User:Magherbin/Abadir dynasty

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Abadir
Foundedc. 999
FounderAbadir
TitlesImam

The Abadir dynasty is a royal dynasty which reigned in the Harar plateau from the Middle Ages until the late 19th century, being among the oldest Muslim ruling dynasties in the Horn of Africa.[1][2][3]

Origins[edit]

Abadir born Umar ar-Rida arrived from Hijaz, Arabia now Saudi Arabia to Harar in the eleventh century, it is said he was from the Banu Taym clan.[4] He allegedly first settled in Dakar Gobana, 3 km from Harar city.[5] Abadir is credited for merging the debilitated and miniature Harla kingdoms into one powerful centralized leadership hence he is known as the founder of the Harari nation.[6][7][8]

According to the Harari chronicle, Abadir led prayer as Imam and inquired about the states grim condition.[9]

After the prayer nobody stayed in the mosque except for the crowd mentioned (from Mecca). They asked each other: 'What is it about us? We see neither their emir nor their vizir. Rather, they are all of one rank. Then a man of them said: 'I also heard from them (the natives) that 25 years prior, they were a people, the Harla, until death destroyed them and they scattered, fleeing from disease and famine.

— Yahya Nasrallah, Fath Madinat Harar

History[edit]

Early dynasty[edit]

Jami mosque also known as the mosque of Ahmed ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi

The arrival of Abadir transformed the Harar plateau into an Islamic bastion between the ninth and eleventh centuries.[10][11] Abadir became Emir of Harar after the Harla people accepted his leadership in AD 1001.[12][13][14] Hararis led by Abadir according to tradition defended the coast from foreign invaders in this period.[15] Abadir is succeeded by Emir Barkhadle in AD 1038, he is stated to be a progenitor for Wali asma the founder of the later Ifat Muslim states in the thirteenth century.[16]

Emir Barkhadle is succeeded by Emir Eidal (Abdal) in AD 1067 following a victory against a Persian ruler in the region.[17]

After two days he sent some of the horsemen to Hararge to the Sarif Idal, and (this) came (to him) with 150 horsemen. He and the Imam started the war against the army of al-Kanis Mari in the land of Bissidimo. The war broke out for four days until they reached the land of Kurummi. When Sarif Idal reached her, he cut off her head and hung her on lances. She had 200 riders with her, all of whom God quickly sent into the fire of hell. The Imam returned (with) Sarif Idal after killing her and was called Emir Idal. He entered Hararge with 500 riders, praising God and cheering with innumerable and incalculable booty.

— Yahya Nasrallah, Fath Madinat Harar

Harar plateau henceforth was identified as Abdal or Adal country by locals as well as foreign writers.[18][19] Following the death of Emir Maya, his daughter Tedin usurps the throne.[20][21] Emira Tedin is associated with Gudit, a female ruler in the same time period who dismantled the neighboring Kingdom of Axum.[22] In the fourteenth century Haqq ad-Din II transfers the Ifat Sultanates base to the Harari plateau (Adal) thus an alliance state between Abadir and Walasma dynasties ensues designated Adal Sultanate.[23][24] The earliest mention of a Harar Imam in conflict with the Solomonic dynasty appears in the fourteenth century chronicles of Emperor Amda Seyon, which states the Harla people under their leader Imam Salih assisted the Ifat Sultan.[25][26][27] In the late 1300s Sultan Sa'ad ad-Din II is killed by the Abyssinians on the island named after him, the Sa'ad ad-Din Islands.[28]

Golden Age[edit]

Defensive walls of Harar city

In the early 1400s Sa'ad ad-Din II's eldest son Sabr ad-Din III returned to Adal with military support from the Rasulid dynasty of Yemen which revived Muslim state leadership in the Horn of Africa.[29] Sabr ad-Din III rapidly re-established control of the Harar region and began using the title Sultan of Adal for the first time.[30] In this period numerous Ethiopian Emperors including Tewodros I and Yeshaq I lost their lives as a result of Adal's relentless raiding parties.[31] Abyssinian king protested that leaders of Adal sanctioned raids against him solely to enslave the population, the emir of Harar was denounced for transporting entire communities overseas.[32] Sultan Jamal ad-Din II who is identified as one of Adal's outstanding leaders, is noted for persuading numerous Abyssinian Christians into converting to Islam.[33] Jamal was succeeded by his brother Sultan Badlay, during his reign Adal's territory expanded to reach large parts of modern day Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.[34] In the early 1400s Emperor Zara Yaqob of Ethiopia annexed Hadiya sultanate, one of Adal's vassal states and the emperor married its princess Eleni.[35] Sultan Badlay organized Muslim forces from as far as Eritrea and Mogadishu in Somalia to invade Abyssinia however his forces were repulsed at the Battle of Gomit.[36] In the late 1400s Sultan Muhammad ibn Badlay of Adal signed a peace treaty with Ethopian emperor Baeda Maryam I, however the Imam of Adal, Mahfuz dismissed the Sultan's armistice.[37] Mahfuz led raids into Ethiopia which led to death of Emperors Eskender and his successor Na'od.[38][39] Emperor Lebna Dengel in 1577 trapped Mahfuz and killed him, the Portuguese simultaneously sacked the Adal port city of Zaila.[40] Adal shortly after acquired a competent successor Imam named Ahmed Ibrahim, he wrestled complete control of the Adal state from Walasma by executing Sultan Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad who had opposed his aggressive policies towards Ethiopia.[41] Ahmed married the daughter of the late Imam Mahfuz, Bati del Wambara and was intent on avenging the defeat of his father-in-law.[42] In 1531 Ahmed invades Ethiopia with Somali allies following his victory at the Battle of Shimbra Kure.[43] The Adal sultanate under Ahmed reached its zenith by the 16th century annexing the Ethiopian highlands making him one of the most prominent Abadir rulers of his era.[44] According to a chronicle, the spoils of war surged into the Adal capital of Harar devaluing gold as a currency.[45]

Downfall[edit]

Entrance to the tomb of Emir Nur ibn Mujahid, the last great ruler of Harar

The loss at the Battle of Wayna Daga as a result of the Portuguese Empire's intervention and killing of Ahmed Ibrahim caused a downward spiral for the Adal state.[46] Now leaderless Adal withdrew its forces after a fourteen year occupation of the Ethiopian highlands and returned to Harar.[47] In 1559 Emperor Gelawdewos was in Fatagar preparing to invade Adal. Ahmed's widow Dil Wambara now de facto ruler of the Adal state, placed a bounty on Emperor Gelawdewos and declared the next ruler of Harar would be the one to obtain his severed head.[48] A new leadership was formed under Nur ibn Mujahid a nephew of Ahmed Ibrahim, Nur was able to defeat Gelawdewos at the Battle of Fatagar.[49] Although Nur returned with the head of Gelawdewos and was crowned Emir, his army was severely weakened from an ambush sustained earlier by the Gada Michele Oromo nomads at the Battle of Hazalo.[50] The fortified walls of Harar city was constructed in this era to fend off persistent drive by attacks by Oromo against the capital.[51] Nur advised the neighboring state leaders of Hargaya, Sim, Nagab etc to place defenses encompassing their cities.[52] A devastating famine hit the region and with the combination of Oromo nomadic attacks, Adal was in a miserable state.[53]

Sidney Waldron alludes to the destruction of the Harari kingdom:[54]

"The Harari who remained behind the new city walls were the sole survivors of a once much wider spread ethnic and linguistic community whose full extent may never be known, but whose last trace is the record of their decimation: By 1577 (the Oromo) had destroyed more than a hundred villages and besieged the city, Until the gates were filled with corpses"

In 1573 Sultan Muhammad IV was defeated by Emperor Sarsa Dengel after the former invaded the Abyssinian territory.[55] Muhammad is executed along with the Harari aristocracy crippling the Adal military, this would be the last confrontation between the two states for the next three hundreds years.[56] The Harla Kingdom collapses around this period and is succeeded by the Harar city-state.[57] Adal leaders soon abandoned Harar and moved their capital to Aussa, a short lived state emerged the Imamate of Aussa.[58] The state suffered raids from both Somali and Afar nomads, Hararis soon ceded from the state by forming the Emirate of Harar.[59] The Harar emirate in the seventeenth century thus became the sole surviving state of the Adal Sultanate era.[60]

Last monarchs[edit]

Harar Emir's palace in 1885

In 1647 Emir Ali Dawud creates a new line of rulers that continued the ancient Semitic dynasty.[61] The new emirate leaders spent the duration of their rule Islamizing the recently arrived Oromo throughout Harar's territory.[62] By 1783 under Emir AbdalShakur the Harar emirate was producing its own coins.[63] In 1821 siblings Abd al-Karim and Abd ar-Rahman fought over the throne. While Abd ar-Rahman was away to extract tax from the Alla Oromo, Abd al-Karim seized the throne sparking a civil war.[64] Abd ar-Rahman appealed to the Oromo for assistance which resulted in at least 40 villages being destroyed.[65] In 1856 Emir Muhammad ibn 'Ali 'Abd ash-Shakur assumed power by usurping the throne aided by Oromo, he is considered one of the most oppressive rulers of his time.[66] Abdulshakur is noted for criminalizing consumption of rice and dates stating its reserved for rulers.[67] The Harari opposition successfully appealed to Khedivate of Egypt in Zeila to overthrow him.[68] Egypt arrived led by Rauf Pasha, Emir Abdulsakur was soon killed by the invading forces.[69] United Kingdom later occupied Egypt and in 1885 Harar's dynasty was restored by the British after a ten year occupation by the Egyptians.[70] Britain installed the unpopular Emir Abdullahi II son of the former Emir Abdulshakur and vacated the region.[71] In 1887 the Christian state of Shewa led by Menelik II declared war on the Emirate of Harar and annexes its territory after the Battle of Chelenqo marking the end of the ancient Muslim state in the Harar plateau.[72]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Levitzon, Nehemia. The History of Islam in Africa. Ohio University Press. p. 242.
  2. ^ Ben-Dror, Avishai. Emirate, Egyptian, Ethiopian Colonial Experiences in Late Nineteenth-Century Harar. Syracuse University Press. p. xiii.
  3. ^ Edriss, Abdi-Khalil. Harar Jugal: Historical Quality to Treasure within Ethiopian Galaxy and African Universe (PDF). BEESCI International Series. p. 44.
  4. ^ Osmond, Thomas. Competing Muslim legacies along city/countryside dichotomies: another political history of Harar Town and its Oromo rural neighbours in Eastern Ethiopia. Cambridge University Press. pp. 7–8.
  5. ^ Chekroun, Amélie. Dakar, capitale du sultanat éthiopien du Barr Sa‘d ad-dīn (1415-1520). Cahiers d’Études africaines.
  6. ^ Shack, William. The Central Ethiopians, Amhara, Tigriňa and Related Peoples North Eastern Africa Part IV. Taylor & Francis.
  7. ^ Tarsitani, Belle. Revered VesselsCustom and Innovation in Harari Basketry (PDF). MIT Press. p. 1.
  8. ^ Insoll, Timothy. First Footsteps in the Archaeology of Harar, Ethiopia. University of Exeter. p. 193.
  9. ^ Wagner, Ewald (1978). Legende und Geschichte der Fath madinat Harar. p. 48.
  10. ^ Abubaker, Abdulmalik. Trade For Peace Not For Conflict: Harari Experience (PDF). Haramaya University. p. 4.
  11. ^ Gibbs, Camilla. Baraka without Borders: Integrating Communities in the City of Saints. Brill. p. 96.
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  16. ^ Mire, Sada. Divine Fertility The Continuity in Transformation of an Ideology of Sacred Kinship in Northeast Africa. Taylor & Francis. p. 14.
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  22. ^ "Gudit fl. 10th century Orthodox Ethiopia". Dictionary of African Christian Biography. Archived from the original on 2012-02-12.
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  44. ^ WONDIMU, ALEMAYEHU. A CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE HARARI PEOPLE (PDF). Jimma University. p. 20.
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  61. ^ Bosworth, C.E. New Islamic Dynasties A Chronological and Genealogical Manual. Edinburgh University Press. p. 138.
  62. ^ Zewde, Bahru. A History of Modern Ethiopia, 1855–1991. Ohio University Press. ISBN 9780821445723.
  63. ^ Zakeria, Ahmed. Harari Coins: A Preliminary Survey. Institute of Ethiopian Studies. p. 26.
  64. ^ Wagner, Ewald. Three Arabic Documents on the History of Harar. Journal of Ethiopian Studies. p. 219.
  65. ^ R. A. Caulk, "Harar Town and Its Neighbours in the Nineteenth Century", Journal of African History, 18 (1977), p. 377
  66. ^ S. Waldron "The political economy of Harari-Oromo relationships (1554-1975)", p. 12 (Forced migration Online website, accessed 3 July 2009)
  67. ^ Pankhurst, Richard K. P. (1968). Economic History of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa: Haile Selassie I University. p. 37.
  68. ^ J. Spencer Trimingham, Islam in Ethiopia (Oxford: Geoffrey Cumberlege for the University Press, 1952), pp 120f.
  69. ^ Berhane-Selassie, Tsehai. Ethiopian Warriorhood Defence, Land and Society 1800-1941. James Currey. p. 48.
  70. ^ Gleichen, Lord. The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan A Compendium Prepared by Officers of the Sudan. H. M. Stationery Office. p. 257.
  71. ^ Ben-Daror, Avishai. Emirate, Egyptian, Ethiopian: Colonial Experiences in Late Nineteenth-Century Harar. Syracuse University Press. p. 205.
  72. ^ Kefale, Asnake. Federalism and Ethnic Conflict in Ethiopia A Comparative Regional Study. Taylor & Francis. p. 88.
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