all agree that Harla were in the area, they inhabited and intermarried with them.
Other Ethiopian and Eritrean tribes also have connections.
Where were the Harla?
Harla were found throughout the Horn of Africa. Harla territory stretched from Shewa to the edge of puntland including the southern portions such as Mogadishu. Arawelo known in texts as Badit daughter of maya's campaigns helped expand Harla territory to eritrea and ultimately destroy the Axum Empire, which was a pyrrhic victory. Leftover Axumite followers centuries later under the Emperor Amda Seyon were able to regroup and take back Axum and most of the Harla lands but they didn’t bother administrating the eastern and southern front directly, instead Abyssinians wanted tax paid to them.
Imam Mahfuz Emir of Harar and defacto leader of Adal kingdom refused to pay tribute and wanted to raid lost Harla lands in the west. Mahfuz killed Emperor Eskender and his successor Na'od but refused to rule the Habesha, instead remained at Zaila. Mahfuz's refusal could be because of the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) ordering muslims to leave the Habesha alone as long as they don’t bother you.
Emperor Dawit 2 would take the throne and kill Mahfuz, throwing Adal into a civil war. Until Imam Ahmed married Mahfuz's daughter Del Wanbera, and began a conquest to reconquer Ethiopia on behalf of Harla with Somali clans, inorder to avenge Mahfuz's death. After nearly 20 years of occupation, Imam lost a crucial battle against the Portugese and his army booted out of Abyssinia. Emperror Gelawdewos attempted to capture eastern harla-somali lands but was killed near Harar.
Defeated Harla and Adal now faced the newly arrived pagan gala (oromo) tribes and severe drought which would diminish their numbers. The walls constructed in Harar, halted total extinction of the descendants of harla, the harari. The isolated islands of lake zway produced a similar result.
Harla terms
Zay means "coastline" in the Harla language which would be the etymology behind Zayla. The terminology behind Zay people would thus be people of the coast. Harar is also called Gay meaning town in Harla.
Mogadishu or Muq-dish means Humid-ground in Harla,
***if readers can obtain other info on Harla from elders, please share it here.
@Knowthyself @Canuck @Zak Jingo @Thegoodshepherd References available upon request
Harla were a Hamitic pagan tribe that existed in the Horn of Africa. They would accept Islam through their port Zaila and the sahaba settled in Harla domain after Axum.
When did the Harla exist?
Harla existed probably in ancient antiquity until atleast, the 16th century Adal wars, defeat by a combined portugese, abyssinian army. Harla kingdom was situatede between Harar & Dire Dawa with chinese coins recently found dating back to 13th century
Who were the Harla?
Harari people (speak Harla language (partially assimilated by semites arabs & argobba
Zay people near lake zway (still speak a corrupted harari-harla & assimilated by gura tribes)
Silte people (speak a corrupted Harari-Harla) assimilated by gura tribe)
Reer hamar (reportedly speak a corrupt dialect resembling harla. Assimilated by various tribes persian, arab, somali)
Sheekhal somali clan (claim descent from Harar Arab Sheikh Aw Abadir) (assimilated by somali)
Abdirahman Jabarti, Darod Sub clans Harti, etc inhabiting puntland, ogaden & various other regions (assimilated by somali)
Other Somali clans such as Dir, Issaq, Issa etc all agree that Harla were in the area, they inhabited and intermarried with them.
Other Ethiopian and Eritrean tribes also have connections.
Where were the Harla?
Harla were found throughout the Horn of Africa. Harla territory stretched from Shewa to the edge of puntland including the southern portions such as Mogadishu. Arawelo known in texts as Badit daughter of maya's campaigns helped expand Harla territory to eritrea and ultimately destroy the Axum Empire, which was a pyrrhic victory. Leftover Axumite followers centuries later under the Emperor Amda Seyon were able to regroup and take back Axum and most of the Harla lands but they didn’t bother administrating the eastern and southern front directly, instead Abyssinians wanted tax paid to them.
Imam Mahfuz Emir of Harar and defacto leader of Adal kingdom refused to pay tribute and wanted to raid lost Harla lands in the west. Mahfuz killed Emperor Eskender and his successor Na'od but refused to rule the Habesha, instead remained at Zaila. Mahfuz's refusal could be because of the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) ordering muslims to leave the Habesha alone as long as they don’t bother you.
Emperor Dawit 2 would take the throne and kill Mahfuz, throwing Adal into a civil war. Until Imam Ahmed married Mahfuz's daughter Del Wanbera, and began a conquest to reconquer Ethiopia on behalf of Harla with Somali clans, inorder to avenge Mahfuz's death. After nearly 20 years of occupation, Imam lost a crucial battle against the Portugese and his army booted out of Abyssinia. Emperror Gelawdewos attempted to capture eastern harla-somali lands but was killed near Harar.
Defeated Harla and Adal now faced the newly arrived pagan gala (oromo) tribes and severe drought which would diminish their numbers. The walls constructed in Harar, halted total extinction of the descendants of harla, the harari. The isolated islands of lake zway produced a similar result.
Harla terms
Zay means "coastline" in the Harla language which would be the etymology behind Zayla. The terminology behind Zay people would thus be people of the coast. Harar is also called Gay meaning town in Harla.
Mogadishu or Muq-dish means Humid-ground in Harla,
***if readers can obtain other info on Harla from elders, please share it here.
@Knowthyself @Canuck @Zak Jingo @Thegoodshepherd References available upon request
@Cadmus harla are only new to you because you never heard of them but if you did some research it wouldnt be an issue. Harla were mentioned in the futuh al habasha as well as in the 1938 zaila district commissioner's notes 
