How significant were Somali Kingdoms/Sultanates?

[Sultan]

Somali as an identity probably didn't really exist back then though, people identified as their clan or tribe

You are wrong.

Somali identity existed back then but was always overshadowed by clan subdivisions. That is why Somali clans mentioned in Futuhul Habesha went by their clans names ;Gurgura,Hawiye,Geri ,Marehan etc

 

[James Dahl]

Ehh, agree to disagree on that one

 

[Xooshdheere]

We are not mentioned because of anti-Cushitism coupled with Islamophobia. Afro centrists and pan Africans are 99% AA so they look at the continent through that lens. This leads to the worship of Ethiopia and total neglect of the Mali Empire as well as the Somali kingdoms. This is also the source of the obsession with Egypt.

Our history is mostly oral like @Awoowe said but the cities had scribes and scholars. They did write things down and kept records. The problem is, Italians stole a lot of that stuff and the original documents are all in Arabic.

There's a lot of history and papers written in Italian and Arabic that we have to take back.

Spot on sxb, some bantu ooga booga tribes are mentioned by not the powerful Somali Empires.