Sultan of Luuq letter to the Italians

[reer_ugaas_hussein]

Letter of Gasaargude Mirifle Sultan of Luuq Ganaane to Vittorio Bottego, leader of the italian Expedition

To the most honored and dear friend Mr. Frengi , God guide you. After the greeting we make you observe that you have crossed lands that are ours. What has been has been; but when you receive this letter, you leave our domains, because we are a free people and more Muslim. You believe that we are afraid of you; but we do not fear you. We are an independent government down to the ancestors, and in our country there are many soldiers who travel for five months. And do you think we are weak? We do not want to make war on you: however, if you do not listen to these speeche, you'll deaö with the full might of our government The country is ours, not yours.
From the Sultans of the land of Luuq large and small , On the 5th of Muharran 1311/ 16. July 1893

 

[Hamzza]

Indeed, the Gasarguda were Dowlad Madax banaan

 

[Som]

Letter of Gasaargude Mirifle Sultan of Luuq Ganaane to Vittorio Bottego, leader of the italian Expedition
View attachment 246856
To the most honored and dear friend Mr. Frengi , God guide you. After the greeting we make you observe that you have crossed lands that are ours. What has been has been; but when you receive this letter, you leave our domains, because we are a free people and more Muslim. You believe that we are afraid of you; but we do not fear you. We are an independent government down to the ancestors, and in our country there are many soldiers who travel for five months. And do you think we are weak? We do not want to make war on you: however, if you do not listen to these speeche, you'll deaö with the full might of our government The country is ours, not yours.
From the Sultans of the land of Luuq large and small , On the 5th of Muharran 1311/ 16. July 1893

Is this in Arabic or somali with Arabic script? What is the source of the translation?

 

[reer_ugaas_hussein]

Is this in Arabic or somali with Arabic script? What is the source of the translation?

It is in arabic and I copied the translation from here https://opil.ouplaw.com/display/10.1093/law:oht/law-oht-182-CTS-212.regGroup.1/law-oht-182-CTS-212

 

[Som]

It is in arabic and I copied the translation from here https://opil.ouplaw.com/display/10.1093/law:oht/law-oht-182-CTS-212.regGroup.1/law-oht-182-CTS-212

Thanks very interesting

 

[abz1991]

Ali Hassan Nuur Gasaargude Sultan of Luuq.

 

[Som]

View attachment 246966

Ali Hassan Nuur Sultan of Luuq.

Isn't this guy the marehan sultan of luuq?

 

[Garaad diinle]

View attachment 246966

Ali Hassan Nuur Gasaargude Sultan of Luuq.

Yeah he even took part in the battle of baardera with the geledi. He was said to be wise, fierce
and formidable in his leadership.

 

[abz1991]

Isn't this guy the marehan sultan of luuq?

There was no Marehan Sultan of Luuq as much as I know. Luuq Sultan was always Gasaargude.

Some Marehans maybe falsely used this picture and due to their attempt to rewrite history claimed him as marehan.

 

[Som]

There was no Marehan Sultan of Luuq as much as I know. Luuq Sultan was always Gasaargude.

Some Marehans maybe falsely used this picture and due to their attempt to rewrite history claimed him as marehan.

Please do you know why the marehan signed a treaty of protectorate with the Italians signed by sultan Ali Hassan?

 

[abz1991]

Please do you know why the marehan signed a treaty of protectorate with the Italians signed by sultan Ali Hassan?
View attachment 247028

Do you have a translation version in English?

 

[reer_ugaas_hussein]

Please do you know why the marehan signed a treaty of protectorate with the Italians signed by sultan Ali Hassan?
View attachment 247028

It doesn't say it that Ali Hasssan Nur is the sultan of the marehan, but the leader of the marehan is called Ismail in this treaty. Look at the second line where it says "siamo inviati da scech Ismail, capo dei Marehan, e da tutte le tribu Marehan cui apparteniamo" which is translated in english "we are sent by sheikh Ismail, chief of the Marehan, and all the Marehan tribes to which we belong"
Ali Hassan Nur is only a signatory of this treaty as he is the Sultan of Luuq and all the tribes in the area like the degodia, aulihan, the other reewin and the marehan acepted his authority.

 

[Som]

I don't think it says that Ali Hasssan Nur is the sultan of the marehan, but the leader of the marehan is called Ismail in this treaty. Look at the second line where it says "siamo inviati da scech Ismail, capo dei Marehan, e da tutte le tribu Marehan cui apparteniamo" which is translated in english "we are sent by sheikh Ismail, chief of the Marehan, and all the Marehan tribes to which we belong"
Ali Hassan Nur is only a signatory of this treaty as he is the Sultan of Luuq and all the tribes in the area like the degodia, aulihan, the other reewin and the marehan acepted his authority.

I understand thanks. Why did Ali Hassan surrender to the Italians though? I've read that in Gedo Raxanweyn were the most hostile tribe to the foreigners but the sultan of luuq accepted the protectorate eventually because he feared the Amhara expansion in Gedo

 

[reer_ugaas_hussein]

I understand thanks. Why did Ali Hassan surrender to the Italians though? I've read that in Gedo Raxanweyn were the most hostile tribe to the foreigners but the sultan of luuq accepted the protectorate eventually because he feared the Amhara expansion in Gedo

It is because of Menelik saw Luuq as a strategic arwa he wanted to control and his ethiopian raiders were able to succesfully raid Ali Hassan's land, the Sultan probably saw being a protectorate of the Italian as a better faith than being under the thumb of the Xabashi. The Italians also promised weapons the Sultan needed as Menelik had a huge arsenal of modern weapons.

 

[Som]

It doesn't say it that Ali Hasssan Nur is the sultan of the marehan, but the leader of the marehan is called Ismail in this treaty. Look at the second line where it says "siamo inviati da scech Ismail, capo dei Marehan, e da tutte le tribu Marehan cui apparteniamo" which is translated in english "we are sent by sheikh Ismail, chief of the Marehan, and all the Marehan tribes to which we belong"
Ali Hassan Nur is only a signatory of this treaty as he is the Sultan of Luuq and all the tribes in the area like the degodia, aulihan, the other reewin and the marehan acepted his authority.

I mean it's weird that the sultan was so hostile to the Italians in this letter and later accepted the protectorate without fighting, actually it seems he asked the Italians to come and rule Luuq by asking an Italian flag, a letter from Italian authorities stating that luuq was italian in order to scare the Ethiopians and prevent their attacks

 

[abz1991]

I mean it's weird that the sultan was so hostile to the Italians in this letter and later accepted the protectorate without fighting, actually it seems he asked the Italians to come and rule Luuq by asking an Italian flag, a letter from Italian authorities stating that luuq was italian in order to scare the Ethiopians and prevent their attacks

He probably accepted after knowing he was over powered. Like the Biimaal in Merka were fighting the Italians for decades but after a while they ended up being forced to submit.

 

[Som]

He probably accepted after knowing he was over powered. Like the Biimaal in Merka were fighting the Italians for decades but after a while they ended up being forced to submit.

Too quick in my opinion. I've read a few things from Bottego (the Italian colonial agent who facilitated the occupation of Gedo and Jubbooyinka) he had a very bad opinion of somalis, he called us cunning evil traitors. He also had a very bad understanding of Somali clans, he said Raxanweyn are more recent arab immigrants while darood are descendants of Arabs who came before them. He even reported an alleged somali oral story that says luuq was founded by Arabs despite no Arabs lives outside the coastal towns in Somalia. Surrending to this ignorant man was a mistake, actually I would have allied with the xabashis against the Europeans if i was the sultan

 

[Hamzza]

Too quick in my opinion. I've read a few things from Bottego (the Italian colonial agent who facilitated the occupation of Gedo and Jubbooyinka) he had a very bad opinion of somalis, he called us cunning evil traitors. He also had a very bad understanding of Somali clans, he said Raxanweyn are more recent arab immigrants while darood are descendants of Arabs who came before them. He even reported an alleged somali oral story that says luuq was founded by Arabs despite no Arabs lives outside the coastal towns in Somalia. Surrending to this ignorant man was a mistake, actually I would have allied with the xabashis against the Europeans if i was the sultan

If he didn't accept the Italian protection, the Amhara would've certainly occupied his town. Ethiopians already attacked and occupied Luuq in 1893 even with Italian protection.

 

[World]

If he didn't accept the Italian protection, the Amhara would've certainly occupied his town. Ethiopians already attacked and occupied Luuq in 1893 even with Italian protection.

Ethiopians can only raid that deep, but they wouldn’t be able to occupy anything that far inside Somalia. Their nearest outpost was in Jigjiga which is 900km from Luuq.

 

[Hamzza]

Ethiopians can only raid that deep, but they wouldn’t be able to occupy anything that far inside Somalia. Their nearest outpost was in Jigjiga which is 900km from Luuq.

They actually occupied Luuq in 1893 according to Italian sources and only left the town after they learned an Italian expedition is coming from the coast. Amharas raided Baydhabo area and Dooy region every year from 1891 to 1901, moreover, the Ethiopian raiding expeditions to southern Somalia were sent from Arsi and Borana regions, not Hararghe.

This is one of the many letters sent by the Abyssinians to the Sultan of Luuq demanding tribute.