A founding member of the Dervish movement the first agitator against The French Catholic Mission at Berbera. The catalyst of the dervish insurrection. The incident that sparked the Dervish rebellion and the 21 years disturbance according to the council-general James Hayes Sadler was either spread or as he alleged was concocted by Sultan Nur. The incident in question was that of a group of Somali children that were converted to Christianity and adopted by the French Catholic Mission at Berbera in 1899. whether Sultan Nur experienced the incident firsthand or whether he was told of it is not clear but what was known is that he propagated the incident in the Tariiqa at Qoob Fardood on June 1899 causing the religious rebellion that later morphed into the Somali Dervish. F.O.78/5031, Sayyid Mohamad To The Aidagalla, Enclosed Sadler To Salisbury .69, 20 Aug. 1899.
"In Major Hunter's personal opinion the attack on the Berbera livestock by Sultan Nur was instigated by Duale Idris. Duale Idris had relations with Sultan Nur (the most powerful of all the Gerhajis chiefs) which did not tend to our own advantage. Moreover, since Duali Idris had failed to induce me to give Sultan Nur certain exclusive privileges and favourable terms with respect to his own raiding caravans, and others visiting Berbera under his auspices, Sultan Nur was led to believe that the British at Berbera were hostile to him and to his rights and interests. Both Major Hunter and I did all in our power to establish cordial relations with Sultan Nur, but he never became friendly, and always regarded us with suspicion and distrust.
On visiting the Tariiqa on April 1899, Ahmed Aden a local police observed the following:
" I knew many of the people there—some of them were relations of mine. My brother-in-law, Dualeh Aoreb, was there. I asked them if they had any rifles, they said they at first had only six, but had just received fifty-five from Hafoon. I saw two or three of the new lot, they are Martins(new). They told me they had one or two “14-shot rifles.” I saw some Mullahs walking about with Sniders. The Sheikh himself and some of his Mullahs used to practice daily shooting at a target; they put up a shield against a tree. I used to talk with people every day. We talked about many things, some of the words they said were good and others were bad. They called me a Kafir, and laughed at my uniform, saying that I smelt, and asking me why I wore the Sircars clothes. There were hundreds of people there, some from every tribe, Dolbahanta, Habr Toljaala, and Habr Yunis."
"Hargaisa, July 16, 1899. I have already informed your Lordship that the Habr Yunis are divided and that this time last month only the eastern sections of the tribe had so far tribes affected by the Mullah's movement, the western section awaiting the return of Sultan Nur. Nur had called a large meeting of the tribe for the. 22nd instant at Odweina, and I had arranged to have a man present to report what takes place. Yesterday I received letters from Haji Musa, the Head of the Mullah Community of Hahiya, informing me that the westerly sections of the Habr Yunis, including the principal portion of Sultan Nur's own. tribe, the Rer Segullah, together with the Ishak sections, bordering on the Golis, amongst whom I passed, and whose elders I interviewed on my way here had bound themselves together to keep clear of all disturbance. They are said to have told Sultan Nur that they are dependent on Berbera for their supplies, and that they do not intend to get into difficulties with us on his account, and to have told him pointedly that if he does not cease from making strife in the country, and oppressing people by his exactions, he had better clear of, as they would oppose him. If he remained quiet and did not oppose the Government, they would accept him as Sultan, otherwise, they would have nothing to do either with him or with Madar Hirsi. As regards the Mullah, they are said to have declared that they belong to the Kadiriyah sect, that of Haji Musa, of Hahiya, and Sheik Mattar, of Hargaisa, as opposed to the Salihiya.(I Think that's the dervish sufi order) Sultan Nur hastily left these words and is supposed to have repaired to Burao, whence he will probably rejoin the Mullah. The eastern sections of the Habr Yunis are still with the Mullah, but the Position has so far improved that the westerly sections, whose attitude had before been doubtful, are now said to have definitely declared against Sultan Nur and the Mullah. At this point there is now every reason to believe this movement will now stop in its movement westwards, leaving the line of division as reported in my previous dispatch"
James Hayes Sadler: “My present object is to confine this movement, if possible, to the eastern districts and prevent its spreading to the Ishak tribes, and with this view I am now on my way to visit the nearer sections of the Habr Yunis and Habr Gerhajis tribes, who have not yet migrated to the Haud. The behaviour of Sultan Nur, the Sultan of the Habr Yunis, has been anything but satisfactory. He was acknowledged by us as Sultan of his tribe, he draws a stipend from the Protectorate, and to uphold such influence as he has we have kept his rival Madar Hirsi at a distance. Yet he goes out of his way to pay this Mullah a visit at his village, takes him a present of several camel-loads of food, and further accompanies him with a body of his horsemen on his expedition against Mahmood Girad. His object, I believe, is principal to re-establish his authority over his own tribe through the Mullah’s influence; but he could not have been all this time with the Mullah without having been sworn to espouse his cause, and his open siding with the Mullah has naturally had a bad effect with his tribe and shown a bad example to others. I have stopped his stipend pending an explanation of his conduct."
New York Times:
"South of the main cave-well is the considerable tomb of 'Abdullah Hasan senior, well plastered inside and out; it is now said to be empty. Adjoining this on the west is a walled garden with massive gateway and guard-house; the rest of the wall is not more than 5 feet high and plastered. There are still odd bushes and signs of cultivation to be seen, but the comparatively deep well in the middle is dry. To the east lies a row of four tombs. The most northerly is that of one Soldan Nur of the Habr Yunis tribe; the next two, neither being plastered. and the first with the top left unfinished, are those of Hawiya notables whose names my Somalis did not know. The most southerly tomb is that of a man of the Habr Jaalo tribe. The isolated tomb still farther east is that of 'Abdullah Hasan's mother. All the tombs are provided with narrow but very massive wooden doors, swinging about vertical extensions from top and base of one side." Taleh W. A. MacFadyen.
Ducale:
Suldaan Nuur
@oday1kenobi @Duke of Bohol
"In Major Hunter's personal opinion the attack on the Berbera livestock by Sultan Nur was instigated by Duale Idris. Duale Idris had relations with Sultan Nur (the most powerful of all the Gerhajis chiefs) which did not tend to our own advantage. Moreover, since Duali Idris had failed to induce me to give Sultan Nur certain exclusive privileges and favourable terms with respect to his own raiding caravans, and others visiting Berbera under his auspices, Sultan Nur was led to believe that the British at Berbera were hostile to him and to his rights and interests. Both Major Hunter and I did all in our power to establish cordial relations with Sultan Nur, but he never became friendly, and always regarded us with suspicion and distrust.
On visiting the Tariiqa on April 1899, Ahmed Aden a local police observed the following:
" I knew many of the people there—some of them were relations of mine. My brother-in-law, Dualeh Aoreb, was there. I asked them if they had any rifles, they said they at first had only six, but had just received fifty-five from Hafoon. I saw two or three of the new lot, they are Martins(new). They told me they had one or two “14-shot rifles.” I saw some Mullahs walking about with Sniders. The Sheikh himself and some of his Mullahs used to practice daily shooting at a target; they put up a shield against a tree. I used to talk with people every day. We talked about many things, some of the words they said were good and others were bad. They called me a Kafir, and laughed at my uniform, saying that I smelt, and asking me why I wore the Sircars clothes. There were hundreds of people there, some from every tribe, Dolbahanta, Habr Toljaala, and Habr Yunis."
"Hargaisa, July 16, 1899. I have already informed your Lordship that the Habr Yunis are divided and that this time last month only the eastern sections of the tribe had so far tribes affected by the Mullah's movement, the western section awaiting the return of Sultan Nur. Nur had called a large meeting of the tribe for the. 22nd instant at Odweina, and I had arranged to have a man present to report what takes place. Yesterday I received letters from Haji Musa, the Head of the Mullah Community of Hahiya, informing me that the westerly sections of the Habr Yunis, including the principal portion of Sultan Nur's own. tribe, the Rer Segullah, together with the Ishak sections, bordering on the Golis, amongst whom I passed, and whose elders I interviewed on my way here had bound themselves together to keep clear of all disturbance. They are said to have told Sultan Nur that they are dependent on Berbera for their supplies, and that they do not intend to get into difficulties with us on his account, and to have told him pointedly that if he does not cease from making strife in the country, and oppressing people by his exactions, he had better clear of, as they would oppose him. If he remained quiet and did not oppose the Government, they would accept him as Sultan, otherwise, they would have nothing to do either with him or with Madar Hirsi. As regards the Mullah, they are said to have declared that they belong to the Kadiriyah sect, that of Haji Musa, of Hahiya, and Sheik Mattar, of Hargaisa, as opposed to the Salihiya.(I Think that's the dervish sufi order) Sultan Nur hastily left these words and is supposed to have repaired to Burao, whence he will probably rejoin the Mullah. The eastern sections of the Habr Yunis are still with the Mullah, but the Position has so far improved that the westerly sections, whose attitude had before been doubtful, are now said to have definitely declared against Sultan Nur and the Mullah. At this point there is now every reason to believe this movement will now stop in its movement westwards, leaving the line of division as reported in my previous dispatch"
James Hayes Sadler: “My present object is to confine this movement, if possible, to the eastern districts and prevent its spreading to the Ishak tribes, and with this view I am now on my way to visit the nearer sections of the Habr Yunis and Habr Gerhajis tribes, who have not yet migrated to the Haud. The behaviour of Sultan Nur, the Sultan of the Habr Yunis, has been anything but satisfactory. He was acknowledged by us as Sultan of his tribe, he draws a stipend from the Protectorate, and to uphold such influence as he has we have kept his rival Madar Hirsi at a distance. Yet he goes out of his way to pay this Mullah a visit at his village, takes him a present of several camel-loads of food, and further accompanies him with a body of his horsemen on his expedition against Mahmood Girad. His object, I believe, is principal to re-establish his authority over his own tribe through the Mullah’s influence; but he could not have been all this time with the Mullah without having been sworn to espouse his cause, and his open siding with the Mullah has naturally had a bad effect with his tribe and shown a bad example to others. I have stopped his stipend pending an explanation of his conduct."
New York Times:
"South of the main cave-well is the considerable tomb of 'Abdullah Hasan senior, well plastered inside and out; it is now said to be empty. Adjoining this on the west is a walled garden with massive gateway and guard-house; the rest of the wall is not more than 5 feet high and plastered. There are still odd bushes and signs of cultivation to be seen, but the comparatively deep well in the middle is dry. To the east lies a row of four tombs. The most northerly is that of one Soldan Nur of the Habr Yunis tribe; the next two, neither being plastered. and the first with the top left unfinished, are those of Hawiya notables whose names my Somalis did not know. The most southerly tomb is that of a man of the Habr Jaalo tribe. The isolated tomb still farther east is that of 'Abdullah Hasan's mother. All the tombs are provided with narrow but very massive wooden doors, swinging about vertical extensions from top and base of one side." Taleh W. A. MacFadyen.
Ducale:
Suldaan Nuur
@oday1kenobi @Duke of Bohol
