HISTORY The ruined stone towns of medieval Somaliland and the empire of Adal (ca. 1415–1577)

[NidarNidar]

Somali mythical figures are honestly pretty intresting. Its pretty clear that female somali rulers used to be a legitimate tradition. Arawello is a clearly preislamic figure. Aw barkhadhle who's an early islamic figure is clearly not a universal figure in the same way she is.

Although hes also intresting to me because his alleged 500 year lifespan is very intresting since extreme supernatural longevity isn't really attached to islamic saints even in oral traditions

I've never heard of his long lifespan.

Something we know about him.

-Sulṭān ʿUmar Dunya-Hawaz claimed him as his 5th ancestor, his dynasty formed in the 13th century, ironically corresponds with the tmcra of T-L208 amongst Cisse, Gadabuursi and Isaaqs.
- Aw Barkhadhle had no known children.
- His mausoleum is managed Eidagale and was repurposed after Islam appeared in the region, it looks to have been converted about 11th century.
-The site has deep historical connection with the old Somali religion, mainly in astronomy and fertility rituals.
- We know Islam spread from the coast and took some time to fully spread into the interior.
-The Walasma claimed ancestry to Aqil ibn Abi Talib, same goes for the majority of Somalis today.

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[Midas]

I've never heard of his long lifespan.

Something we know about him.

-Sulṭān ʿUmar Dunya-Hawaz claimed him as his 5th ancestor, his dynasty formed in the 13th century, ironically corresponds with the tmcra of T-L208 amongst Cisse, Gadabuursi and Isaaqs.
- Aw Barkhadhle had no known children.
- His mausoleum is managed Eidagale and was repurposed after Islam appeared in the region, it looks to have been converted about 11th century.
-The site has deep historical connection with the old Somali religion, mainly in astronomy and fertility rituals.
- We know Islam spread from the coast and took some time to fully spread into the interior.
-The Walasma claimed ancestry to Aqil ibn Abi Talib, same goes for the majority of Somalis today.

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Yeah i read it on Wikipedia. But the aw-barkhakde site is definitely preislamic. I even remebr reading in sade Mire's book about how there used to be wooden statues there. Even the cross that people use to mark on their heads when they made siyaaro to awbarkhadle is like some preislamic cross that had significance in the old relegion.

 

[NidarNidar]

Yeah i read it on Wikipedia. But the aw-barkhakde site is definitely preislamic. I even remebr reading in sade Mire's book about how there used to be wooden statues there. Even the cross that people use to mark on their heads when they made siyaaro to awbarkhadle is like some preislamic cross that had significance in the old relegion.

Read the below pdf as well the The Guiding Sky: Funerary Orientations and Nomadic Movements in Somaliland during Antiquity, astronomy

"indicate Cushitic cultural roots, including local myths about the movement of some
key figures in the heavens, such as the sky-camel possibly associated to the Southern Cross
and the Milky Way (Galaal 2016, 28–29). An underlying Cushitic prevalence is also visible
in the existence of the waadad, a specialist who combines astronomical, astrological and
religious and weather expertise and who plays a fundamental role in decisions related to
the movements of nomads, the use of wells and the management of herds, and who in
many cases acts as a judge in local disputes. Although the figure of the wadaad is currently
associated with Muslim missionaries, it has a pre-Islamic origin (Abdullahi 2001, 65).
A significant part of Somali astronomical lore is related to the management of herds
and the organisation of seasonal movement from the semi-desert coastal plains (Guban)
to the plains in the interior of the Horn (Hawd), crossing the Ogo mountains. Unlike local
religious beliefs, which were progressively and deeply transformed by Islam, the seasonal
movements of nomads in the Horn of Africa are believed to have remained largely the
same for millennia, reflecting the stability of the environment and climate."

View of The Guiding Sky

journal.equinoxpub.com

 

[Midas]

Y

Read the below pdf as well the The Guiding Sky: Funerary Orientations and Nomadic Movements in Somaliland during Antiquity, astronomy

"indicate Cushitic cultural roots, including local myths about the movement of some
key figures in the heavens, such as the sky-camel possibly associated to the Southern Cross
and the Milky Way (Galaal 2016, 28–29). An underlying Cushitic prevalence is also visible
in the existence of the waadad, a specialist who combines astronomical, astrological and
religious and weather expertise and who plays a fundamental role in decisions related to
the movements of nomads, the use of wells and the management of herds, and who in
many cases acts as a judge in local disputes. Although the figure of the wadaad is currently
associated with Muslim missionaries, it has a pre-Islamic origin (Abdullahi 2001, 65).
A significant part of Somali astronomical lore is related to the management of herds
and the organisation of seasonal movement from the semi-desert coastal plains (Guban)
to the plains in the interior of the Horn (Hawd), crossing the Ogo mountains. Unlike local
religious beliefs, which were progressively and deeply transformed by Islam, the seasonal
movements of nomads in the Horn of Africa are believed to have remained largely the
same for millennia, reflecting the stability of the environment and climate."

View of The Guiding Sky

journal.equinoxpub.com

Yeah if we ever do discover any preislamic texs either from inscriptions or manuscript fragments then we'll likely discover a relegion heavily connected to the stars. The relegious/literary texts will likely be in some poem format since that seems to be the core of our indigenous tradition.

 

[Riftvalley]

She was ruling in the 16th century, not the 6th. There is some evidence to show she was also Muslim because the old Mosque of Abasa dates to the same time period as this Queen. Either way she was definitely not 'Oromo'.

I sometimes use the word proto Somali loosely. Definitely doesn't apply here.

There is no evidence of a queen ruling in the area during that time though. Everything just points to the area being part of the Sultanate Barr Saad Diin which later came to be known as Adal. We would have heard of this queen in written sources which are plenty from this period (Xabasha, Arab and other sources). Having Garads elders and Sultans is what all sources and cultural references show. An Islamic Queen in this region in the 16th century does not make any sense at all. Perhaps locals mixed up an ancient pagan Queen with local medieval struggles?Perhaps a female had a prominent role in a conflict like the widow of Ahmad Gurey?

 

[Midas]

Y

Yeah if we ever do discover any preislamic texs either from inscriptions or manuscript fragments then we'll likely discover a relegion heavily connected to the stars. The relegious/literary texts will likely be in some poem format since that seems to be the core of our indigenous tradition.

Wouldn't be wild if we discovered a preislamic somali epic poem.

 

[Riftvalley]

Y

Yeah if we ever do discover any preislamic texs either from inscriptions or manuscript fragments then we'll likely discover a relegion heavily connected to the stars. The relegious/literary texts will likely be in some poem format since that seems to be the core of our indigenous tradition.

One interesting I read from That study on lunar mansions is how some Somalis recited stanzas allegedly sang by Carawelli. If she did exist and the lines were passed down from generation, it could be one of the oldest oral surviving traditions in the world.

 

[NidarNidar]

One interesting I read from That study on lunar mansions is how some Somalis recited stanzas allegedly sang by Carawelli. If she did exist and the lines were passed down from generation, it could be one of the oldest oral surviving traditions in the world.

I've yet to reach that part, I have some catching up to do tonight.

 

[Riftvalley]

I've yet to reach that part, I have some catching up to do tonight.

Yeah it might from that or something else I posted on other topic. Still, crazy to think people could have retained poems and phrases from pre Islamic days.

 

[Barkhadle1520]

C

@NidarNidar

There is only one mistake with the article which refers to Queen Kola of Abasa as an 'Oromo queen'. She was a proto Somali queen. They got thrown off by the word 'Galla'.

Even Jorge the Spanish researcher made the same mistake in his paper called:
The Territory of Abasa (Western Somaliland) during the Medieval Period:



In early Somali, the name gaal was used to refer to the people from the same ethnicity who Islam did not reach or were considered somewhat evil. To prove this point further, there are Gadabursi tombs in Abasa that are very old that date to around the same period Queen Kola died according to Jorge. So she could never have been Oromo but definitely Somali. The term Galla needs more clarification in these studies.

Jorge is referring to this statement on Burton’s trip to Abasa:

View attachment 363018

Can I get the source of this ?

 

[Midas]

One interesting I read from That study on lunar mansions is how some Somalis recited stanzas allegedly sang by Carawelli. If she did exist and the lines were passed down from generation, it could be one of the oldest oral surviving traditions in the world.

Oh yeah I think i remember that. Its honestly wild that such traditions even exist.

Oh there's also the intresting fact that arrawelo is not associated with any clans even though she is a political figure. To me that seems like a sign that she probably wasn't the ruler of some clan but an actual kingdom. It also must have been an incredibly important one considering how shes become so mythologized in somali history.

 

[Emir of Zayla]

Bar Sa’ad ad-Din was an empire in the sense that different kingdoms would come together under a single Sultan who in exchange for taxes would give peace and security, they had certain rights like military autonomy, right to wage war, which feels reminiscent of an the African version of the Holy Roman Empire.

This governmental system could have also governed regions like Bari (Northeast), Mogadishu and the lands of the Jubba River under the central authority of the Awdal Sultan.

Bar Sa’ad ad-Din had various cities, each protected by defensive works and built with urban organization like streets and plenty of religious buildings, each held a major mosque and any various neighborhood mosques while some had oratories. The King of Awdal and his kingdom were Shafi’i while the rest of the kingdoms were all Hanafi.

This text explains that Adal (Bar Sa’ad ad-Din Sultanate) was ruled by Mohammedan (Muslim) princes and great enemies of Abyssinia and Christendom. Apparently the text assumed that the Sultan claimed the authority of Caliph but this could be false.

Cool fun fact, archeologists found evidence of the remains of a Bar Sa’ad ad-Din era town north of Jigjiga in the 1920s. Found with Cyclopean-type stone walls, ruined mosques, and a remains of a town it reminded the archeologists of an old-Carolingian era town with its views.

 

[Riftvalley]

Bar Sa’ad ad-Din was an empire in the sense that different kingdoms would come together under a single Sultan who in exchange for taxes would give peace and security, they had certain rights like military autonomy, right to wage war, which feels reminiscent of an the African version of the Holy Roman Empire.View attachment 363093
This governmental system could have also governed regions like Bari (Northeast), Mogadishu and the lands of the Jubba River under the central authority of the Awdal Sultan.View attachment 363094
Bar Sa’ad ad-Din had various cities, each protected by defensive works and built with urban organization like streets and plenty of religious buildings, each held a major mosque and any various neighborhood mosques while some had oratories. The King of Awdal and his kingdom were Shafi’i while the rest of the kingdoms were all Hanafi.View attachment 363095
This text explains that Adal (Bar Sa’ad ad-Din Sultanate) was ruled by Mohammedan (Muslim) princes and great enemies of Abyssinia and Christendom. Apparently the text assumed that the Sultan claimed the authority of Caliph but this could be false.View attachment 363096
Cool fun fact, archeologists found evidence of the remains of a Bar Sa’ad ad-Din era town north of Jigjiga in the 1920s. Found with Cyclopean-type stone walls, ruined mosques, and a remains of a town it reminded the archeologists of an old-Carolingian era town with its views.View attachment 363097

The fact that the sheikh mentioned in the story was also mentioned in the Futuh shows that it was state funding and merchants linked to the sultanates who were carrying this out. @Idilinaa posted the quote from the Futuh showing prominent people linked to the sultanates carrying out building projects etc.

The archeological sites in “Eastern Ethiopia” and SL, and possibly the Nugaal sites which are yet to be examined, are all linked to wealth and expansion of the sultanate and merchant activity.

 

[Riftvalley]

Oh yeah I think i remember that. Its honestly wild that such traditions even exist.

Oh there's also the intresting fact that arrawelo is not associated with any clans even though she is a political figure. To me that seems like a sign that she probably wasn't the ruler of some clan but an actual kingdom. It also must have been an incredibly important one considering how shes become so mythologized in somali history.

Think she might have been leader of a massive insurgency or a pre Islamic cult. Her alleged burial site in Sanaag is interesting as it would have been a good locality for a counter state or insurgency. All pure speculation though.

 

[Zak12]

Bar Sa’ad ad-Din was an empire in the sense that different kingdoms would come together under a single Sultan who in exchange for taxes would give peace and security, they had certain rights like military autonomy, right to wage war, which feels reminiscent of an the African version of the Holy Roman Empire.View attachment 363093
This governmental system could have also governed regions like Bari (Northeast), Mogadishu and the lands of the Jubba River under the central authority of the Awdal Sultan.View attachment 363094
Bar Sa’ad ad-Din had various cities, each protected by defensive works and built with urban organization like streets and plenty of religious buildings, each held a major mosque and any various neighborhood mosques while some had oratories. The King of Awdal and his kingdom were Shafi’i while the rest of the kingdoms were all Hanafi.View attachment 363095
This text explains that Adal (Bar Sa’ad ad-Din Sultanate) was ruled by Mohammedan (Muslim) princes and great enemies of Abyssinia and Christendom. Apparently the text assumed that the Sultan claimed the authority of Caliph but this could be false.View attachment 363096
Cool fun fact, archeologists found evidence of the remains of a Bar Sa’ad ad-Din era town north of Jigjiga in the 1920s. Found with Cyclopean-type stone walls, ruined mosques, and a remains of a town it reminded the archeologists of an old-Carolingian era town with its views.View attachment 363097

I figured Bar Sa'ad ad-Din was a continuation of the Ifat kingdom but was more powerful and expanded to an even greater area.

 

[Midas]

Think she might have been leader of a massive insurgency or a pre Islamic cult. Her alleged burial site in Sanaag is interesting as it would have been a good locality for a counter state or insurgency. All pure speculation though.

I could definitely see that being the case. Maybe she was both a ruler and a leader of the national cult or something. Since I think the pattern of no regional variation in relegion probably also applied to the preislamic period

 

[Barkhadle1520]

I figured Bar Sa'ad ad-Din was a continuation of the Ifat kingdom but was more powerful and expanded to an even greater area.

That's exactly what it was, an empire centered around what is today Hargeisa, and which ruled lands from Nugaal to Dahlak, even to the Bani amer in sudan

 

[NidarNidar]

Bar Sa’ad ad-Din was an empire in the sense that different kingdoms would come together under a single Sultan who in exchange for taxes would give peace and security, they had certain rights like military autonomy, right to wage war, which feels reminiscent of an the African version of the Holy Roman Empire.View attachment 363093
This governmental system could have also governed regions like Bari (Northeast), Mogadishu and the lands of the Jubba River under the central authority of the Awdal Sultan.View attachment 363094
Bar Sa’ad ad-Din had various cities, each protected by defensive works and built with urban organization like streets and plenty of religious buildings, each held a major mosque and any various neighborhood mosques while some had oratories. The King of Awdal and his kingdom were Shafi’i while the rest of the kingdoms were all Hanafi.View attachment 363095
This text explains that Adal (Bar Sa’ad ad-Din Sultanate) was ruled by Mohammedan (Muslim) princes and great enemies of Abyssinia and Christendom. Apparently the text assumed that the Sultan claimed the authority of Caliph but this could be false.View attachment 363096
Cool fun fact, archeologists found evidence of the remains of a Bar Sa’ad ad-Din era town north of Jigjiga in the 1920s. Found with Cyclopean-type stone walls, ruined mosques, and a remains of a town it reminded the archeologists of an old-Carolingian era town with its views.View attachment 363097

All of East Africa is Shafi’i

 

[Step a side]

I've never heard of his long lifespan.

Something we know about him.

-Sulṭān ʿUmar Dunya-Hawaz claimed him as his 5th ancestor, his dynasty formed in the 13th century, ironically corresponds with the tmcra of T-L208 amongst Cisse, Gadabuursi and Isaaqs.
- Aw Barkhadhle had no known children.
- His mausoleum is managed Eidagale and was repurposed after Islam appeared in the region, it looks to have been converted about 11th century.
-The site has deep historical connection with the old Somali religion, mainly in astronomy and fertility rituals.
- We know Islam spread from the coast and took some time to fully spread into the interior.
-The Walasma claimed ancestry to Aqil ibn Abi Talib, same goes for the majority of Somalis today.

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