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

[Midas]

I also wonder how big the core awdal region used to be . If you look at the maps before the number fo gobols increases awdal was a much larger region.

Sanaag is another region that I think is aka confusing because although it doesn't have any large historical urban centers or sultanates associated with it. Its arguably from the point of view of somali oral traditions the most important gobol since most of the somali clan ancestors are buried there. And there are other associations like with arawello and just in general it seems to be considered an ancient and sacred place.

 

[Idilinaa]

I also wonder how big the core awdal region used to be . If you look at the maps before the number fo gobols increases awdal was a much larger region.

Sanaag is another region that I think is aka confusing because although it doesn't have any large historical urban centers or sultanates associated with it. Its arguably from the point of view of somali oral traditions the most important gobol since most of the somali clan ancestors are buried there. And there are other associations like with arawello and just in general it seems to be considered an ancient and sacred place.

Sanaag had the port town of Maydh and it had sizable medieval interior urban center associated with it

Sade Mire mentioned it a bit

More details about

There is probably more settlements scattered around the place that we might find.

 

[GALAN]

she was an oromo my freind oromos and gadabuursi still share this border around that area namely Jarso Gadabuursi were muslim before the 1600s so I dont know how this queen and her kingdom could be non muslim.

She wasn't pagan, the Abasa site had a central mosque. At the time, Abasa was one of the larger trading towns, it had about 200 stone houses and a central mosque in the middle of the town. It also served as the capital of Adal at some point.

Abasa and Awbube, another similarly sized settlement, fought a war; Awbube is northwest of Borama, while Abasa is northeast, at the time the Gadabuursi were fractured; I wouldn't be surprised if it was two different subclans that fought over the trade in the area and to assert their power. Hopefully, with more archaeological digs, we can de-mystify the history of the region, anytime I asked my grandfather, he would say those were shameful times and best forgotten. He did mention that after the war with Abyssinians, our numbers were much reduced, and there was a huge reconciliation to unify and consolidate into Harawo and modern day Awdal.

 

[Idilinaa]

Abasa has nothing to do with Oromo's, nor was it even a Kingdom, it was an administrative base/capital in Bar Sa'Adin sultanate and it's mentioned by Portuguese in the 1600s

"I might perhaps be to called from Abaxa, the Capital City of the Kingdom of Adel."

 

[GALAN]

Abasa has nothing to do with Oromo's, nor was it even a Kingdom, it was an administrative base/capital in Bar Sa'Adin sultanate and it's mentioned by Portuguese in the 1600s

"I might perhaps be to called from Abaxa, the Capital City of the Kingdom of Adel."
View attachment 363191

we dont know that for certain however the fortress of the oromo queen most definitely nably existed.

 

[Idilinaa]

we dont know that for certain however the fortress of the oromo queen most definitely nably existed.

It wasn't even a fortress it was an administrative building according to archeologists, there is large boulders making up the entrance gate. The oromo attribution comes from colonial distortion which saw the word Gaal or Gaalo attributed to Galla to different places and when Somalis were recounting something else.

But this one is clear, you can see from Medieval writing that the city was linked Adal/Bar Sa'adin Sultanate so there is no entertain a story of an Oromo Queen.

 

[GALAN]

It wasn't even a fortress it was an administrative building. The oromo attribution comes from colonial distortion which saw the word Gaal or Gaalo attributed to Galla.

View attachment 363192

But you can see from Medieval writings that the city was linked Adal/Bar Sa'adin Sultanate.

I.M lewis already debunked this look at his 'The Galla in northern somaliland' also are you trying to suggest that in the 16th century the somalis in that region were pagans? if so your far from the truth Gaal and Galla is different and the difference is clear. by this point in time the somali in the area were muslim and multiple muslim kingdoms like Adal had been established in the area. Cerulli also proves a point on oromo presence in somalia before somalis like for example Wardey who are indegnious to Jubaland and were pushed out by the Ogaden. and in the 1400s the Ajuran expanded there land and pushed the oromos back.

 

[GALAN]

by the 16th century an out standing amount of the somali population was muslim if not all there couldn't have been an undocumented kingdom or group of somalis fighting muslim somalis.

 

[Garsoore]

It wasn't even a fortress it was an administrative building. The oromo attribution comes from colonial distortion which saw the word Gaal or Gaalo attributed to Galla.

View attachment 363192

But you can see from Medieval writings that the city was linked Adal/Bar Sa'adin Sultanate.

How did an oromo reach all the way down to Awdal bypassing the Somalis in galbeed to begin with? It was only around the mid 16th century when Oromos in their brutal savage expansion reached around the vicinity of Harar

 

[GALAN]

How did an oromo reach all the way down to Awdal bypassing the Somalis in galbeed to begin with? It was only around the mid 16th century when Oromos in their brutal savage expansion reached around the vicinity of Harar

sxb there is evidence of oromo presence in Hararghe before the 16th century. also this can also be confusing this queen coudve possibly been Jarso who at the time were also in conflict with the Gadabursi or reer galan who inhabit awdal.

 

[Idilinaa]

I.M lewis already debunked this look at his 'The Galla in northern somaliland' also are you trying to suggest that in the 16th century the somalis in that region were pagans? if so your far from the truth Gaal and Galla is different and the difference is clear. by this point in time the somali in the area were muslim and multiple muslim kingdoms like Adal had been established in the area. Cerulli also proves a point on oromo presence in somalia before somalis like for example Wardey who are indegnious to Jubaland and were pushed out by the Ogaden. and in the 1400s the Ajuran expanded there land and pushed the oromos back.

View attachment 363193

What I shared was published well after I.M. Lewis’s “The Galla in Northern Somaliland”, and it directly addresses and corrects the inaccuracies in both his and Enrico Cerulli’s early interpretations.

Both Lewis and Cerulli made sweeping claims without grounding them in actual textual, archaeological, or linguistic evidence. Much of their theory hinges on the false etymological link between the old Somali word for camel, Gaal, and the ethnonym Galla a connection that has since been debunked by multiple scholars.

The so-called “Galla mythology” in Somali historiography has been thoroughly challenged and refuted by more recent and well-evidenced research:

You are welcome to read these:

The Origins of the Galla and Somali

The Origins of the Galla and Somali

www.academia.edu

Bantu, Galla and Somali Migrations in the Horn of Africa: A Reassessment of the Juba/Tana Area on JSTOR

E. R. Turton, Bantu, Galla and Somali Migrations in the Horn of Africa: A Reassessment of the Juba/Tana Area, The Journal of African History, Vol. 16, No. 4 (1975), pp. 519-537

www.jstor.org

The 'Galla' Myth on Somali History: Origin and Impact - Wardheernews

The 'Galla' Myth on Somali History: Origin and Impact - Read more about somali, galla, somalis, oromo, hussein and origin.

www.yumpu.com

As for the Oromo, their south-to-north expansion is well documented, especially after the mid-16th century, following the decline of Adal Empire. Before that point, Somalis already had a wide territorial spread, stretching across much of the Horn. The Wardey example doesn’t prove pre-Somali presence, it reflects Oromo migrations into already established Somali regions.

So no, this isn’t about suggesting 16th-century Somalis were pagan, that’s a misreading. It’s about grounding the discussion in actual historical evidence, not colonial-era assumptions that have since been corrected.

 

[GALAN]

What I shared was published well after I.M. Lewis’s “The Galla in Northern Somaliland”, and it directly addresses and corrects the inaccuracies in both his and Enrico Cerulli’s early interpretations.

Both Lewis and Cerulli made sweeping claims without grounding them in actual textual, archaeological, or linguistic evidence. Much of their theory hinges on the false etymological link between the old Somali word for camel, Gaal, and the ethnonym Galla a connection that has since been debunked by multiple scholars.

The so-called “Galla mythology” in Somali historiography has been thoroughly challenged and refuted by more recent and well-evidenced research:

You are welcome to read these:

The Origins of the Galla and Somali

The Origins of the Galla and Somali

www.academia.edu

Bantu, Galla and Somali Migrations in the Horn of Africa: A Reassessment of the Juba/Tana Area on JSTOR

E. R. Turton, Bantu, Galla and Somali Migrations in the Horn of Africa: A Reassessment of the Juba/Tana Area, The Journal of African History, Vol. 16, No. 4 (1975), pp. 519-537

www.jstor.org

The 'Galla' Myth on Somali History: Origin and Impact - Wardheernews

The 'Galla' Myth on Somali History: Origin and Impact - Read more about somali, galla, somalis, oromo, hussein and origin.

www.yumpu.com

View attachment 363196

As for the Oromo, their south-to-north expansion is well documented, especially after the mid-16th century, following the collapse of the Adal Empire. Before that point, Somalis already had a wide territorial spread, stretching across much of the Horn. The Wardey example doesn’t prove pre-Somali presence, it reflects Oromo migrations into already established Somali regions.

So no, this isn’t about suggesting 16th-century Somalis were pagan, that’s a misreading. It’s about grounding the discussion in actual historical evidence, not colonial-era assumptions that have since been corrected.

my freind the theory your suggesting that the oromo only entered this region after the 16th century is false. and can be challenged and has been for example Bahrey states that the Michelle Gada had only been able to occupy the area after the Battle of Hazalo where he describes as ''no such slaughter since the Galla first invaded''. he confuses the Michelle Gada with the Barentu oromo even though up to this day the Michelle Gada are a Borana Gada party and live no where near hazalo or the north eastern highlands of Ethiopia, this is a outrages claim and shows he could not even differentiate the two, the Michelle invading Adal is completely wrong (these people dont even border the somali and these times probably didnt even know what Adal or somali were). Turnton which you have used as a source can sometimes be reliable and sometimes not in his the Darod invasion he can not give us a clear answer on who preceded the Wardey (pr many) he does make mention that the Wardey by 1650 were in decline due to the expansion of the Ajuran. Lewis also uses logic to back his work and looking at these place names we can confirm that it is Afaan oromo. also they claim to have ruled this kingdom Boqortoyada Wamo before the Ajuran kingdom. there is also some claims of Bantu living in the area. But it is undeniable and well documented the Wardey preceded the somalis living in jubaland today. for more information like I said bro check out I.M lewis studies.

 

[Riftvalley]

How did an oromo reach all the way down to Awdal bypassing the Somalis in galbeed to begin with? It was only around the mid 16th century when Oromos in their brutal savage expansion reached around the vicinity of Harar

He’s waffling. The recent archeological studies on these sites show that they were linked to material culture of Somali Muslims at that time:

These areas also sit on ancient trade routes and were occupied by Somalis since antiquity.

 

[Idilinaa]

my freind the theory your suggesting that the oromo only entered this region after the 16th century is false. and can be challenged and has been for example Bahrey states that the Michelle Gada had only been able to occupy the area after the Battle of Hazalo where he describes as ''no such slaughter since the Galla first invaded''. he confuses the Michelle Gada with the Barentu oromo even though up to this day the Michelle Gada are a Borana Gada party and live no where near hazalo or the north eastern highlands of Ethiopia, this is a outrages claim and shows he could not even differentiate the two, the Michelle invading Adal is completely wrong (these people dont even border the somali and these times probably didnt even know what Adal or somali were). Turnton which you have used as a source can sometimes be reliable and sometimes not in his the Darod invasion he can not give us a clear answer on who preceded the Wardey (pr many) he does make mention that the Wardey by 1650 were in decline due to the expansion of the Ajuran. Lewis also uses logic to back his work and looking at these place names we can confirm that it is Afaan oromo. also they claim to have ruled this kingdom Boqortoyada Wamo before the Ajuran kingdom. there is also some claims of Bantu living in the area. But it is undeniable and well documented the Wardey preceded the somalis living in jubaland today. for more information like I said bro check out I.M lewis studies.

It’s not even a modern theory. Bahrey was an eyewitness to the Oromo expansion, and there are numerous local medieval chronicles , both Christian and Muslim , that document the Oromo invasions. These sources align with one another, and even external Yemeni records support the same narrative. The evidence is extensive.

As for Turton, he literally states in the text that the Garre, Raxanweyn/Tunni-speaking Somali groups were the first to settle in the southern Somali region , including all of the Juba area down to northern Kenya and that Hawiye groups followed after them. This is fairly accurate and is backed by newer studies that show southern Somali speakers left a large imprint in Northern Kenya, as well as Portuguese sources who recorded the presence of Somalis in the area, referring to them as Katwa , a term still used in the 19th century. These same records document that the Galla (Oromo) were actively and forcefully invading these areas.

The claim about Bantu speakers being native is also problematic. It’s well-documented that most Bantu speakers in the region were brought through the East African slave trade in the 19th century. That’s not speculation , that’s historical consensus, supported by demographic, linguistic, and archival evidence.

So while I get the point you're trying to make, the claim that the Oromo predate Somali groups in the region , particularly in Jubaland , doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. There’s simply too much documented evidence, from both internal and external sources, contradicting that.

 

[GALAN]

It’s not even a modern theory. Bahrey was an eyewitness to the Oromo expansion, and there are numerous local medieval chronicles , both Christian and Muslim , that document the Oromo invasions. These sources align with one another, and even external Yemeni records support the same narrative. The evidence is extensive.


View attachment 363203

As for Turton, he literally states in the text that the Garre, Raxanweyn/Tunni-speaking Somali groups were the first to settle in the southern Somali region , including all of the Juba area down to northern Kenya and that Hawiye groups followed after them. This is fairly accurate and is backed by newer studies that show southern Somali speakers left a large imprint in Northern Kenya, as well as Portuguese sources who recorded the presence of Somalis in the area, referring to them as Katwa , a term still used in the 19th century. These same records document that the Galla (Oromo) were actively and forcefully invading these areas.

The claim about Bantu speakers being native is also problematic. It’s well-documented that most Bantu speakers in the region were brought through the East African slave trade in the 19th century. That’s not speculation , that’s historical consensus, supported by demographic, linguistic, and archival evidence.

So while I get the point you're trying to make, the claim that the Oromo predate Somali groups in the region , particularly in Jubaland , doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. There’s simply too much documented evidence, from both internal and external sources, contradicting that.

Turton proposes in is Darod invasion that the Dabarre a non somali speaking group lived in this region, but there are many other opinions. the point is the Oromo preceded the Somali SPEAKING ethnic group in the region which is undoubtable if we look at place names and history.

 

[GALAN]

It’s not even a modern theory. Bahrey was an eyewitness to the Oromo expansion, and there are numerous local medieval chronicles , both Christian and Muslim , that document the Oromo invasions. These sources align with one another, and even external Yemeni records support the same narrative. The evidence is extensive.


View attachment 363203

As for Turton, he literally states in the text that the Garre, Raxanweyn/Tunni-speaking Somali groups were the first to settle in the southern Somali region , including all of the Juba area down to northern Kenya and that Hawiye groups followed after them. This is fairly accurate and is backed by newer studies that show southern Somali speakers left a large imprint in Northern Kenya, as well as Portuguese sources who recorded the presence of Somalis in the area, referring to them as Katwa , a term still used in the 19th century. These same records document that the Galla (Oromo) were actively and forcefully invading these areas.

The claim about Bantu speakers being native is also problematic. It’s well-documented that most Bantu speakers in the region were brought through the East African slave trade in the 19th century. That’s not speculation , that’s historical consensus, supported by demographic, linguistic, and archival evidence.

So while I get the point you're trying to make, the claim that the Oromo predate Somali groups in the region , particularly in Jubaland , doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. There’s simply too much documented evidence, from both internal and external sources, contradicting that.

Bahrey was a biased Oromo hating individual he describes them as blood thirsty etc this is not a neutral source. he also is heavily uneducated on people who campaigned like I mentioned before he mentions the Michelle Gada were the reason the adal sultanate lost its power and how the oromo entered the eastern highlands The Michelle Gada do not live no where near this region. also the oromo never recorded these migrations and deny that they are new comers to the region I can also show you many sources of oromos int he northern highlands before these times. the chronicle at the time of, Ahmed gurey even mentions the yejju oromo in Wallo. as for Garri there somaliness can be questioned since one clan claim to be children of Dir (Tuuf) and quraan claim a different genealogy. but Turton never gives us a proper sources time frame. he only mentions that by 1650 the Ajuran had expelled them. the source I provided above shows that by the 1400s the oromo were pushed back to Burhakaba and if we follow Turton then by 1650 the oromo were expelled from bur hakaba all the way to the western bank of the Juba river, and by the 20th century had been expelled by the Ogaden to Kenya.

also why do you abandon I.M lewis work and cerullis, Turton views never actually clash With their claims and actually can be used as a source to support the two he just points out that the Dabarre speaking people preceded the Wardey he also documents how the Ajuran/Hawiya/Jide pushed the Wardey out of the Baidoa plates to Burhakaba and then pushed now you claim the bantu theory is not true why cite Turton then. Turton claims that in the process of the wardey being pushed back by the somali people the Nyika people were also displaced from the juba area. he also points out that the Rahweyn were the last somalis to enter the region and displaced the Wardey from Burhakaba. he concludes that the Tunni and wardey shared the Jubba see ''The Darod invasion'' for more of this

 

[GALAN]

 

[GALAN]

origins.

 

[Idilinaa]

Turton proposes in is Darod invasion that the Dabarre a non somali speaking group lived in this region, but there are many other opinions. the point is the Oromo preceded the Somali SPEAKING ethnic group in the region which is undoubtable if we look at place names and history.

E.R Turton that i linked didn't write the '' Darood invasion'', you probably confusing him with a colonial era author. What he does instead he maps. traces the migration of Somali, Oromo and Bantu groups.


I can show you what he wrote if you can't access the link directly:

He says "Galla are no longer characterized as continually vanquished or retreating defenders of the horn'" and he also says "It also suggests, a much more static distribution in the horn since the Somali are portrayed as being in their present area for almost a thousand years."

He says "
. According to H. S. Lewis, early written sources suggest a
picture that is entirely compatible with population stability and the
hypothesis that the Somali were the main inhabitants of the Horn. The
reference in Al-Idrisi to the Hadiye and in Ibn Sa'id to the Hawiye, on
both occasions associated with the Benadir port of Merca, where the
Hawiya live today, suggests that they have been in this area for at least
700 years.8 The references slightly later in the Futuh al-Habasha to Somali
groups in north-western Somaliland indicates that the population in this
area has also remained substantially unchanged since the sixteenth century,
when the work was written. At the same time it is impossible to find any
early work suggesting that the Galla inhabited the Horn of Africa.

He goes into explain how there is no real evidence of Bantu descendant speakers in southern Somalia(Central Somaliland) or Juba/Tana at an early date before Somalis.

 

[Idilinaa]

Continuation about the Garre and many Somali speaking groups around Juba-Tana

The Migration and Origin of Orma or Warday

Conclusion:
The first and most startling feature of this outline is that the Somali preceded the Galla in the Juba/Tana region, for pre-Hawiya Garre moved to Afmadu and the area to the south prior to the migration of the Orma to
the coast. This of course places the nineteenth-century Somali advance
southward across the river Juba into an altogether different perspective,
since it can now be seen as partly a reconquest of lands they had previously held

Summary: