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{{Short description|Somali clan}} {{Short description|Somali clan}}
{{About|the Somali clan|the Sultanate|Warsangali Sultanate}}{{Infobox tribe
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group = Warsangali<br/>{{lang|ar|ورسنجلي}} | name = Warsangali<br>ورسنجلي
| image = File:Sultan_Mohamoud_Ali_Shire_2.jpg
| region1 = {{flag|Somalia}} Sanaag
| caption = Portrait of Mohamoud Ali Shire, the 20th Sultan of the Somali Sultanate of Warsangali.
| region2 = {{flag|Puntland}} Bari
| type = ]
| region3 = {{flag|Oman}} Lower Jubba
| ethnicity = {{flagicon|Somalia}}]
| region4 = {{flagcountry|Eritrea}}
| location = {{flagicon|Somalia}}]<br>{{flagicon|Somaliland}}]<br>{{flagicon|Yemen}}]<br>{{flagicon|Oman}}]<br>
| langs = ]
| descended = ]
| rels = ] (])
| language = {{flagicon|Somalia}}]<br>{{flagicon|Arab League}}]
| related-c = ], ], ], ], ], <!-- CONFIRMED RELATIONS!!! -->
| religion = ] ]
| native_name =
| ]
| native_name_lang =
branches = *Aadan Siciid
| flag = ]
*Cawramale
| related_groups =
*Dubeys
}}
*Nuux Cumar
The '''Warsangali''' ({{lang-so|Warsangeli}}, {{lang-ar| قبيلة ورسنجلي}})<ref name="cruttenden_72" /> is a major ], part of the ] clan which itself belongs to one of the largest Somali clan-families - the ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Somalia: Minorities and indigenous peoples |url=https://minorityrights.org/country/somalia/ |publisher=Minority Rights Group International |access-date=22 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Lewis |first1=Ioan M |title=A Pastoral Democracy: A Study of Pastoralism and Politics Among the Northern Somali of the Horn of Africa |date=1999 |publisher=James Currey Publishers |page=12 |isbn=9780852552803 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eK6SBJIckIsC&q=i+m+lewis+daarood+1%2C000%2C000&pg=PA12 |access-date=18 September 2019}}</ref> In the ], the name Warsangali means "bringer of good news."<ref name="cruttenden_72">Cruttenden, C. J. "". London: Royal Geographical Society. Vol. 19 (1849), pp. 72-73</ref> The Warsangeli primarily and traditionally inhabited the northern area of the ] region and northern ] in ] and northern ] of ] However they also are present in ] and ] in ] known as Warsangeli ]. Ancient Warsangelis were ] and owned ancient empires and established communities in Eritrea and Djibouti and known as warsangeli ] and in ] known as Warsangeli ]. Traditionally the warsangelis all originate from the ] region the northern mountain chain by the sea in ] and ] known as ] mountains and ] <ref>{{Cite web|last=Refugees|first=United Nations High Commissioner for|title=Refworld {{!}} Somalia: Update to SOM23731.E of 24 April 1996 on the situation of the Warsangeli (Darod)|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac7530.html|access-date=2021-06-17|website=Refworld|language=en}}</ref>
*Reer Garaad
| parent_tribe = ]
}}{{Somali clans}}

The '''Warsangali''' ({{langx|so|Warsangeli}}, {{langx|ar| ورسنجلي}}), alternatively the Mohamoud Harti,<ref name="cruttenden_72" /> are a ], part of the larger ] branch, which belongs to the ] clan, one of the largest Somali tribe-families.<ref>{{cite web |title=Somalia: Minorities and indigenous peoples |date=19 June 2015 |url=https://minorityrights.org/country/somalia/ |publisher=Minority Rights Group International |access-date=22 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Lewis |first1=Ioan M |title=A Pastoral Democracy: A Study of Pastoralism and Politics Among the Northern Somali of the Horn of Africa |date=1999 |publisher=James Currey Publishers |page=12 |isbn=9780852552803 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eK6SBJIckIsC&q=i+m+lewis+daarood+1%2C000%2C000&pg=PA12 |access-date=18 September 2019}}</ref> In the ], the name Warsangali means "bringer of good news."<ref name="cruttenden_72">Cruttenden, C. J. "", '']'', 19 (1849), pp. 72-73</ref> The Warsangali primarily inhabit the ].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Refugees|first=United Nations High Commissioner for|title=Refworld {{!}} Somalia: Update to SOM23731.E of 24 April 1996 on the situation of the Warsangeli (Darod)|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac7530.html|access-date=2021-06-17|website=Refworld|language=en}}</ref>


==Overview== ==Overview==
] showing distribution Warsangali Tribe in the north eastern Somaliland]] ] showing distribution of the Warsangali tribe in the north eastern Somalia ]]
]]]
] of the Warsangali<ref>{{Cite book|last=Beachey|first=R. W.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EMwwAQAAIAAJ|title=The Warrior Mullah: The Horn Aflame, 1892-1920|date=1990|publisher=Bellew|isbn=978-0-947792-43-5|language=en|quote=Sultan of the Warsangali since 1905, he displayed much capacity for duplicity and double dealing .}}</ref> |alt=]]
].]]
In 1848, C. J. Cruttenden reported that the Warsangali and ] territories were the most commercially valuable in the ] Valley, and that ] from India had become successful exporters.<ref name="cruttenden_1848_p137">Cruttenden, C.J. (1848). , London: Royal Geographical Society. Vol. 18, pp. 137-138.</ref> The ] chain of mountains, which is partially inside the clan's territory, extends to the cities of ] (the capital of the Bari region) and ] (the capital of the Sanaag region) both in an east and west direction.
]An article titled "Seychellois rekindle ties with Sultan of Somaliland" which was featured in one of the newspapers of the Republic of ] captures a glimpse of Warsangeli history. It writes, "the Warsengeli Sultanate has been in existence for the last six hundred years."<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927152536/http://www.virtualseychelles.sc/news/news_details.asp?id=453 |date=2007-09-27 }} Virtual Seychelles. 10 Oct 2005.</ref>


In 1848, C. J. Cruttenden reported that Warsangeli and ] territories were the most commercially valuable in the ] Valley, and that ] had become successful exporters.<ref name="cruttenden_1848_p137">Cruttenden, C.J. (1848). , London: Royal Geographical Society. Vol. 18, pp. 137-138.</ref> The ] chain of mountains, which is partially inside the clan's territory, extends to the cities of ] (the capital of the Bari region in Somalia) and ] (the capital of the Sanaag region in Somaliland) in an east-west direction. In 1848, C. J. Cruttenden reported that the Warsangali and ] territories were the most commercially valuable in the ] Valley and that ] from India had become successful exporters.<ref name="cruttenden_1848_p137">Cruttenden, C.J. (1848). , London: Royal Geographical Society. Vol. 18, pp. 137-138.</ref> The ] chain of mountains, which is partially inside the clan's territory, extends to the cities of ] (the capital of the Bari region) and ] (the capital of the Sanaag region) both in an east and west direction.
]An article titled "Seychellois Rekindle Ties with Sultan of Somaliland," which was featured in one of the newspapers of the Republic of ], writes, "the Warsengeli Sultanate has been in existence for the last hundred six hundred years."<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927152536/http://www.virtualseychelles.sc/news/news_details.asp?id=453 |date=2007-09-27 }} Virtual Seychelles. 10 Oct 2005.</ref>

=== Indian Ocean diplomacy ===
The ] placed a value on maintaining diplomatic ties with rulers in Europe and South Arabia, as evidenced by archival files in Arabic text containing such correspondence. John Hanning Speke wrote that when he visited the Warsangeli country in 1855, “the United Kingdom would hold the Sultan Mohamed (21st Sultan) accountable” if his safety were compromised. Lidwien and Spaulding (2002) described two documents that signify how the Sultanate administered its affairs and guarded its independence. Lidwien and Spaulding mention a laissez-passer document issued by Sultan Mohamed to a French physician, Gerges Revoil, on 12 December 1889. The laissez-passer  instructs the French to observe the protocol of entering the country. Any foreign visitor or dignitary would enter the Warsangeli country via its sea port of Las Qoray. However, given the traveler’s unfamiliarity with the established rules and customs of the land, the sultan allowed the French to enter by land through Bandar Mura’aya.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baruah |first=Darshana M. |title=What Is Happening in the Indian Ocean? |url=https://carnegieendowment.org/2021/03/03/what-is-happening-in-indian-ocean-pub-83948 |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Competition in the Indian Ocean |url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/competition-indian-ocean |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Council on Foreign Relations |language=en}}</ref>

=== The Conquest of Abyssinia ===
Gerad Ali Gerad Mohamoud (Ali Dable) was the 13th Sultan of the Warsangali Sultanate, reigning from 1491 to 1503. He earned the nickname Ali Dable; the word “Dable” in the Somali language means "the one armed with fire."  After returning from an exile in Yemen, Sultan Ali brought a shipload of small guns and cannon fire along with him. Sultan Ali Dable first managed to invade the Dhulbahante territory and allied himself with Dhulbahante rebels to defeat the Gerad of Dhulbahante's troops in the Battle of ]. In 1540, the sultan sent a contingent of 300 troops to Abyssinia to participate in the conquest. The Arab chronicler, Sihab ad-Din, who was an eyewitness in many of the battles to conquer Abyssinia, compares the 300 Harti army to an Arab knight whose name was Hamzah al-Jufi:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shaw |first=Jeffrey M. |url=https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/14020499 |title=The Ethiopian-Adal War, 1529-1543: the conquest of Abyssinia |date=2021 |publisher=Helion & Company |isbn=978-1-914059-68-1 |series=From retinue to regiment series--warfare c. 1453-1618 |location=Warwick}}</ref><blockquote>“On the left was the Somali tribe of Harti, from the people of Mait (Sanaag); a people not given to yielding. There were three hundred (300) of them, famous among the infantry as stolid as swordsmen.....One of the Arabs called Hamzah al-Jufi engaged in a battle to the death in front of the Imam of the Muslims. He was one of the footsoldiers and stood his ground and stood the test, confronting war with a full heart. He never struck one infidel whom he did not unhorse, dead. He killed so vast a number of them in the middle of the river, that the river water was turned red by the blood. The whole tribe of Harti was like him" (Sihab ad Din, p. 78).</blockquote>

== History ==
Today, the influence of Sultans and other traditional leaders has waned with the advent of independence and the establishment of a central government in Somalia that exercises national sovereignty. However, the longest surviving Muslim sultanate ever established in the Somali peninsula is the Warsangali Sultanate. It has been in existence for the last six hundred years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-02 |title=Sultan of Warsangeli, Somalia - THE AFRICAN ROYAL FAMILIES |url=https://theafricanroyalfamilies.com/2022/06/02/sultan-of-warsangeli/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=theafricanroyalfamilies.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

The Warsangali Sultanate has a history of civilization, characterized by a defined population and territory, along with an organized political structure. The Warsangeli inhabit a territory extending to the west of Erigavo from Bosaso (Bari region), straddling from the shore of Laaso Suurad, (“Ras Surad”), and bordered in the North by the Gulf of Aden to the plateaus of Sool Haud (a land mass the size of Sool and Awdal regions combined).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Team |first=Editorial |date=2018-12-06 |title=Kingdom of Warsangali (1218-1886AD) {{!}} African History {{!}} ThinkAfrica |url=https://thinkafrica.net/kingdom-of-warsangali-1218-1886ad-spotlight-on-middle-ages-african-global-trade-hub/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Think Africa |language=en-US}}</ref>

The Sultanate produced seafarers who made their mark in the field of social science. Ibrahim Isma’il’s book, ''An Early Autobiography of a Somali'' (1919), a Warsangeli seafarer himself, describes a judgment issued by the Sultan and in compliance with a decision by the royal court. The sultan ordered a boat-making project as a redress to an incident at the port. To maintain the region’s trade ties with the Arabian peninsula, the Sultan ruled that preserving its integrity as a place where traders have guarantees for the value and protection of their merchandise was important. Murrayat’s travels (1848) in the interior of the Warsangeli Country shows a similar observation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Migration Story: The Making of Britain |url=https://www.ourmigrationstory.org.uk/oms/the-travels-of-somali-seaman-ibrahim-ismaail |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=www.ourmigrationstory.org.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref> Murrayat observed a widespread practice of good moral precepts in safeguarding the rights of private property and in deference to the law of the land. During his stay, not an article of his belongings was stolen. He states, “In this land, to call a man a thief is a deadly insult only to be washed by blood alone.” <ref>{{Cite book |last=Johnston |first=Alexander Keith |url=http://archive.org/details/cabinetatlasofac00john |title=Cabinet atlas of the actual geography of the world, with a complete index ... |date=1882 |publisher=Edinburgh : W. & K. Johnston |others=University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign}}</ref>

Until 1920, the sultanate had maintained its independence after its sultan, Mohamoud Ali Shire, was exiled into the islands of Seychelles. The sultan was fiercely independent and detested foreign presence in his country.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Beachey |first=R. W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EMwwAQAAIAAJ |title=The Warrior Mullah: The Horn Aflame, 1892-1920 |date=1990 |publisher=Bellew |isbn=978-0-947792-43-5 |language=en |quote=Sultan of the Warsangali since 1905, he displayed much capacity for duplicity and double dealing .}}</ref> A newspaper as cited by Seychelles Nation, states,  “His independent policy, strength and indifference to the powers surrounding him, including the British has vexed London and led to his arrest and deportation to Seychelles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saldanada Maakhir {{!}} allsanaag |url=https://allsanaag.com/saldanada-maakhir/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |language=en-US}}</ref>

The Sultan was described as a sovereign ruler of immense influence and a man of mercurial image by the historian I.M. Lewis. He was the 24th sultan in  a long line of Gerads (a Somali royal court).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Durrill |first=Wayne K. |date=1986 |title=Atrocious Misery: The African Origins of Famine in Northern Somalia, 1839-1884 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1858135 |journal=The American Historical Review |volume=91 |issue=2 |pages=287–306 |doi=10.2307/1858135 |issn=0002-8762}}</ref> In 1920, the sultan was exiled along with the two African Kings, King Prempeh of Ashanti (Ghana) and king Kabarego of Bunyoro (Uganda), and a former Prime Minister of Egypt, Sa'ad Zaghlul Pasha, as well as other luminaries of leaders in the wars of African resistance to the British colonialism were also there as exiles. He was the descendent of a six-hundred-year-old tradition (please see ‘What led to the discovery of the Nile’ by John Hanning Speke). In the 1940 and 50s, the Warsangeli leadership formed the United Somali Party (USP) following a three month convention chaired by the Sultan himself following his return from exile. The USP was instrumental in Somalia’s long and painful road to freedom and independence from colonial powers.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hoehne |first=Markus Virgil |date=2014 |title=Resource conflict and militant Islamism in the Golis Mountains in northern Somalia (2006–2013) |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24858216 |journal=Review of African Political Economy |volume=41 |issue=141 |pages=358–373 |issn=0305-6244}}</ref>

== Lineage ==
]
The structures of the clans and sub clans are not clearly agreed upon. The divisions and subdivisions as they are presented here are condensed and incomplete. Numerous lineages are absent. See the African Royal family groups for a comparison of several perspectives on clan-lineage formations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-22 |title=Sultan of Warsangeli sultanate, Somalia - THE AFRICAN ROYAL FAMILIES |url=https://theafricanroyalfamilies.com/2023/05/22/sultan-of-warsangeli/ |access-date=2023-06-03 |website=theafricanroyalfamilies.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Aadan Siciid
* Adan Yaqub
* Ahmed Dhegawayn
* Ahmed Omar
* Bah Habar Osmaan
* Bah Habar Hasan
* Bah Idoor
* Husein Iise
* Bah Ogeyslabe
* Bah Yabare
* Bihina Guuleed
* Aamir Of Garad Mohamoud
* Cawramale
* Colmarabe
* Dubeys
* Garad Liban (Tuure)
* Garwayne
* Gobyawuud
* Hinjiye
* Oday Mooge
* Jibrell Saiid
* Muhumud
* Nuux Cumar
* Ogayslabe
* Raage Ali
* '''Reer Garaad'''
* Reer Omar
* Reer Faatax
* Reer Mohamed
* Reer Saalah
* Reer Haaji
* Reer Yaasuf of Omar
* Reer Yusuf of Garad Mohamoud
* Riighaye
* Waqadsiinye
* Warlabe


==Groups== ==Groups==
*], was the smallest of the 13 Darawiish administrative divisions, and was exclusively composed of Warsangeli. *] was the smallest of the 13 Darawiish administrative divisions, and was exclusively composed of Warsangeli.
*], was a second-smallest segment of the 13 Darawiish administrative divisions, and was half Warsangeli, half ]. *] was a second-smallest segment of the 13 Darawiish administrative divisions, and was half Warsangeli, half ].
*], was the seventh largest of the dozen Darawiish administrative divisions, and was half Warsangeli, half Dhulbahante<ref>Taariikhdii daraawiishta iyo Sayid Maxamad Cabdille Xasan, Jaamac Cumar Ciise · 2005 - PAGE 173</ref> *] was the seventh largest of the dozen Darawiish administrative divisions, and was half Warsangeli, half Dhulbahante.<ref>Taariikhdii daraawiishta iyo Sayid Maxamad Cabdille Xasan, Jaamac Cumar Ciise · 2005 - PAGE 173</ref>
*], a proto-state during the 2000s chiefly inhabited by Warsangeli *] was a proto-state during the 2000s chiefly inhabited by Warsangeli.


==Notable members== ==Notable members==
*], first representative of Las Qorey for USP party
*], commander of one of the two ] subdivisions, named after himself
*], first representative of Jidali for USP party
* Ismail Kharras, mentioned in the ]
*]: commander of one of the two ] subdivisions, named after himself
*]: was the first Garaad of the Warsangali in the late 13th century
* Ismail Kharras: mentioned in the ]
*]: Second Sultan of the Warsangali
*]: first Garaad of the Warsangali in the late 13th century
*]: 1897 – 1960 Sultan of the Warsangeli ; Sultan Mohamoud was exiled into Seychelles islands in 1920 for 7 years by the British Empire
*]: second sultan of the Warsangali
*]: 1926 - 1993 known as Qablan, former Under-Secretary of Finance and former Minister of National Planning (1967 -1969)
*] (1897–1960): sultan of the Warsangeli; was exiled into Seychelles islands in 1920 for 7 years by the British Empire
*]: 1937 - 1991 Respected Somali Writer and Author
*] (1926-1993): known as Qablan, former Under-Secretary of Finance and former Minister of National Planning (1967-1969)
*]: First Somali and Muslim State Senator in Minnesota
*] (1937-1991): respected Somali author
*]: Founder of the Horn relief now known as ADESO
*]: first Somali and Muslim State Senator in Minnesota
*]: 2006 - 2009 President of ] of Somalia
*]: founder of the Horn relief now known as ADESO
*]: 2015 -2019 Former speaker of Puntland House of Representatives
*] (2006-2009): President of ] of Somalia
*]: 2014 – 2015 Former speaker of Puntland House of Representatives
*] (2014–2015): former speaker of Puntland House of Representatives
*]: 1935 - 2002, Classical Somali singer, specializing in traditional ].
*] (1935-2002): classical Somali singer, specializing in traditional ]
*]: Former Minister of Justice, former commander of the Somali National Army of Somalia and the President of ] of Somalia
*]: former Minister of Justice, former commander of the Somali National Army of Somalia and the President of ] of Somalia
*]: First Somali MP and later the Interior Minister of Kenya.<ref name="gbook1">{{cite news|title=Spatial Appropriations in Modern Empires, 1820-1960: Beyond Dispossession|isbn = 9781527540156|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UqqwDwAAQBAJ&q=Ali+Aden+Lord+LEGCO+1960&pg=PA119|last1 = Guignard|first1 = Didier|last2 = Seri-Hersch|first2 = Iris|date = 18 September 2019}}</ref>
*]: first Somali MP and later the Interior Minister of Kenya<ref name="gbook1">{{cite news|title=Spatial Appropriations in Modern Empires, 1820-1960: Beyond Dispossession|isbn = 9781527540156|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UqqwDwAAQBAJ&q=Ali+Aden+Lord+LEGCO+1960&pg=PA119|last1 = Guignard|first1 = Didier|last2 = Seri-Hersch|first2 = Iris|date = 18 September 2019}}</ref>
*]: Xudeydi was a singer, songwriter, composer, instrumentalist also known as King of Oud.
*]: singer, songwriter, composer, instrumentalist; also known as King of Oud
*] 2016 - Present; Minister of Planning, Investment and Economic Development of ]
*] (2016-): Minister of Planning, Investment and Economic Development of ]
*] - Chairman of International Somalia Development Foundation, CEO of Maakhir Resource Company<ref name="Skctcauip">{{cite news|title=Somalia: Kuwaiti Company to construct Airport, University in Puntland |url=http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia-Kuwaiti-Company-to-construct-Airport-University-in-Puntland.shtml |access-date=29 September 2014 |agency=Garowe Online |date=14 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416090203/http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia-Kuwaiti-Company-to-construct-Airport-University-in-Puntland.shtml |archive-date=16 April 2014 }}</ref>
*]: Chairman of International Somalia Development Foundation, CEO of Maakhir Resource Company<ref name="Skctcauip">{{cite news|title=Somalia: Kuwaiti Company to construct Airport, University in Puntland |url=http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia-Kuwaiti-Company-to-construct-Airport-University-in-Puntland.shtml |access-date=29 September 2014 |agency=Garowe Online |date=14 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416090203/http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia-Kuwaiti-Company-to-construct-Airport-University-in-Puntland.shtml |archive-date=16 April 2014 }}</ref>


==References== ==References==
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* *
* *
{{Puntland topics}}

{{Somali clans}}

] ]
] ]

Latest revision as of 16:07, 15 December 2024

Somali clan This article is about the Somali clan. For the Sultanate, see Warsangali Sultanate.
Warsangali
ورسنجلي
Darod Somali clan
Portrait of Mohamoud Ali Shire, the 20th Sultan of the Somali Sultanate of Warsangali.
EthnicitySomaliaSomali
LocationSomaliaSomalia
SomalilandSomaliland
YemenYemen
OmanOman
Descended fromAbdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti
Parent tribeHarti
LanguageSomaliaSomali
Arab LeagueArabic
ReligionSunni Islam
Part of a series on
Somali clans
Darod
Isaaq
Dir
Hawiye
Rahanweyn

The Warsangali (Somali: Warsangeli, Arabic: ورسنجلي), alternatively the Mohamoud Harti, are a Somali sub clan, part of the larger Harti branch, which belongs to the Darod clan, one of the largest Somali tribe-families. In the Somali language, the name Warsangali means "bringer of good news." The Warsangali primarily inhabit the Sanaag.

Overview

Map of Somalia showing distribution of the Warsangali tribe in the north eastern Somalia
Ruins in the coastal town of Las Khorey

In 1848, C. J. Cruttenden reported that the Warsangali and Majeerteen territories were the most commercially valuable in the Nugaal Valley and that Banians from India had become successful exporters. The Cal Madow chain of mountains, which is partially inside the clan's territory, extends to the cities of Bosaso (the capital of the Bari region) and Ceerigaabo (the capital of the Sanaag region) both in an east and west direction.

Traditional territory inhabited by the various Somali clans shown

An article titled "Seychellois Rekindle Ties with Sultan of Somaliland," which was featured in one of the newspapers of the Republic of Seychelles, writes, "the Warsengeli Sultanate has been in existence for the last hundred six hundred years."

Indian Ocean diplomacy

The Warsangali Sultanate placed a value on maintaining diplomatic ties with rulers in Europe and South Arabia, as evidenced by archival files in Arabic text containing such correspondence. John Hanning Speke wrote that when he visited the Warsangeli country in 1855, “the United Kingdom would hold the Sultan Mohamed (21st Sultan) accountable” if his safety were compromised. Lidwien and Spaulding (2002) described two documents that signify how the Sultanate administered its affairs and guarded its independence. Lidwien and Spaulding mention a laissez-passer document issued by Sultan Mohamed to a French physician, Gerges Revoil, on 12 December 1889. The laissez-passer  instructs the French to observe the protocol of entering the country. Any foreign visitor or dignitary would enter the Warsangeli country via its sea port of Las Qoray. However, given the traveler’s unfamiliarity with the established rules and customs of the land, the sultan allowed the French to enter by land through Bandar Mura’aya.

The Conquest of Abyssinia

Gerad Ali Gerad Mohamoud (Ali Dable) was the 13th Sultan of the Warsangali Sultanate, reigning from 1491 to 1503. He earned the nickname Ali Dable; the word “Dable” in the Somali language means "the one armed with fire."  After returning from an exile in Yemen, Sultan Ali brought a shipload of small guns and cannon fire along with him. Sultan Ali Dable first managed to invade the Dhulbahante territory and allied himself with Dhulbahante rebels to defeat the Gerad of Dhulbahante's troops in the Battle of Garadag. In 1540, the sultan sent a contingent of 300 troops to Abyssinia to participate in the conquest. The Arab chronicler, Sihab ad-Din, who was an eyewitness in many of the battles to conquer Abyssinia, compares the 300 Harti army to an Arab knight whose name was Hamzah al-Jufi:

“On the left was the Somali tribe of Harti, from the people of Mait (Sanaag); a people not given to yielding. There were three hundred (300) of them, famous among the infantry as stolid as swordsmen.....One of the Arabs called Hamzah al-Jufi engaged in a battle to the death in front of the Imam of the Muslims. He was one of the footsoldiers and stood his ground and stood the test, confronting war with a full heart. He never struck one infidel whom he did not unhorse, dead. He killed so vast a number of them in the middle of the river, that the river water was turned red by the blood. The whole tribe of Harti was like him" (Sihab ad Din, p. 78).

History

Today, the influence of Sultans and other traditional leaders has waned with the advent of independence and the establishment of a central government in Somalia that exercises national sovereignty. However, the longest surviving Muslim sultanate ever established in the Somali peninsula is the Warsangali Sultanate. It has been in existence for the last six hundred years.

The Warsangali Sultanate has a history of civilization, characterized by a defined population and territory, along with an organized political structure. The Warsangeli inhabit a territory extending to the west of Erigavo from Bosaso (Bari region), straddling from the shore of Laaso Suurad, (“Ras Surad”), and bordered in the North by the Gulf of Aden to the plateaus of Sool Haud (a land mass the size of Sool and Awdal regions combined).

The Sultanate produced seafarers who made their mark in the field of social science. Ibrahim Isma’il’s book, An Early Autobiography of a Somali (1919), a Warsangeli seafarer himself, describes a judgment issued by the Sultan and in compliance with a decision by the royal court. The sultan ordered a boat-making project as a redress to an incident at the port. To maintain the region’s trade ties with the Arabian peninsula, the Sultan ruled that preserving its integrity as a place where traders have guarantees for the value and protection of their merchandise was important. Murrayat’s travels (1848) in the interior of the Warsangeli Country shows a similar observation. Murrayat observed a widespread practice of good moral precepts in safeguarding the rights of private property and in deference to the law of the land. During his stay, not an article of his belongings was stolen. He states, “In this land, to call a man a thief is a deadly insult only to be washed by blood alone.”

Until 1920, the sultanate had maintained its independence after its sultan, Mohamoud Ali Shire, was exiled into the islands of Seychelles. The sultan was fiercely independent and detested foreign presence in his country. A newspaper as cited by Seychelles Nation, states,  “His independent policy, strength and indifference to the powers surrounding him, including the British has vexed London and led to his arrest and deportation to Seychelles.

The Sultan was described as a sovereign ruler of immense influence and a man of mercurial image by the historian I.M. Lewis. He was the 24th sultan in  a long line of Gerads (a Somali royal court). In 1920, the sultan was exiled along with the two African Kings, King Prempeh of Ashanti (Ghana) and king Kabarego of Bunyoro (Uganda), and a former Prime Minister of Egypt, Sa'ad Zaghlul Pasha, as well as other luminaries of leaders in the wars of African resistance to the British colonialism were also there as exiles. He was the descendent of a six-hundred-year-old tradition (please see ‘What led to the discovery of the Nile’ by John Hanning Speke). In the 1940 and 50s, the Warsangeli leadership formed the United Somali Party (USP) following a three month convention chaired by the Sultan himself following his return from exile. The USP was instrumental in Somalia’s long and painful road to freedom and independence from colonial powers.

Lineage

Warsangeli sultanate
The full clan Tree of Warsnageli Harti Darod

The structures of the clans and sub clans are not clearly agreed upon. The divisions and subdivisions as they are presented here are condensed and incomplete. Numerous lineages are absent. See the African Royal family groups for a comparison of several perspectives on clan-lineage formations.

  • Aadan Siciid
  • Adan Yaqub
  • Ahmed Dhegawayn
  • Ahmed Omar
  • Bah Habar Osmaan
  • Bah Habar Hasan
  • Bah Idoor
  • Husein Iise
  • Bah Ogeyslabe
  • Bah Yabare
  • Bihina Guuleed
  • Aamir Of Garad Mohamoud
  • Cawramale
  • Colmarabe
  • Dubeys
  • Garad Liban (Tuure)
  • Garwayne
  • Gobyawuud
  • Hinjiye
  • Oday Mooge
  • Jibrell Saiid
  • Muhumud
  • Nuux Cumar
  • Ogayslabe
  • Raage Ali
  • Reer Garaad
  • Reer Omar
  • Reer Faatax
  • Reer Mohamed
  • Reer Saalah
  • Reer Haaji
  • Reer Yaasuf of Omar
  • Reer Yusuf of Garad Mohamoud
  • Riighaye
  • Waqadsiinye
  • Warlabe

Groups

  • Shacni-cali was the smallest of the 13 Darawiish administrative divisions, and was exclusively composed of Warsangeli.
  • Garbo Darawiish was a second-smallest segment of the 13 Darawiish administrative divisions, and was half Warsangeli, half Dhulbahante.
  • Burcadde-godwein was the seventh largest of the dozen Darawiish administrative divisions, and was half Warsangeli, half Dhulbahante.
  • Maakhir was a proto-state during the 2000s chiefly inhabited by Warsangeli.

Notable members

References

  1. ^ Cruttenden, C. J. "Memoir on the Western or Edoor Tribes, inhabiting the Somali Coast...", Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, 19 (1849), pp. 72-73
  2. "Somalia: Minorities and indigenous peoples". Minority Rights Group International. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  3. Lewis, Ioan M (1999). A Pastoral Democracy: A Study of Pastoralism and Politics Among the Northern Somali of the Horn of Africa. James Currey Publishers. p. 12. ISBN 9780852552803. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  4. Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Refworld | Somalia: Update to SOM23731.E of 24 April 1996 on the situation of the Warsangeli (Darod)". Refworld. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  5. Cruttenden, C.J. (1848). "On Eastern Africa", London: Royal Geographical Society. Vol. 18, pp. 137-138.
  6. "Somalia Maps - Perry-Castañeda Map Collection - UT Library Online". Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  7. Seychellois rekindle ties with Sultan of Somaliland Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine Virtual Seychelles. 10 Oct 2005.
  8. Baruah, Darshana M. "What Is Happening in the Indian Ocean?". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  9. "Competition in the Indian Ocean". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  10. Shaw, Jeffrey M. (2021). The Ethiopian-Adal War, 1529-1543: the conquest of Abyssinia. From retinue to regiment series--warfare c. 1453-1618. Warwick: Helion & Company. ISBN 978-1-914059-68-1.
  11. "Sultan of Warsangeli, Somalia - THE AFRICAN ROYAL FAMILIES". theafricanroyalfamilies.com. 2022-06-02. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  12. Team, Editorial (2018-12-06). "Kingdom of Warsangali (1218-1886AD) | African History | ThinkAfrica". Think Africa. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  13. "Our Migration Story: The Making of Britain". www.ourmigrationstory.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  14. Johnston, Alexander Keith (1882). Cabinet atlas of the actual geography of the world, with a complete index ... University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Edinburgh : W. & K. Johnston.
  15. Beachey, R. W. (1990). The Warrior Mullah: The Horn Aflame, 1892-1920. Bellew. ISBN 978-0-947792-43-5. Sultan of the Warsangali since 1905, he displayed much capacity for duplicity and double dealing .
  16. "Saldanada Maakhir | allsanaag". Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  17. Durrill, Wayne K. (1986). "Atrocious Misery: The African Origins of Famine in Northern Somalia, 1839-1884". The American Historical Review. 91 (2): 287–306. doi:10.2307/1858135. ISSN 0002-8762.
  18. Hoehne, Markus Virgil (2014). "Resource conflict and militant Islamism in the Golis Mountains in northern Somalia (2006–2013)". Review of African Political Economy. 41 (141): 358–373. ISSN 0305-6244.
  19. "Sultan of Warsangeli sultanate, Somalia - THE AFRICAN ROYAL FAMILIES". theafricanroyalfamilies.com. 2023-05-22. Retrieved 2023-06-03.
  20. Taariikhdii daraawiishta iyo Sayid Maxamad Cabdille Xasan, Jaamac Cumar Ciise · 2005 - PAGE 173
  21. Guignard, Didier; Seri-Hersch, Iris (18 September 2019). "Spatial Appropriations in Modern Empires, 1820-1960: Beyond Dispossession". ISBN 9781527540156.
  22. "Somalia: Kuwaiti Company to construct Airport, University in Puntland". Garowe Online. 14 April 2014. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.

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