Misplaced Pages

#128871

74-580: Whether a coincidence or not, "Sagallo" (or "Sakaro") is one of the lunar months in Somali culture . The Ottoman Empire had loose control over the area from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. In reality, however, the Afar Sultans of Tadjoura were in control. It was during this time, that Sagallo was visited by the Englishman William Cornwallis Harris on his way to Ankobar , in

148-572: A Cushitic ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The East Cushitic Somali language is the shared mother tongue of ethnic Somalis, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are predominantly Sunni Muslim . Forming one of the largest ethnic groups on the continent, they cover one of the most expansive landmasses by

222-470: A chartered company . An Anglo-Italian border protocol was later signed on 5 May 1894, followed by an agreement in 1906 between Cavalier Pestalozza and General Swaine acknowledging that Baran fell under the Majeerteen Sultanate's administration. With the gradual extension into northern Somalia of Italian colonial rule, both Kingdoms were eventually annexed in the early 20th century. However, unlike

296-562: A bloodless takeover. The putsch was spearheaded by Major General Mohamed Siad Barre , who at the time commanded the army. Alongside Barre, the Supreme Revolutionary Council (SRC) that assumed power after President Sharmarke's assassination was led by Lieutenant Colonel Salaad Gabeyre Kediye and Chief of Police Jama Korshel . The SRC subsequently renamed the country the Somali Democratic Republic , dissolved

370-454: A central part in Somali culture and politics. Clan families are patrilineal , and are divided into clans, primary lineages or subclans, and dia -paying kinship groups. The lineage terms qabiil , qolo , jilib and reer are often interchangeably used to indicate the different segmentation levels. The clan represents the highest kinship level. It owns territorial properties and is typically led by

444-435: A clan-head or Sultan . Primary lineages are immediately descended from the clans, and are exogamous political units with no formally installed leader. They comprise the segmentation level that an individual usually indicates he or she belongs to, with their founding patriarch reckoned to between six and ten generations. The five major clan families are the traditionally nomadic pastoralist Dir , Isaaq , Darod , Hawiye and

518-628: A further report inclusive of Somali Region stipulating 2% adherence to a minority sect (e.g. Ibadism , Quranism etc.). In the neighboring country of Somalia , 99.8% of the population is Muslim according to the Pew Research Center. The majority belong to the Sunni branch of Islam and the Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence . Sufism , the mystical sect of Islam, is also well established, with many local jama'a ( zawiya ) or congregations of

592-662: A later date from the Arabian Peninsula in the 10th or 11th centuries. Sheikh Darod is asserted to have married a woman from the Dir (while some accounts say Hawiye ), thus establishing matrilateral ties with the Samaale family. The Isaaq clan trace paternal descent to the Islamic leader Ishaaq bin Ahmed al-Hashimi (Sheikh Isaaq). The Digil & Mirifle (Rahanweyn) trace their ancestry back to

666-648: A length of two years. In the late 19th century, after the Berlin Conference had ended, the Scramble for Africa reached the Horn of Africa. Increasing foreign influence in the region culminated in the creation of the first Darawiish, an armed resistance movement calling for the independence from the European powers. The Dervish had their leaders, Mohammed Abdullah Hassan , Haji Sudi and Sultan Nur Ahmed Aman , who sought

740-614: A massive literacy campaign designed to ensure its sole adoption, which led to a sharp decline in use of Osmanya. The direction of reading and writing in Osmanya is from left to right. Letter names are based on the names of letters in Arabic , and the long vowels uu and ii are represented by the letters waaw and yaa , respectively. Osmanya was added to the Unicode Standard in April 2003 with

814-483: A position to which he was appointed by Shermarke. On 15 October 1969, while paying a visit to the northern town of Las Anod , Somalia's then President Abdirashid Ali Shermarke was shot dead by one of his own bodyguards. His assassination was quickly followed by a military coup d'état on 21 October 1969 (the day after his funeral), in which the Somali Army seized power without encountering armed opposition — essentially

SECTION 10

#1733086314129

888-529: A regional power reputed for their advanced architecture and gold wealth, which was so plentiful that they shackled their prisoners in golden chains. Several ancient city-states, such as Opone , Essina , Sarapion , Nikon , Malao , Damo and Mosylon near Cape Guardafui , which competed with the Sabaeans , Parthians and Axumites for the wealthy Indo - Greco-Roman trade, also flourished in Somalia. Islam

962-697: A result of its successes against the British, the Dervish movement received support from the Ottomans and Germans . The Ottoman government also named Hassan Emir of the Somali nation, and the German government promised to officially recognise any territories the Dervishes were to acquire. After a quarter of a century of military successes against the British, the Dervishes were finally defeated by Britain in 1920 in part due to

1036-481: A robust trading network, entered into treaties with foreign powers, and exerted strong centralized authority on the domestic front. The Majeerteen Sultanate was nearly dismantled in the late-1800s by a power struggle between Boqor Osman Mahamuud and his ambitious cousin, Yusuf Ali Kenadid who founded the Sultanate of Hobyo in 1878. Initially Kenadid wanted to seize control of the neighbouring Sultanate. However, he

1110-491: A single ethnic group in Africa . According to most scholars, the ancient Land of Punt and its native inhabitants formed part of the ethnogenesis of the Somali people. This ancient historical kingdom is where a great portion of their cultural traditions and ancestry are said to derive from. Somalis share many historical and cultural traits with other Cushitic peoples , especially with Lowland East Cushitic people, specifically

1184-516: A state in the Nugaal and began one of the longest African conflicts in modern history. The news of the incident that sparked the 21 year long Dervish rebellion , according to the consul-general James Hayes Sadler , was spread or as he claimed was concocted by Sultan Nur of the Habr Yunis . The incident in question was that of a group of Somali children who were converted to Christianity and adopted by

1258-467: Is a reference to the ubiquitous pastoralism of the Somali people. Another plausible etymology proposes that the term Somali is derived from the Arabic word for "wealthy" ( zāwamāl ), again referring to Somali riches in livestock. Alternatively, the ethnonym Somali is believed to have been derived from the Automoli (Asmach), a group of warriors from ancient Egypt described by Herodotus . Asmach

1332-481: Is an alphabetic script created to transcribe the Somali language . It was invented by Osman Yusuf Kenadid , the son of Sultan Yusuf Ali Kenadid and brother of Sultan Ali Yusuf Kenadid of the Sultanate of Hobyo . While Osmanya gained reasonably wide acceptance in Somalia and quickly produced a considerable body of literature, it proved difficult to spread among the population mainly due to stiff competition from

1406-412: Is generally regarded as the source of the ethnonym Somali . One other theory is that the name is held to be derived from the words soo and maal , which together mean "go and milk". This interpretation differs depending on region with northern Somalis imply it refers to go and milk in regards to the camel's milk, southern Somalis use the transliteration " sa' maal " which refers to cow's milk. This

1480-553: Is thought to have been their Egyptian name, with Automoli being a Greek derivative of the Hebrew word S’mali (meaning "on the left hand side"). A Tang Chinese document from the 9th century CE referred to the northern Somalia coast — which was then part of a broader region in Northeast Africa known as Barbaria , in reference to the area's Barbars ( Cushitic ) inhabitants — as Po-pa-li . The first clear written reference of

1554-596: The Afar and the Saho . Ethnic Somalis are principally concentrated in Somalia (around 17.6 million), Somaliland (5.7 million), Ethiopia (4.6 million), Kenya (2.8 million), and Djibouti (534,000). Somali diasporas are also found in parts of the Middle East , North America , Western Europe , African Great Lakes region, Southern Africa and Oceania . Samaale , the oldest common ancestor of several Somali clans ,

SECTION 20

#1733086314129

1628-683: The Arab world , eventually joining the Arab League (AL) in 1974. That same year, Barre also served as chairman of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the predecessor of the African Union (AU). Somalis are ethnically of Cushitic ancestry , but have genealogical traditions of descent from various patriarchs associated with the spread of Islam. Being one tribe, they are segmented into various clan groupings, which are important kinship units that play

1702-432: The Arabian Peninsula . Additionally, the Somali and Ethiopian interiors were very dependent on Berbera for trade, where most of the goods for export arrived from. During the 1833 trading season, the port town swelled to over 70,000 people, and upwards of 6,000 camels laden with goods arrived from the interior within a single day. Berbera was the main marketplace in the entire Somali seaboard for various goods procured from

1776-592: The East and the West . In antiquity , the ancestors of the Somali people were an important link in the Horn of Africa connecting the region's commerce with the rest of the ancient world. Somali sailors and merchants were the main suppliers of frankincense , myrrh and spices , items which were considered valuable luxuries by the Ancient Egyptians , Phoenicians , Mycenaeans and Babylonians . According to most scholars,

1850-617: The Gulf of Aden . The terms of each treaty specified that Italy was to steer clear of any interference in the Sultanates' respective administrations. In return for Italian arms and an annual subsidy, the Sultans conceded to a minimum of oversight and economic concessions. The Italians also agreed to dispatch a few ambassadors to promote both the Sultanates' and their own interests. The new protectorates were thereafter managed by Vincenzo Filonardi through

1924-673: The Kornilov , a ship heading from Odessa to Alexandria . The expedition then boarded the Lazarev which brought them to Port Said . There, Achinov rented the Austrian ship Amfitrida , which entered the Gulf of Tadjoura on 6 January 1889. The expedition was greeted by a group of Ethiopian priests .The French foreign office demanded an explanation of Achinov's actions and the Russian ambassador in Paris distanced

1998-600: The Macrobians , who may have been ancestral to the Automoli or ancient Somalis, established a powerful tribal kingdom that ruled large parts of modern Somalia . They were reputed for their longevity and wealth, and were said to be the "tallest and handsomest of all men". The Macrobians were warrior herders and seafarers. According to Herodotus' account, the Achaemenid emperor Cambyses II , upon his conquest of Egypt in 525 BCE , sent ambassadors to Macrobia, bringing luxury gifts for

2072-730: The Middle Ages , several powerful Somali empires dominated the regional trade including the Ajuran Sultanate , which excelled in hydraulic engineering and fortress building, the Adal Sultanate , whose general Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi (Ahmed Gurey) was the first commander to use cannon warfare on the continent during Adal's conquest of the Ethiopian Empire , and the Sultanate of the Geledi , whose military dominance forced governors of

2146-523: The Ogaden to Ethiopia, based on a treaty they signed in 1897 in which the British ceded Somali territory to the Ethiopian Emperor Menelik in exchange for his help against raids by Somali clans. Britain included the proviso that the Somali nomads would retain their autonomy, but Ethiopia immediately claimed sovereignty over them. This prompted an unsuccessful bid by Britain in 1956 to purchase back

2220-661: The Omani empire north of the city of Lamu to pay tribute to the Somali Sultan Ahmed Yusuf . The Harla , an early group who inhabited parts of Somalia, Tchertcher and other areas in the Horn, also erected various tumuli . These masons are believed to have been ancestral to the Somalis ("proto-Somali"). Berbera was the most important port in the Horn of Africa between the 18th–19th centuries. For centuries, Berbera had extensive trade relations with several historic ports in

2294-613: The State of Somaliland , and the Trust Territory of Somalia (the former Italian Somalia) followed suit five days later. On 1 July 1960, the two territories united to form the Somali Republic , albeit within boundaries drawn up by Italy and Britain. A government was formed by Abdullahi Issa Mohamud and Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal other members of the trusteeship and protectorate governments, with Haji Bashir Ismail Yusuf as president of

Sagallo - Misplaced Pages Continue

2368-564: The Stone Age , the Doian and Hargeisan cultures flourished here with their respective industries and factories. The oldest evidence of burial customs in the Horn of Africa comes from cemeteries in Somalia dating back to 4th millennium BC . The stone implements from the Jalelo site in Somalia are said to be the most important link in evidence of the universality in palaeolithic times between

2442-545: The Walashma dynasty with its capital at Zeila , ruled over parts of what is now eastern Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somaliland. The historian al-Umari records that Ifat was situated near the Red Sea coast, and states its size as 15 days travel by 20 days travel. Its army numbered 15,000 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers. Al-Umari also credits Ifat with seven "mother cities": Belqulzar, Kuljura, Shimi, Shewa , Adal, Jamme and Laboo. In

2516-704: The Cossacks noticed a French cruiser and three French gunboats. An ultimatum was issued, but Achinov misunderstood it and did not surrender. The artillery barrage that followed came as a complete surprise for the Russians, leaving 6 colonists dead and 22 wounded. In 1977, after three referendums, the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas finally became independent from France as the newly formed country of Djibouti. By this point,

2590-513: The French Catholic Mission at Berbera in 1899. Whether Sultan Nur experienced the incident first hand or whether he was told of it is not clear but what is known is that he propagated the incident in June 1899, precipitating the religious rebellion of the Dervishes. The Dervish movement successfully stymied British forces four times and forced them to retreat to the coastal region. As

2664-673: The Gulf of Tadjoura, but their hold didn't last long. In 1884, the Sultan of Tadjoura, Mohammed Loitah, ceded Sagallo to Paul Soleillet of the Société Française d'Obock, forcing the Egyptians to retire. In 1883, Nikolai Ivanovich Ashinov , a Russian adventurer and burgess of Penza (b. 1856) had visited Abyssinia (the Ethiopian Empire) in order to establish clerical and political ties between

2738-576: The Macrobian king to entice his submission. The Macrobian ruler, who was elected based on his stature and beauty, replied instead with a challenge for his Persian counterpart in the form of an unstrung bow: if the Persians could manage to draw it, they would have the right to invade his country; but until then, they should thank the gods that the Macrobians never decided to invade their empire. The Macrobians were

2812-525: The Russian Empire from him. On January 14, the abandoned Egyptian fort of Sagallo was chosen as the new base of the expedition. Achinov named the fort "New Moscow" ( Новая Москва , Novaya Moskva ). A tent was erected to serve as the church of St. Nicholas and a flag of the expedition was raised. Later, several colonists escaped to Obock , informing the French of the settlement's whereabouts. On 5 February,

2886-580: The Somali National Assembly, Aden Abdullah Osman Daar as the president of the Somali Republic and Abdirashid Ali Shermarke as Prime Minister (later to become president from 1967 to 1969). On 20 July 1961 and through a popular referendum , the people of Somalia ratified a new constitution , which was first drafted in 1960. The constitution was rejected by the people of Somaliland. In 1967, Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal became Prime Minister,

2960-483: The Somali lands it had turned over. The British government also granted administration of the almost exclusively Somali-inhabited Northern Frontier District (NFD) to the Kenyan government despite an informal plebiscite demonstrating the overwhelming desire of the region's population to join the newly formed Somali Republic. A referendum was held in neighboring Djibouti (then known as French Somaliland ) in 1958, on

3034-411: The Somali population by Somali Muslim scholars in the following centuries, the ancient city-states eventually transformed into Islamic Mogadishu , Berbera , Zeila , Barawa , Hafun and Merca , which were part of the Berberi civilization. The city of Mogadishu came to be known as the City of Islam , and controlled the East African gold trade for several centuries. The Sultanate of Ifat , led by

Sagallo - Misplaced Pages Continue

3108-409: The Somalis the opportunity to gain experience in political education and self-government. These were advantages that British Somaliland, which was to be incorporated into the new Somali Republic state, did not have. Although in the 1950s British colonial officials attempted, through various administrative development efforts, to make up for past neglect, the protectorate stagnated. The disparity between

3182-426: The ancient Land of Punt and its native inhabitants formed part of the ethnogenesis of the Somali people. The ancient Puntites were a nation of people that had close relations with Pharaonic Egypt during the times of Pharaoh Sahure and Queen Hatshepsut . The pyramidal structures , temples and ancient houses of dressed stone littered around Somalia may date from this period. In classical antiquity ,

3256-498: The city walls which frightened Al Barr's followers and caused them to abandon their posts and succeeded Al Barr as the ruler of Zeila. Sharmarke's governorship had an instant effect on the city, as he maneuvered to monopolize as much of the regional trade as possible, with his sights set as far as Harar and the Ogaden . In 1845, Sharmarke deployed a few matchlock men to wrest control of neighboring Berbera from that town's then feuding Somali local authorities. Sharmarke's influence

3330-408: The condition — first proposed by the Somali Youth League (SYL) and other nascent Somali political organizations, such as Hizbia Digil Mirifle Somali (HDMS) and the Somali National League (SNL) — that Somalia achieve independence within ten years. British Somalia remained a protectorate of Britain until 1960. To the extent that Italy held the territory by UN mandate, the trusteeship provisions gave

3404-461: The earliest known rock art on the African continent and features many elaborate pastoralist sketches of animal and human figures. In other places, such as the Dhambalin region, a depiction of a man on a horse is postulated as being one of the earliest known examples of a mounted huntsman. Inscriptions have been found beneath many of the rock paintings, but archaeologists have so far been unable to decipher this form of ancient writing. During

3478-439: The end of April, a large fair assembles in Berbera, and caravans of 6,000 camels at a time come from the interior loaded with coffee, (considered superior to Mocha in Bombay), gum, ivory, hides, skins, grain, cattle, and sour milk, the substitute of fermented drinks in these regions; also much cattle is brought there for the Aden market.” As a tributary of Mocha , which in turn was part of the Ottoman possessions in Western Arabia,

3552-411: The eve of Somalia's independence in 1960, to decide whether or not to join the Somali Republic or to remain with France. The referendum turned out in favour of a continued association with France, largely due to a combined yes vote by the sizable Afar ethnic group and resident Europeans. There was also widespread vote rigging , with the French expelling thousands of Somalis before the referendum reached

3626-419: The following year. In signing the agreements, both rulers also hoped to exploit the rival objectives of the European imperial powers so as to more effectively assure the continued independence of their territories. The Italians, for their part, were interested in the territories mainly because of its ports specifically Port of Bosaso which could grant them access to the strategically important Suez Canal and

3700-429: The founders of Darod, Dir and Isaaq as well as the Abgaal subclan of Hawiye are all located in northern Somalia. Tradition holds this area as the ancestral homeland of the Somali people. According to data from the Pew Research Center , the creed breakdown of Muslims in the Somali-majority Djibouti is as follows: 77% adhere to Sunnism , 8% are non-denominational Muslim , 2% are Shia and 13% declined to answer, and

3774-402: The interior, such as livestock , coffee , frankincense , myrrh , acacia gum , saffron , feathers , ghee , hide (skin) , gold and ivory . Historically, the port of Berbera was controlled indigenously between the mercantile Reer Ahmed Nur and Reer Yunis Nuh sub-clans of the Habar Awal . According to a trade journal published in 1856, Berbera was described as “the freest port in

SECTION 50

#1733086314129

3848-422: The latter is an exonym with double suffixes. The hypernym of the term Somali from a geopolitical sense is Horner and from an ethnic sense, it is Cushite . The origin of the Somali people which was previously theorized to have been from Southern Ethiopia since 1000 BC or from the Arabian Peninsula in the eleventh century has now been overturned by newer archeological and linguistic studies which puts

3922-478: The long-established Arabic script as well as the emerging Somali Latin alphabet developed by a number of leading scholars of Somali , including Musa Haji Ismail Galal , B. W. Andrzejewski and Shire Jama Ahmed . As nationalist sentiments grew and since the Somali language had long lost its ancient script, the adoption of a universally recognized writing script for the Somali language became an important point of discussion. After independence, little progress

3996-468: The mere fact of its possession by that Soumaulee chief, and as this change occurred whilst I was in Abyssinia, I shall not say anything more upon the subject. However, the previous governor was not eager to relinquish his control of Zeila. Hence in 1841, Sharmarke chartered two dhows (ships) along with fifty Somali Matchlock men and two cannons to target Zeila and depose its Arab Governor, Syed Mohammed Al Barr. Sharmarke initially directed his cannons at

4070-415: The original homeland of the Somali people in Somaliland region, which concludes that the Somalis are the indigenous inhabitants of the Horn of Africa for the last 7000 years. Ancient rock paintings , which date back 5000 years (estimated), have been found in Somaliland region. These engravings depict early life in the territory. The most famous of these is the Laas Geel complex . It contains some of

4144-428: The parliament and the Supreme Court, and suspended the constitution. The revolutionary army established large-scale public works programs and successfully implemented an urban and rural literacy campaign, which helped dramatically increase the literacy rate. In addition to a nationalization program of industry and land, the new regime's foreign policy placed an emphasis on Somalia's traditional and religious links with

4218-581: The patriarch Sab. Both Samaale and Sab are supposed to have descended from a common ancestor with origins in the Arabian Peninsula . Contemporary genetic studies indicate that Somalis in general do not possess any noticeable Arab ancestry. The traditions of descent from noble elite forefathers who settled on the littoral are debated, although they are based on early Arab documents and northern folklore. A comprehensive genealogy of Somali clans can be found in Abbink (2009), providing detailed family trees and historical background information. The tombs of

4292-537: The polls. The majority of those who voted no were Somalis who were strongly in favour of joining a united Somalia, as had been proposed by Mahmoud Harbi , Vice President of the Government Council. Harbi was killed in a plane crash two years later. Djibouti finally gained its independence from France in 1977, and Hassan Gouled Aptidon , a Somali who had campaigned for a yes vote in the referendum of 1958, eventually wound up as Djibouti's first president (1977–1991). British Somaliland became independent on 26 June 1960 as

4366-475: The port of Zeila had seen several men placed as governors over the years. The Ottomans based in Yemen held nominal authority of Zeila when Sharmarke Ali Saleh , who was a successful and ambitious Somali merchant, purchased the rights of the town from the Ottoman governor of Mocha and Hodeida. Allee Shurmalkee [Ali Sharmarke] has since my visit either seized or purchased this town, and hoisted independent colours upon its walls; but as I know little or nothing save

4440-445: The sedentary agropastoralist Rahanweyn . Minor Somali clans include Asharaf . The Dir , Hawiye , Gardere ( Gaalje'el , Degodia , Garre ), Hawadle and Ajuran trace agnatic origins to the patriarch Samaale . The Darod have separate paternal traditions of descent through Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti (Sheikh Darod), who is said to have Banu Hashim origins through Aqiil Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib . He arrived at

4514-547: The shared religion, their presumed noble Arabian origins genealogically unite them. The purpose behind claiming genealogical traditions of descent from the Arabian Peninsula is used to reinforce one's lineage and the various associated patriarchs with the spread of Islam. Osmanya alphabet The Osmanya alphabet ( Farta Cismaanya , 𐒍𐒖𐒇𐒂𐒖 𐒋𐒘𐒈𐒑𐒛𐒒𐒕𐒖 ), also known as Far Soomaali ( 𐒍𐒖𐒇 𐒘𐒝𐒈𐒑𐒛𐒘 , "Somali writing") and, in Arabic, as al-kitābah al-ʿuthmānīyah ( الكتابة العثمانية ; "Osman writing"),

SECTION 60

#1733086314129

4588-414: The sobriquet Somali dates back to the early 15th century CE during the reign of Ethiopian Emperor Yeshaq I who had one of his court officials compose a hymn celebrating a military victory over the Sultanate of Ifat . Simur was also an ancient Harari alias for the Somali people. Somalis overwhelmingly prefer the demonym Somali over the incorrect Somalian since the former is an endonym, while

4662-416: The southern territories, the northern sultanates were not subject to direct rule due to the earlier treaties they had signed with the Italians. Following World War II , Britain retained control of both British Somaliland and Italian Somalia as protectorates . In 1945, during the Potsdam Conference , the United Nations granted Italy trusteeship of Italian Somalia, but only under close supervision and on

4736-411: The successful deployment of the newly-formed Royal Air Force by the British government . Majeerteen Sultanate was founded in the early-1700s and rose to prominence in the following century, under the reign of the resourceful Boqor (King) Osman Mahamuud . His Kingdom controlled Bari Karkaar, Nugaaal, and also central Somalia in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Majeerteen Sultanate maintained

4810-451: The two countries. After his return to Russia, Achinov voiced his plans for an 1888 expedition to the Gulf of Tadjoura to establish a settlement, while claiming to be a free Cossack . Achinov assured the participants that Mohammed Loitah had permanently leased him land in the region. It was purely on his own initiative, and without the involvement of the Russian government, that on 10 December 1888, Achinov along with 165 Terek Cossacks boarded

4884-430: The two territories in economic development and political experience would cause serious difficulties when it came time to integrate the two parts. Meanwhile, in 1948, under pressure from their World War II allies and to the dismay of the Somalis, the British ceded official control of the Haud (an important Somali grazing area that was brought under British protection via treaties with the Somalis in 1884 and 1886) and

4958-564: The various tariiqa or Sufi orders. The constitution of Somalia likewise defines Islam as the state religion of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and Islamic sharia law as the basic source for national legislation. It also stipulates that no law that is inconsistent with the basic tenets of Shari'a can be enacted. There are some nobles who believe with great pride that they are of Arabian ancestry, and trace their stirp to Muhammad's lineage of Quraysh and those of his companions. Although they do not consider themselves culturally Arabs, except for

5032-613: The water had become scarce, and the community of Sagallo used generators to run water pumps, even though it often fell short of raising enough cash to purchase diesel to power the generators. In the early 21st century, however, a UNICEF -backed project installed solar panels on a hill to power a submersible pump that now delivers the water whenever needed. 11°40′13″N 42°44′00″E  /  11.67028°N 42.73333°E  / 11.67028; 42.73333 Somalis The Somali people ( Somali : Soomaalida , Osmanya : 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒆𐒖 , Wadaad : صومالِدَ ‎) are

5106-418: The world, and the most important trading place on the whole Arabian Gulf.”: “The only seaports of importance on this coast are Feyla [Zeila] and Berbera; the former is an Arabian colony, dependent of Mocha, but Berbera is independent of any foreign power. It is, without having the name, the freest port in the world, and the most important trading place on the whole Arabian Gulf. From the beginning of November to

5180-420: The year 1841. His assistant surgeon, who wrote the report on the expedition, mentioned that water in the village was abundant in wells.   Tadjoura (to 1883) [REDACTED] France , ( French Somaliland and FTAI ) 1883–1977 [REDACTED]   Djibouti , 1977–present By the early 1870s, Egypt had been gaining power in the region and, in 1873, the Egyptians occupied Sagallo and other sites on

5254-439: Was introduced to the area early on by the first Muslims of Mecca fleeing prosecution during the first Hejira with Masjid al-Qiblatayn being built before the Qiblah faced towards Mecca . The town of Zeila 's two- mihrab Masjid al-Qiblatayn dates to the 7th century, and is one of the oldest mosques in Africa. Consequently the Somalis were some of the earliest non-Arabs that converted to Islam. The peaceful conversion of

5328-559: Was made on the issue, as opinion was divided over whether the Arabic or Latin scripts should be used instead. In October 1972, because of the Latin script's simplicity, its ability to cope with all of the sounds in the language, and the widespread existence of machines and typewriters designed for its use, President Mohamed Siad Barre required it for writing Somali instead of the Arabic or Osmanya scripts. Barre's administration subsequently launched

5402-804: Was not limited to the Somali coast as he had allies and influence in the interior of the Somali country, the Danakil coast and even further afield in Abyssinia. Among his allies were the Kings of Shewa. When there was tension between the Amir of Harar Abu Bakr II ibn `Abd al-Munan and Sharmarke, as a result of the Amir arresting one of his agents in Harar , Sharmarke persuaded the son of Sahle Selassie , ruler of Shewa , to imprison on his behalf about 300 citizens of Harar then resident in Shewa, for

5476-544: Was unsuccessful in this endeavour, and was eventually forced into exile in Yemen . Both sultanates maintained written records of their activities, which still exist. In late 1888, Sultan Yusuf Ali Kenadid entered into a treaty with the Italian government, making his Sultanate of Hobyo an Italian protectorate known as Italian Somalia . His rival Boqor Osman Mahamuud was to sign a similar agreement vis-a-vis his own Majeerteen Sultanate

#128871