Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Monday, 3 May 2010
Suldaan Amaan Nuur
The full page About Suldaan nuur amaan attacking The british
The books name is seventheen trips Through Somaliland and a visit to abyssinia Written By carlos Swayne, ultaan nuur was not only A clan Leader he was also Military leader and had the best Skills in Military warfare, Its always strange in the begining of the dervishes it was always these 3 men who were leading the army and That went on the Dervish wars Sultan nur ina cabdula xassan and xaji sudi shabelle,Sultan nuur and Xaaji suudi shabeele contineu their journey after losing lots of men they fled to the hawd region. 11. Sultan Nur amaan raiding the port of berbera This is the year of 1893 we go back in time Berbera was the stronghold of the British Empire And As sultan nur amaan wanted to strike them in the heart He raided berbera This is before the Estableshment of Darwiishism in burco 1899, 12.Sultan nur amaan was Capabe Commander he was prepairing for a second raid he organised a group of horsemen Mostly from his clan , 13. Suldaan nuur amaan did not rest He kept the struggle going.
Emir Shermaarke Saalax Baasha (1790-1861) the conqueror of Zaylac
Shermaarke Saalax Baasha (1790-1861) the conqueror of Zaylac and the man who for the first time in Somali history brought Zaylac under the rule of Somalis, the first Somali Qadiif who in 1825 with 5 cannons and 60 H.Y musketeers took Zaylac and forced its Arab ruler Maxamed Al Baari out. He was accorded the title of Qadiif Al Soomaal by Cabdixamiid Baasha and was presented with two Arab and one Turkish slave women. The founder of what was referred to as the Government of Zaylac.
Sharmaarke Salax Baasha (1790-1861) was HY –Muse Carre- and the only Isaaq ruler and Emperior of Zaylac and Awdal.
Richard Burton
First footsteps in East Africa
Chapter 2
LIFE IN ZAYLA.
The ruler of saylac at that 1827 was Garxajis Before And After The Othmany Empire By :
Sh. Sharmarke Ali Saalax Basha 1827
Sharmarke wuxuu ka talinayay, magaalada Saylac muddo dheer, laga soo bilaabo 1827-kii ilaa waxyar ka hor markuu Ingirsiisku sida rasmiga ah u soo galay Somaliland. Sharmarke, waxa uu wakiil u ahaa maamul xoogganaa oo ka jiray Yaman, kaasoo uu siin jiray cashuur. Sharmarke, waxa uu ahaa nin soomaali ah, balse xiligaa, ahaa nin maalqabeen ah, nin fahamsan maamullada adduunka ka jira, nin soo arkay xilligaa adduunyada meelo kala fog. Nin la odhan jiray Johnston oo wax ka qoray Berbera iyo Saylac 1844-kii wuxuu ku tilmaamay Sharmarke, nin xooggan oo maamulkiisu dhisanyahay, isla markaana ah nin firfircoon. Richard Burton oo ahaa basaaskii qarnigaa ugu weynaa ee Somaliland soo gala, wuxuu isaguna ku tilmaamay nin xilligaa 1854-kii maamulkiisu xoogganaa, oo magaalada Saylacna lahayd dhawr irridood oo keliya, oo laga soo galo, ganacsi xoog-lihina ka socday.
Sheekh Sharmarke, wuxuu ka talinayay magaalada Saylac muddo ka badan 30 sannadood.
Chapter 2
Life in Zayla.
Richard Burton
One Salimayn, a black slave from the Sawahil24, now secretary to the Hajji, reads our fortunes in the rosary. The “fal”25, as it is called, acts a prominent part in Somali life. Some men are celebrated for accuracy of prediction; and in times of danger, when the human mind is ever open to the “fooleries of faith,” perpetual reference is made to their art. The worldly wise Salimayn, I observed, never sent away a questioner with an ill-omened reply, but he also regularly insisted upon the efficacy of sacrifice and almsgiving, which, as they would assuredly be neglected, afforded him an excuse in case of accident. Then we had a recital of the tales common to Africa, and perhaps to all the world. In modern France, as in ancient Italy, “versipelles” become wolves and hide themselves in the woods: in Persia they change themselves into bears, and in Bornou and Shoa assume the shapes of lions, hyenas, and leopards. 26 The origin of this metamorphic superstition is easily traceable, like man’s fetisism or demonology, to his fears: a Bedouin, for instance, becomes dreadful by the reputation of sorcery: bears and hyenas are equally terrible; and the two objects of horror are easily connected. Curious to say, individuals having this power were pointed out to me, and people pretended to discover it in their countenances: at Zayla I was shown a Bedouin, by name Farih Badaun, who notably became a hyena at times, for the purpose of tasting human blood.27 About forty years ago, three brothers, Kayna, Fardayna, and Sollan, were killed on Gulays near Berberah for the crime of metamorphosis. The charge is usually substantiated either by the bestial tail remaining appended to a part of the human shape which the owner has forgotten to rub against the magic tree, or by some peculiar wound which the beast received and the man retained. Kindred to this superstition is the belief that many of the Bedouins have learned the languages of birds and beasts. Another widely diffused fancy is that of the Aksar28."
http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/b/burton/richard/b97f/chapter2.html
http://www.workmall.com/wfb2001/somalia/somalia_history_the_somali_peninsula_on_the_eve_of_imperial_partition.html
http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-11950.html
Yusuf Ali kenadid's rule over Marehan
Arrived, agitated, four Somalis, who told me they fled from the territory of Merehan, where their convoy was attacked and plundered by twelve soldiers Yusuf Ali, on the pretext that allowed them, from Berbera, with traffic Merehan.
Saputomi Italian, complained to me of the bully Jusuf unjust proceeding, which was true of the Italian protectorate and our guns to commit abuses. I wondered the outrages of the Sultan told them that, maybe later, I provided them and gave her a big ram.
Mijjarten, except Yusuf AH's following, supported theMulla and many Mijjarten fell in his ranks at Samala an Ferdiddin, but in 1903-4 they were at least professedl opposed to him. The Hawiya and Marehan, who are und< Yusuf Ali, suffered heavily from the Mullah's raids and wei forced to join him. These last are not warlike, though con paratively numerous. Generally it is difficult to say exactl what tribes supported the Mullah, since the number of h followers increased or decreased in accordance with the ris or fall of his prestige.
Somalia e Benadir: viaggio di esplorazione nell'Africa orientale. Prima ... By Luigi Robecchi Bricchetti
Saputomi Italian, complained to me of the bully Jusuf unjust proceeding, which was true of the Italian protectorate and our guns to commit abuses. I wondered the outrages of the Sultan told them that, maybe later, I provided them and gave her a big ram.
Mijjarten, except Yusuf AH's following, supported theMulla and many Mijjarten fell in his ranks at Samala an Ferdiddin, but in 1903-4 they were at least professedl opposed to him. The Hawiya and Marehan, who are und< Yusuf Ali, suffered heavily from the Mullah's raids and wei forced to join him. These last are not warlike, though con paratively numerous. Generally it is difficult to say exactl what tribes supported the Mullah, since the number of h followers increased or decreased in accordance with the ris or fall of his prestige.
Somalia e Benadir: viaggio di esplorazione nell'Africa orientale. Prima ... By Luigi Robecchi Bricchetti
Hirabu bin Goita Tedros bin Adam - Futuh - Al Habasha
These are some quotes from the fatah ul habash book. As you can see the Marehan were led by a dude called Hirabu and his full name is not even Somali. In addition, he is forced to join the war, and when Imam Ahmed leaves, Hirabu and his people desert the war and return to their lands.
At this moment the companions of the imam screamed out, saying, ‘The infidels have tricked us; they are after the livestock,’ whereupon the imam split his forces into two divisions: one he entrusted to Garad Ahmusa, composed of the Somali spearmen of the Marraihan, the Gorgorah and the Hawiya; around one-thousand of them from among the most famous spearmen. And from the soldiers bearing shields, the same number.
”He sent (another messenger) to the tribe of Marraihan whose chieftain was Hirabu bin Goita Tedros bin Adam*, and he also sent (messengers) to the outlying Provinces to spur them on to the jihad, for God, and in the way of the Most High God.
Then Hirabu the chieftain of the Somali tribe of Marraihan, killed one of the equerries of the sultan ‘Umar Din when he was in Nageb. The imam heard about what Hirabu had done, and he said to the Sultan ‘Umar Din, ‘This Somali has acted treacherously towards you and killed your equerry.’ So the imam, and the sultan with him, prepared himself for an expedition and set out and arrived at the country of the Somalis, as far as Kidad. Hirabu. meantime, had fled and was hiding in his own country.The imam asked the sultan, ‘What shall we do now? I am going to send for him to hand over the horses, and to pay the blood-money. If he does so, then all is well: if he does not, then I shall go against him, while you go back to your country.’ So the imam sent to Hirabu to hand over the horses, and to pay the blood-money to some sharifs of the family of Ba’ Alawi, the Husainites, may God bless us through their means.”
The army camped around the city (Harar; my own barracks), with each tribe being kept apart from the others. The tribe of the Marraihan was, however, wavering. Their chieftain was a man fond of intrigue and procrastination. Extremely wily, he loved double-dealing and swindles. The imam organised some of his soldiers and went to the Marraihan and confronted Hirabu and his tribe and said to him: ‘Why are you lagging behind in coming on the jihad? Hirabu complained about his plight, and excused himself on the grounds of his poverty-stricken state.
”Now, having finished this, let us return to the earlier narrative, and look at what happened during the Somali campaign.When news of the imam’s leaving for the outlying provinces of Abyssinia reached them, a certain person, by name Hirabu, a chief of one of the Somali tribes called Marraihan, had arrived half-way along the route to the country of Harar. After verifying the departure of the imam to the land of Abbyssinia, he doubled back and returned to his own country.”
”He also sent (a messenger) to the tribe of Girri which was the tribe whose leader and chieftain was Mattan bin Utman bin Kaled, the Somali, his brother-in-law*
* 158) may also mean ‘the imam’s son-in-law’ See supra note 32. We know that the imam was only twenty-one when he defeated the patrician Degalhan (see p.27 supra) and that Mattan married his sister Fardusa (see p.44 infra).[/quote]
At this moment the companions of the imam screamed out, saying, ‘The infidels have tricked us; they are after the livestock,’ whereupon the imam split his forces into two divisions: one he entrusted to Garad Ahmusa, composed of the Somali spearmen of the Marraihan, the Gorgorah and the Hawiya; around one-thousand of them from among the most famous spearmen. And from the soldiers bearing shields, the same number.
”He sent (another messenger) to the tribe of Marraihan whose chieftain was Hirabu bin Goita Tedros bin Adam*, and he also sent (messengers) to the outlying Provinces to spur them on to the jihad, for God, and in the way of the Most High God.
Then Hirabu the chieftain of the Somali tribe of Marraihan, killed one of the equerries of the sultan ‘Umar Din when he was in Nageb. The imam heard about what Hirabu had done, and he said to the Sultan ‘Umar Din, ‘This Somali has acted treacherously towards you and killed your equerry.’ So the imam, and the sultan with him, prepared himself for an expedition and set out and arrived at the country of the Somalis, as far as Kidad. Hirabu. meantime, had fled and was hiding in his own country.The imam asked the sultan, ‘What shall we do now? I am going to send for him to hand over the horses, and to pay the blood-money. If he does so, then all is well: if he does not, then I shall go against him, while you go back to your country.’ So the imam sent to Hirabu to hand over the horses, and to pay the blood-money to some sharifs of the family of Ba’ Alawi, the Husainites, may God bless us through their means.”
The army camped around the city (Harar; my own barracks), with each tribe being kept apart from the others. The tribe of the Marraihan was, however, wavering. Their chieftain was a man fond of intrigue and procrastination. Extremely wily, he loved double-dealing and swindles. The imam organised some of his soldiers and went to the Marraihan and confronted Hirabu and his tribe and said to him: ‘Why are you lagging behind in coming on the jihad? Hirabu complained about his plight, and excused himself on the grounds of his poverty-stricken state.
”Now, having finished this, let us return to the earlier narrative, and look at what happened during the Somali campaign.When news of the imam’s leaving for the outlying provinces of Abyssinia reached them, a certain person, by name Hirabu, a chief of one of the Somali tribes called Marraihan, had arrived half-way along the route to the country of Harar. After verifying the departure of the imam to the land of Abbyssinia, he doubled back and returned to his own country.”
”He also sent (a messenger) to the tribe of Girri which was the tribe whose leader and chieftain was Mattan bin Utman bin Kaled, the Somali, his brother-in-law*
* 158) may also mean ‘the imam’s son-in-law’ See supra note 32. We know that the imam was only twenty-one when he defeated the patrician Degalhan (see p.27 supra) and that Mattan married his sister Fardusa (see p.44 infra).[/quote]
Imam Axmed Guray and the Habar Magaadi connection
Deux remarques peuvent être faites à propos de ce sobriquet de "gaucher". La première est qu'il est d'origine éthiopienne (voir la chronique taduite par Conti Rossini en 1894). Le caractère apocryphe de la forme somalie Ahmed-Guray, "Ahmed Gaucher" ressort de l'analyse grammaticale en étant le décalcque de la forme adjectivée éthiopienne Ahmed-Gragn. En outre, dans la chronique arab (Basset, ibid. : 72), le surnom de gaucher n'est pas donné à l'imam, mais à un Somali Habar Magaadi, homonyme de l'imam, Ahmed Guray b. Husayn al-Somali. Lewis (1980) contourne ce fait historique, en écrivant, non sans ambiguïté:
The Marrehan and the Habar Magadle [Magaadi] also play a very prominent role (...) The text refers to two Ahmad's with the nickname "Left-handed". One is regularly presented as "Ahmad Guray, the Somali" (...) identified as Ahmad Guray Xuseyn, chief of the Habar Magadle (Habr Yunis(Garhajis) and Habr Awel). Another reference, however, appears to link the Habar Magadle with the Marrehan. The other Ahmad is simply refered to as "Imam Ahmad" or Simply the "Imam". This Ahmad is not qualified by the adjective Somali (...) The two Ahmad's have been conflated into one figure, the heroic Ahmed Guray (...).
Translation:
Two remarks can be made regarding this sobriquet of "left-handed." The first is that it is of Ethiopian origin (see the chronicle translated by Conti Rossini in 1894). The apocryphal character of the Somali form Ahmed-Guray, "Ahmed the left-handed," emerges from grammatical analysis as being the transformation [i.e. calcque] of the Ethiopian adjectival form Ahmed-Gragn. Moreover, in the Arab chronicle (Basset, ibid. 72), the surname of left-handed is not given to the Imam, but to a Habar Magaadi Somali with the same name of the imam, Ahmed Guray b. Husayn al-Somali. Lewis (1980) skirts this historical fact, in writing, not without ambiguity:
The Marrehan and the Habar Magadle [Magaadi] also play a very prominent role (...) The text refers to two Ahmad's with the nickname "Left-handed". One is regularly presented as "Ahmad Guray, the Somali" (...) identified as Ahmad Guray Xuseyn, chief of the Habar Magadle ( Habr Yunis(Garhajis) and Habr Awel). Another reference, however, appears to link the Habar Magadle with the Marrehan. The other Ahmad is simply refered to as "Imam Ahmad" or Simply the "Imam". This Ahmad is not qualified by the adjective Somali (...) The two Ahmad's have been conflated into one figure, the heroic Ahmed Guray (...).
Although I.M. Lewis implies that Imam Ahmad b. Ibrahim was referred to as "the left-handed," this epithet is actually never used for him in the text.
Here's a direct quote from the Futuh al-Habasha on the Somali leader:
The first of the tribes to reach the imam was Habr Maqdi with their lord and chieftain Ahmad Girri bin Husain, the Somali.
One of the "Ahmad Guray"s was the famous Imam Ahmed ibn Ibrahim (Ahmed Gragn), while the other was Ahmed Xuseyn, a Somali chief (Ahmed Guray). The existence of two such characters, of course, does not eliminate the possibility that both were Somali, however, the fact that Ahmed Gragn is never described as Somali while other important characters are named "as-Somali" ("the Somali") would strongly suggest against it. More importantly, there is strong evidence that Ahmed may have been, at least on his father's side, a Belew. "Belew" is a name used for a group that was either Bejas who were Arabized or Arabs who migrated from the Hijaz ("Balliy") and mixed with the Beja population and became Bejaized (v. their entry in the Encyclopaedia Aethiopica vol. 1. I will probably post more on this subject later). For one, Ahmed Gragn's father, Ibrahim, may have been a Belew chief. The only character by the name of "Ibrahim" actually mentioned in the Futuh is a certain Belew chief of Hubat, a village/town near Harar (diacritics dropped for convenience, again):
Returing to his country Sultan Muhammad was murdered by his in-law Muhammad bin Abu Bakr bin Mahfuz, a prominent person in the country, who ruled the country after him for one year. Then Muhammad bin Abu Bakr bin Mahfuz was in turn, murdered. His killer was Ibrahim bin Ahmad, ruler of the country of Hubat, of the tribe of Balaw, a prominent person in the country who ruled the country for three months.
This Ibrahim bin Ahmad (the only person with the name "Ibrahim" mentioned in the Futuh) is later referred to as "Garad Ibrahim" (Garad, or more properly Garaad; Gerad in Amharic/Ge'ez, is a Cushitic title for a leader, used by a number of medieval Muslim kingdoms in Ethiopia such as Hadiya, Adal, and other southern kingdoms; it is also used to this day among East Cushitic speakers). It is almost certain that these two are one in the same, as Ibrahim was himself ruler of Adal for a time, and the Futuh constantly refers to Adal's leaders as "Garad" and "Emir." The connection between Ahmad Gragn and Garad Ibrahim is made twice in the Futuh:
They gathered in Amajah where they stayed three days. It was one of the towns in Abyssinia that had Muslims living in it. But it belonged to the king. Its inhabitants then went to the imam Ahmad and said, "The king of Abyssinia has a mighty force with him; the number of his horses is incalculable. Only the Most High God knows the number of his coats of mail, helmets, foot-soldiers and shields made of hide. Your fathers, your ancestors, the emir `Ali, the emir Mahfuz your father-in-law, along with Garad Ibrahim and the sultans who long ago used to rule in the country of Sa`d ad-Din - not one of them has ever attacked the king of Abyssinia in his own country, in his own dwelling-place.
While there's an "emir `Ali" who fights alongside Ahmad b. Ibrahim throughout the Futuh, it seems more likely to me that the `Ali referred to is a sultan of Adal, like "emir Mahfuz" and "Garad Ibrahim" were. It is perhaps referring to `Ali, son of Abu Bakr (grandson of Sa`ad ad-Din) and grandfather of the sultan Barakat (r. after 1555). The names of `Ali's children are highly convoluted, and he may have been the father of the Sultan Muhammad bin Azr/ibn Azhar ad-Din. To be specific, his sons are called in the Futuh - `Umar-Din bin Muhammad bin Azhar ad-Din bin `Ali bin Abu Bakr bin Sa`d ad-Din" and "Azar bin Abu Bakr," who is called the grandfather of the sultan "Muhammad bin Abu Bakr bin Muhammad bin Azar bin Abu Bakr bin Sa`d ad-Din."
Either way, these individuals all seem to be related to him - they are not just connected by their ruling Adal, but also by blood (or marriage in emir Mahfuz's case).
Further, more concrete, evidence (the third and final mention of Ibrahim bin Ahmad/Garad Ibrahim) is provided by a letter of the Ethiopian noble ("patrician") Wasan Sagad that was sent to Imam Ahmad (via Shihab ad-Din):
It was I who long ago killed your brother Garad Abun, son of Garad Ibrahim, who was older than you in years. I routed his army, and did so more than once. Don't imagine that I am like any of the patricians whom you've encountered up till now. I am Wasan Sagad.
This letter implies clearly that Garad Abun, a former "sultan" (I use the terms "emir," "sultan," "garad," and others interchangeably, as this is also how the Futuh uses them) of Adal, was Ahmad b. Ibrahim's older brother, and that Garad Ibrahim was his father.
This interpretation is bolstered by the fact that Ahmad Gragn first served as a knight under Garad Abun, upon whom Shihab ad-Din bestows many praises.
After this Garad Abun came against him, and ruled for seven years. He clung to the truth, and exercised justice and authority in a fair way, banning what was forbidden, killing highwaymen, forbidding wine, games, and dances accompanied by drums. The country flourished. He cultivated the nobles and the Qur'anic teachers, the dervishes and the sheikhs. He ruled over his kingdom and worked for the good of his subjects.
Our lord the imam of the Muslims, Ahmad bin Ibrahim al-Ghazi was at that time a knight under Garad Abun, endowed with intelligence and foresight who consulted, in his youth and his prime, the inspiration of God the Most High in regard to the commission that God willed should be entrusted to him. Garad Abun loved him mightily, when he saw how courageous and astute he was.
That Shihab ad-Din does not mention their relation at this point would imply an argument from silence but is in fact very characteristic of the work. Very few mentions of relations of Imam Ahmad's ancestry or family are made or explained, even when they would seem appropriate.
Further solidifying Ahmad's connection to Garad Ibrahim of Hubat are the Imam's ties to the land, which seems to have been one of Ahmed Gragn's bases (although his home was in Za`ka):
He [Ahmad] went to his home in a town called Za`ka, a day's journey from the town of the sultan.
...
The imam went ceaselessly from village to village until he arrived at the country of Hubat. There he was joined by the emir Hussain al-Gaturi as a support.
The sultan, meanwhile, never ceased sending out spies into every place so that information could be secretly obtained about the imam whom he wanted to kill. Hearing that the imam was in the country of Hubat, the sultan Abu Bakr set out with his infantry and his cavalry and went to the village of the imam Ahmad. He burnt his home, and looted the possessions of the Muslims there.
...
His forces, which were scattered to the winds, regrouped in the country called Hubat.
Additional ties to Belews comes from the fact that, during his campaign in western Tigray (right before his attack of Aksum), his base is again made among the Belew people (spelling of Tigray changed from Tegrē):
The imam pitched camp in Ara`da and made his base there. Some of the local people who belonged to the tribe of the Balaw, went to him. These dwelt in [Tigray]. They were Muslims.
Finally, there is the issue of the origin of his sobriquet "the left-handed." Left-handedness is associated with dirtyness (being the hand used for wiping one's nether regions) and wickedness in both the dominant Christian and Muslim religions of East Africa. It would make sense, therefore, if it were primarily and originally used by his enemies rather than by his followers. Didier Morin makes a connection to pre-Islamic Beja culture (Bejas were still in the process of conversion, most having done so in the 14th-15th century, and even today, old pre-Islamic cultural beliefs and practices are maintained - see Archaeology of Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa, p. 102) and the positive connotations associated with left-handedness.
La seconde remarque concerne la valeur dépréciative qu'a la gauche dans un contexte musulman, notamment en somali, autre indice du caractère tardif du calque lexical "Ahmed-Guray". Par contre, si l'on retient l'origine Balaw (donc Bedja) de l'imam (indépendamment du fait que ce dernier était effectivement gaucher), cette mention de "Gaucher" est conforme à la titulature ancienne, pré-islamique, des Bejas, encore conservée dans les contes populaires où le roi des animaux, le Lion, est "Lion le Gaucher" (talha-b). Il reste à déterminer ce que ce concept de gauche recouvre. V. Kalib. On remarque que la forme bedja Ahmed-Talhab est appositive, comme le nom du lignage afar Hadarmo (v.), dorigin bedja, Awli-Gura, littéralement "Tuteur la Gauche". L'origine Balaw de l'imam de l'Adal est indirectement confirmée par le fait qu'après sa défaite, c'est dans le pays de Mazaga (de Daka) fief Balaw, sans doute dirigé par des groupes différants de ceux qui desccendirent du Tigré vers lAdal au temps de Sa`ad ad-Din, mais alliés, que sa veuve Dele-wan-badha (v.) se réfugie en tentant une nouvelle offensive. Avant de piller Axoum, l'imam campe chez les Balaw du Tigre (Basset : 420-21).
The second remark concerning the disparaging quality that "left" has in a Muslim context, especially in Somali, further indicates the late origin of the lexical calque "Ahmed Guray". On the other hand, if we recall the Balaw origin of the Imam (aside from the fact that this latter was effectively left-handed), this mention of "left-handed" conforms to the ancient pre-Islamic titulary of Bejas, still conserved in the popular stories where the king of animals, the lion, is "the left-handed lion" (talha-b). It remains to be determined what this concept of left-handedness corresponds to. S. Kalib. We note that the Beja form "Ahmed-Talhab" is appositive, like the name of the Hadarmo (v.) Afar lineage of Awli Gura, of Beja origin, literally "the left-handed teacher." The Balaw origin of the Imam of Adal is indirectly confirmed by the fact that, after his defeat, it's in the country of Mazaga (of Daka), a Balaw fief, doubtlessly ruled by groups different from those who descended from Tigre towards Adal during the time of Sa`ad ad-Din, but allied, that his widow Dele-wan-badha found refuge in attempting a new offensive. Before pillaging Axum, the Imam camps with the Balaw of Tigray.
There are strong reasons to believe Imam Ahmad Gragn was of Belew paternal ancestry (his maternal ancestry I'll leave for another post). Although it's still possible his father was of a different ethnic group, it does not seem likely that he was Somali. Very often, Shihab ad-Din makes constrasts between the Imam and his homeland and Somali people and tribes. He did, however, have strong ties to Somalis (who made up a significant portion of his army in his early years), including high-ranking Somalis in his army.
The Marrehan and the Habar Magadle [Magaadi] also play a very prominent role (...) The text refers to two Ahmad's with the nickname "Left-handed". One is regularly presented as "Ahmad Guray, the Somali" (...) identified as Ahmad Guray Xuseyn, chief of the Habar Magadle (Habr Yunis(Garhajis) and Habr Awel). Another reference, however, appears to link the Habar Magadle with the Marrehan. The other Ahmad is simply refered to as "Imam Ahmad" or Simply the "Imam". This Ahmad is not qualified by the adjective Somali (...) The two Ahmad's have been conflated into one figure, the heroic Ahmed Guray (...).
Translation:
Two remarks can be made regarding this sobriquet of "left-handed." The first is that it is of Ethiopian origin (see the chronicle translated by Conti Rossini in 1894). The apocryphal character of the Somali form Ahmed-Guray, "Ahmed the left-handed," emerges from grammatical analysis as being the transformation [i.e. calcque] of the Ethiopian adjectival form Ahmed-Gragn. Moreover, in the Arab chronicle (Basset, ibid. 72), the surname of left-handed is not given to the Imam, but to a Habar Magaadi Somali with the same name of the imam, Ahmed Guray b. Husayn al-Somali. Lewis (1980) skirts this historical fact, in writing, not without ambiguity:
The Marrehan and the Habar Magadle [Magaadi] also play a very prominent role (...) The text refers to two Ahmad's with the nickname "Left-handed". One is regularly presented as "Ahmad Guray, the Somali" (...) identified as Ahmad Guray Xuseyn, chief of the Habar Magadle ( Habr Yunis(Garhajis) and Habr Awel). Another reference, however, appears to link the Habar Magadle with the Marrehan. The other Ahmad is simply refered to as "Imam Ahmad" or Simply the "Imam". This Ahmad is not qualified by the adjective Somali (...) The two Ahmad's have been conflated into one figure, the heroic Ahmed Guray (...).
Although I.M. Lewis implies that Imam Ahmad b. Ibrahim was referred to as "the left-handed," this epithet is actually never used for him in the text.
Here's a direct quote from the Futuh al-Habasha on the Somali leader:
The first of the tribes to reach the imam was Habr Maqdi with their lord and chieftain Ahmad Girri bin Husain, the Somali.
One of the "Ahmad Guray"s was the famous Imam Ahmed ibn Ibrahim (Ahmed Gragn), while the other was Ahmed Xuseyn, a Somali chief (Ahmed Guray). The existence of two such characters, of course, does not eliminate the possibility that both were Somali, however, the fact that Ahmed Gragn is never described as Somali while other important characters are named "as-Somali" ("the Somali") would strongly suggest against it. More importantly, there is strong evidence that Ahmed may have been, at least on his father's side, a Belew. "Belew" is a name used for a group that was either Bejas who were Arabized or Arabs who migrated from the Hijaz ("Balliy") and mixed with the Beja population and became Bejaized (v. their entry in the Encyclopaedia Aethiopica vol. 1. I will probably post more on this subject later). For one, Ahmed Gragn's father, Ibrahim, may have been a Belew chief. The only character by the name of "Ibrahim" actually mentioned in the Futuh is a certain Belew chief of Hubat, a village/town near Harar (diacritics dropped for convenience, again):
Returing to his country Sultan Muhammad was murdered by his in-law Muhammad bin Abu Bakr bin Mahfuz, a prominent person in the country, who ruled the country after him for one year. Then Muhammad bin Abu Bakr bin Mahfuz was in turn, murdered. His killer was Ibrahim bin Ahmad, ruler of the country of Hubat, of the tribe of Balaw, a prominent person in the country who ruled the country for three months.
This Ibrahim bin Ahmad (the only person with the name "Ibrahim" mentioned in the Futuh) is later referred to as "Garad Ibrahim" (Garad, or more properly Garaad; Gerad in Amharic/Ge'ez, is a Cushitic title for a leader, used by a number of medieval Muslim kingdoms in Ethiopia such as Hadiya, Adal, and other southern kingdoms; it is also used to this day among East Cushitic speakers). It is almost certain that these two are one in the same, as Ibrahim was himself ruler of Adal for a time, and the Futuh constantly refers to Adal's leaders as "Garad" and "Emir." The connection between Ahmad Gragn and Garad Ibrahim is made twice in the Futuh:
They gathered in Amajah where they stayed three days. It was one of the towns in Abyssinia that had Muslims living in it. But it belonged to the king. Its inhabitants then went to the imam Ahmad and said, "The king of Abyssinia has a mighty force with him; the number of his horses is incalculable. Only the Most High God knows the number of his coats of mail, helmets, foot-soldiers and shields made of hide. Your fathers, your ancestors, the emir `Ali, the emir Mahfuz your father-in-law, along with Garad Ibrahim and the sultans who long ago used to rule in the country of Sa`d ad-Din - not one of them has ever attacked the king of Abyssinia in his own country, in his own dwelling-place.
While there's an "emir `Ali" who fights alongside Ahmad b. Ibrahim throughout the Futuh, it seems more likely to me that the `Ali referred to is a sultan of Adal, like "emir Mahfuz" and "Garad Ibrahim" were. It is perhaps referring to `Ali, son of Abu Bakr (grandson of Sa`ad ad-Din) and grandfather of the sultan Barakat (r. after 1555). The names of `Ali's children are highly convoluted, and he may have been the father of the Sultan Muhammad bin Azr/ibn Azhar ad-Din. To be specific, his sons are called in the Futuh - `Umar-Din bin Muhammad bin Azhar ad-Din bin `Ali bin Abu Bakr bin Sa`d ad-Din" and "Azar bin Abu Bakr," who is called the grandfather of the sultan "Muhammad bin Abu Bakr bin Muhammad bin Azar bin Abu Bakr bin Sa`d ad-Din."
Either way, these individuals all seem to be related to him - they are not just connected by their ruling Adal, but also by blood (or marriage in emir Mahfuz's case).
Further, more concrete, evidence (the third and final mention of Ibrahim bin Ahmad/Garad Ibrahim) is provided by a letter of the Ethiopian noble ("patrician") Wasan Sagad that was sent to Imam Ahmad (via Shihab ad-Din):
It was I who long ago killed your brother Garad Abun, son of Garad Ibrahim, who was older than you in years. I routed his army, and did so more than once. Don't imagine that I am like any of the patricians whom you've encountered up till now. I am Wasan Sagad.
This letter implies clearly that Garad Abun, a former "sultan" (I use the terms "emir," "sultan," "garad," and others interchangeably, as this is also how the Futuh uses them) of Adal, was Ahmad b. Ibrahim's older brother, and that Garad Ibrahim was his father.
This interpretation is bolstered by the fact that Ahmad Gragn first served as a knight under Garad Abun, upon whom Shihab ad-Din bestows many praises.
After this Garad Abun came against him, and ruled for seven years. He clung to the truth, and exercised justice and authority in a fair way, banning what was forbidden, killing highwaymen, forbidding wine, games, and dances accompanied by drums. The country flourished. He cultivated the nobles and the Qur'anic teachers, the dervishes and the sheikhs. He ruled over his kingdom and worked for the good of his subjects.
Our lord the imam of the Muslims, Ahmad bin Ibrahim al-Ghazi was at that time a knight under Garad Abun, endowed with intelligence and foresight who consulted, in his youth and his prime, the inspiration of God the Most High in regard to the commission that God willed should be entrusted to him. Garad Abun loved him mightily, when he saw how courageous and astute he was.
That Shihab ad-Din does not mention their relation at this point would imply an argument from silence but is in fact very characteristic of the work. Very few mentions of relations of Imam Ahmad's ancestry or family are made or explained, even when they would seem appropriate.
Further solidifying Ahmad's connection to Garad Ibrahim of Hubat are the Imam's ties to the land, which seems to have been one of Ahmed Gragn's bases (although his home was in Za`ka):
He [Ahmad] went to his home in a town called Za`ka, a day's journey from the town of the sultan.
...
The imam went ceaselessly from village to village until he arrived at the country of Hubat. There he was joined by the emir Hussain al-Gaturi as a support.
The sultan, meanwhile, never ceased sending out spies into every place so that information could be secretly obtained about the imam whom he wanted to kill. Hearing that the imam was in the country of Hubat, the sultan Abu Bakr set out with his infantry and his cavalry and went to the village of the imam Ahmad. He burnt his home, and looted the possessions of the Muslims there.
...
His forces, which were scattered to the winds, regrouped in the country called Hubat.
Additional ties to Belews comes from the fact that, during his campaign in western Tigray (right before his attack of Aksum), his base is again made among the Belew people (spelling of Tigray changed from Tegrē):
The imam pitched camp in Ara`da and made his base there. Some of the local people who belonged to the tribe of the Balaw, went to him. These dwelt in [Tigray]. They were Muslims.
Finally, there is the issue of the origin of his sobriquet "the left-handed." Left-handedness is associated with dirtyness (being the hand used for wiping one's nether regions) and wickedness in both the dominant Christian and Muslim religions of East Africa. It would make sense, therefore, if it were primarily and originally used by his enemies rather than by his followers. Didier Morin makes a connection to pre-Islamic Beja culture (Bejas were still in the process of conversion, most having done so in the 14th-15th century, and even today, old pre-Islamic cultural beliefs and practices are maintained - see Archaeology of Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa, p. 102) and the positive connotations associated with left-handedness.
La seconde remarque concerne la valeur dépréciative qu'a la gauche dans un contexte musulman, notamment en somali, autre indice du caractère tardif du calque lexical "Ahmed-Guray". Par contre, si l'on retient l'origine Balaw (donc Bedja) de l'imam (indépendamment du fait que ce dernier était effectivement gaucher), cette mention de "Gaucher" est conforme à la titulature ancienne, pré-islamique, des Bejas, encore conservée dans les contes populaires où le roi des animaux, le Lion, est "Lion le Gaucher" (talha-b). Il reste à déterminer ce que ce concept de gauche recouvre. V. Kalib. On remarque que la forme bedja Ahmed-Talhab est appositive, comme le nom du lignage afar Hadarmo (v.), dorigin bedja, Awli-Gura, littéralement "Tuteur la Gauche". L'origine Balaw de l'imam de l'Adal est indirectement confirmée par le fait qu'après sa défaite, c'est dans le pays de Mazaga (de Daka) fief Balaw, sans doute dirigé par des groupes différants de ceux qui desccendirent du Tigré vers lAdal au temps de Sa`ad ad-Din, mais alliés, que sa veuve Dele-wan-badha (v.) se réfugie en tentant une nouvelle offensive. Avant de piller Axoum, l'imam campe chez les Balaw du Tigre (Basset : 420-21).
The second remark concerning the disparaging quality that "left" has in a Muslim context, especially in Somali, further indicates the late origin of the lexical calque "Ahmed Guray". On the other hand, if we recall the Balaw origin of the Imam (aside from the fact that this latter was effectively left-handed), this mention of "left-handed" conforms to the ancient pre-Islamic titulary of Bejas, still conserved in the popular stories where the king of animals, the lion, is "the left-handed lion" (talha-b). It remains to be determined what this concept of left-handedness corresponds to. S. Kalib. We note that the Beja form "Ahmed-Talhab" is appositive, like the name of the Hadarmo (v.) Afar lineage of Awli Gura, of Beja origin, literally "the left-handed teacher." The Balaw origin of the Imam of Adal is indirectly confirmed by the fact that, after his defeat, it's in the country of Mazaga (of Daka), a Balaw fief, doubtlessly ruled by groups different from those who descended from Tigre towards Adal during the time of Sa`ad ad-Din, but allied, that his widow Dele-wan-badha found refuge in attempting a new offensive. Before pillaging Axum, the Imam camps with the Balaw of Tigray.
There are strong reasons to believe Imam Ahmad Gragn was of Belew paternal ancestry (his maternal ancestry I'll leave for another post). Although it's still possible his father was of a different ethnic group, it does not seem likely that he was Somali. Very often, Shihab ad-Din makes constrasts between the Imam and his homeland and Somali people and tribes. He did, however, have strong ties to Somalis (who made up a significant portion of his army in his early years), including high-ranking Somalis in his army.
The low castes among the Badi ‘Addo
Some Bon live with the Badi ‘Ádda. The Gabalollay live with the people of the Waber. They are his ‘gourd carrier.’ The other men called Gaggab live with the Illaba . Illâba is a people of the Bâdi ‘Ádda. and thus the ‘white freed.’ What are the ‘white freed’? They are men that, if you pay attention and look at their face, seem noble. But if the generations are counted, they are to be included with the freed. (Like the major part of the stripes of low caste listed here, these ‘white freed’ were not known until now. I have not had an occasion during my stay on the upper Scebeli /Shebeli/ to meet them. But it is permissible to suppose that this is a matter of freed originating from Galla and non-Suahili slaves and thus of superior race and akin to the noble Somalis. They and the Gaggáb marry each other. They and the freed do not marry each other. They and the rêr ‘Isa those of the north, marry each other. The Gabalollây and the blacksmiths marry each other. The Gabalollay and the Gaggáb do not marry each other. When the Waber is crowned, a cow is given to the man who carries his gourd. *
It is interesting to know the bonds of matrimony between the peoples of low caste and between them and the freed. (It is known how the prohibition of marriage is the highest and most observed sanction of the nobles against the inferior peoples.) From the information in the text we have this situation:
-Gaggab: they marry the ‘white freed: they do not marry the Gabaloll[unknown]ay.
- ‘White freed’ ( Habeso-‘ad ): they marry the Gaggab, the Rer ‘Is; they do not marry the freed.
-Gabalolläy: they marry the blacksmiths; they do not marry the Gaggab. Eylä: they marry the freed. Bon Marrehan: they marry the blacksmiths.
* The Eylä and the freed marry each other. The Eylä are those of the woodland who hunt the dig-dig. They hunt them with snares and with the net. The Eylä eat unclean meat. The Eylä are two, the Halawo and the Gambaye: the ones who eat the unclean meat and become hyenas. The Bon Marrehân are the ones who kill the oryx and giraffe and make the shields. The blacksmiths and the Bon Marrehân marry each other. To insult an Elyä one says: Eylä ‘white chest.’ When God created all men, there appeared in the plain a dog and a boy. Then it was said: this one is to be called ‘dog’ that one is to be called Eylä (‘the one of the dog’).
http://operationoverload.wordpress.com/2009/05/07/the-low-castes-who-live-among-the-hawiyya/
It is interesting to know the bonds of matrimony between the peoples of low caste and between them and the freed. (It is known how the prohibition of marriage is the highest and most observed sanction of the nobles against the inferior peoples.) From the information in the text we have this situation:
-Gaggab: they marry the ‘white freed: they do not marry the Gabaloll[unknown]ay.
- ‘White freed’ ( Habeso-‘ad ): they marry the Gaggab, the Rer ‘Is; they do not marry the freed.
-Gabalolläy: they marry the blacksmiths; they do not marry the Gaggab. Eylä: they marry the freed. Bon Marrehan: they marry the blacksmiths.
* The Eylä and the freed marry each other. The Eylä are those of the woodland who hunt the dig-dig. They hunt them with snares and with the net. The Eylä eat unclean meat. The Eylä are two, the Halawo and the Gambaye: the ones who eat the unclean meat and become hyenas. The Bon Marrehân are the ones who kill the oryx and giraffe and make the shields. The blacksmiths and the Bon Marrehân marry each other. To insult an Elyä one says: Eylä ‘white chest.’ When God created all men, there appeared in the plain a dog and a boy. Then it was said: this one is to be called ‘dog’ that one is to be called Eylä (‘the one of the dog’).
http://operationoverload.wordpress.com/2009/05/07/the-low-castes-who-live-among-the-hawiyya/
Ciidankii Daarood iyo Sarkaalkii Jubland 1914
Ciidankii Daarood iyo Sarkaalkii Jubland 1914.
SOMALI WANT TO FIGHT
The New York Times, pg. 8
Nov 22, 1914
Jubaland Chiefs Send Plea to England to Join the Army
London, Nov. 10 – the London Times has received from a correspondent a copy of a petition signed by the principal Somali chiefs in Jubaland, asking that they be allowed to fight for
England. The document is as follows:
To His Highness the Governor,
Through the Hakim of Jubaland
Salaams, yea, many salaams, with God’s mercy, blessing, and peace. After Salaams,
We, the Somali of Jubaland, both Herti and Ogaden, comprising all the tribes and including the Maghaubul, but not including the [Tolomooge] Ogaden, who live in Biskaya and Tanaland and the Merehan, desire humbly to address you.
In former days the Somali have fought against the Government. Even lately the Marehan have fought against the Government. Now we have heard that the German Government have declared war on the English government. Behold, our "fitna" against the English Government is finished. As the Monsoon wind drives the sand hills of our coast into new forms, so does this this news of German evil-doing drive our hearts and spears into the service of the English Government. The Jubaland Somali are with the English Government. Daily in our mosques we pray for the success of the English armies. Day is as night and night is as day with us until we hear that the English are victorious. God knows the right. He will help the right. We have heard that the Indian Askaris have been sent to fight for us in Europe. Humbly we ask why should not the Somali fight for England also. We beg the Government to allow our warriors to show their loyalty. In former days the Somali tribes made fitna against each other. Even now it is so: it is our custom; yet with the Government against the Germans we are as one, ourselves, our warriors, our women, and our children. By God it is so.
A few days ago many troops of the military left this country to eat up the Germans who have invaded our country in Africa. May God prosper them. Yet, Oh Hakim, with all humbleness we desire to beg of the Government to allow our sons and warriors to take part in this great war against the German evildoer. They are ready. They are eager. Grant them the boon. God and Mohammed is with us all.
If Government wish to take away all the troops and police from Jubaland, it is good. We pledge ourselves to act as true Government askaries until they return.
We humbly beg that this our letter may be place at the feet of our King and Emperor, who lives in England, in token of our loyalty and our prayers.
Qamaan Bulxan iyo Xarbi Dheere iyo Gaalkii Caasrhe Dheere iyo baratankii Ogaadeen
Qamaan Bulxan iyo Xarbi Dheere iyo Gaalkii Caasrhe Dheere iyo baratankii Ogaadeen
Caarshe Dheere ninkay somali u taqaanay ama Sir Geffory Archer
Qamaan Bulxan iyo Xarbi Dheere iyo Gaalkii Caasrhe Dheere iyo baratankii Ogaadeen
Reerka Daaroodka oo u kala baratami jiray amaanka gaalada ayaa , waxa dhacday arin ku ugub ah taariikhda suugaanyahanka somali, taariikhdaas oo ah labada gabyaa ee ugu caansan sooyaalka Maansada Daarood oo kala ah Xarbi Ismaaciil Dheere iyo Qamaan Bulxan Yuusuf, inkastooy isku hal jufo ahaayeen hadana taas kamay hor joogsan tartankay ugu jireen Ingiiriska, ayagoo u kala dheelaya reer Isaaq iyo reer Cabdille ayay mar ay taariikhdu ahayd 1916kii magaala Hargaysa ugu yimaadeen Caarashe Dheere ninkii la odhan jiray oo ahaa
Maamulaa u sareeya muxamiyadii Ingiriiska ee Somaliland, weli laguma hayo duug seebta soomaali , 2 gabayaa oo caan ah iyo reerkooda oo dhaato iyo geeraar ku amaanaya Ingiriiska iyo Isticimaarka,: Waxa u horeeyay ciyaarta iyo dhaanta xarbi Dheere iyo reer Isaaq oo yidhi:
Ban dabeyl uma baahna,
Duudi geed uma baahna
Durdur laas umabaahna
Qoraxadoo duhurjoogtiyo
Dayaxa nuur uma baahna
Dab kuleyl uma baahna
Daad qabow uma baahna
Dixda ceelka Hargaysaiyo
Dalal oon uma baahna
Danley xaas uma baahna
Daarood heyb uma baahna
Sibii duur iyo Hawd
Iyo dareemo uma baahna
Caarshe deeqiyo dood iyo
Dad baad xukuntaaiyo
Daallacaad uma baahna
Dhaantadii reer Cabdille oo u wato Qamaan Bulaxan oo amaanya Ingiriis iyo Caarshe Dheere
ayagoo ka hinaasay Xarabi Dheere oo ahaa reer Isaaq ayaa isna yidhi.
Ninkii cududlaa ciyaari karee
Miyuu Caarshe caawa joogaa
Dhandhaamo codkoodu waa caane
Cir nidhye car yaa cub soo celiya
Caleen iyo ubax carfoon badanbaa
Caarshoo mudan caawa loo sidaye.
Qamaan iyo dhaantadii Ingiiriska ay u ciyaareen ayagoo Daraawiish duraya:
Raggi Qoraxay qalaafoo jiroo
Qamaan u hormood yaahan nahaye
Daraawiish raggii ka diiday colkoo
Dagaal ka horjeediyaan nahaye
Ragaan ka baqayn balaayada oo
Badheedh u beer dhigaan nahaye.
Sidii ololka iftiin badanow
Caarshow wiil amiiraad tahaye
Sidii onkodkii arkaa baxayaa
Dhaandhaamo afkoodii weeyaan
Daraawiish raggii ku duuli jiroo
Deldeler doorarkoodii baanu nahay
Taleex ninka degay ku deyn meynee
Annana waan ku daafacaynaa
Inu Xarbi xoolo gabay cuno
Xalaalnimo kuma istaahilo
Ninkii cududlaa ciyaari karee
Caleen iyo ubax carfoon badanbaa
Caarshoo mudan caawa loo sidaye
Ninkii calan le baa caweyn karayee
Ingiriis cududiisu weynaa
Geeraarkii Qamaan Bulxan u tiriyey Caarshe Dheere
isagaa ka baryaya in mid Ogaadeen ah loo soo daayo
oo ciyaarteeda dhexdeed ka amaanay Duuflaalkii, ingiriisna jeelka dhigeen:
Tiro laysku sargooyoon
Ka saraynin labaatanoo
Siman baanu ahayn
Ma sagaal iyo tobanoo
Sareeyow ku tagnaa?
Sarkaal baad tahay weynoo
Aduunka socodkiisuu
Dhan walba kuula sabeeyo
Maskaxdaad kayar saartee
Samatarkii xalayto
Intu seeraha dhaafay
Wadaadkii la saftay
Saajinkii cawarnaa iyo
Subaygiii la tageen
Saaxiib baanu ahayne
Miyaanu saab ka tagnaa
Abaalkiisa la siiyay
Gacantan aan ku sidno
Sidee baanu u galnaa?
Qamaan Bulxan (Taariikhiyo Maanso)
Muqdisho: Axmed Cabdi Heybe 1980.
Duulaankii Dayax Weerar iyo Caalya 1904
Duulaankii Dayax Weerar iyo Caalya 1904
Horaantii qarnigii hore (1904) mudo lagu qiyaaso ayaa waxa dhacay weeraar u ku qaaday Wadaadkii Waalnaa iyo budhcad u watay reero Ciidagale ah. Weeraarkas waxa lagu magacaabay "Dayax Werrar" goor habeenimo ah bay ahayd iyo dagaal dhuumasho ah. Goobtaas waxay ku dhaceen dooxatadii la odhan jiray "Daraawiishta" 2000 oo halaad , ninka abaanduulaa ka ahaa geel qaadkana waxa la odhan jiray Shariif Cabdullaahi Shariif Cumar oo ahaa reerka Ashraaf la yidhaahdo.Waxa "oday ka sheekee" ahaan nagu soo gaadhay inu ina Cabdalle Xasan geel qaadkaas ka xumaa oo aanay marna talada ugu jirin in Suldaan Diiriye oo markaas ay xidid ahayeen sidu isagu sheegtay aanu taas ka qabin, inkastoo Suldaan Diiriye annu dhinacna Daarood ka soo gelin , hese yeeshe waxa laga yaabaa in ehelkiisu ka qabeen, wuxu yidhi ina Duuflaalku isagoo ka calaacalaya arinkaas:
Duuflaalkii:
Ciidagale ma daaroo,
an danqabi maayo;
Duubiyey calaamayn,
Diiriyaanu xididnoo;
Dayax weerar jeer hore
rag baa igu dukhuuloo.
Aw Jaamac Cabdi Ciise, Taariikhda Daraawiishta page 29.
Heyssheee geelii ma soo celin, wuxunu kala talaabay Shabeele oo Ogaadeen (Ammaadin) Suldaankooda ayuu Ina cabdilaahi Xasan gabadh ku weydiistay. Suldaankii Ogaadeen ayaa diiday geel ana ahayn geelii Ciidagale laga soo dhacay inu gabadha yarad uga qaato. Wadaadkii waa kala dardaarmoo wuxu yidhi Ciidagale geela waa ka daba iman doonaane geelaa kale qaado. Suldaankii Ogadeen baa yidhi "Ciidagale oo Shabeele noo dhexeeyo halkay ii soo mari " geelii sidaas buu Ogadeen ugu gacan galay.Ciidagale waxay geellii daydayaanba mudu ka dib ayuu Maxamuud Ducaale Suldaan Guuleed soo ogaaday halku geelii ku danbeeyay, Maxamuud Ducaale wuxu ahaa nin taariikh mug ah ku dhex lehaa Isaaqa , wuxu ahaa nin ay rag faro badani ku dhaadan jireen waxay walaalo ahaayen Nuur Ducaale Dhagacun iyo Qawdhan Ducaale , wuxu ahaa nin hada iyo jeer laga bilaabi 1870-1910kii ka dhex muuqan jiray maansooyinka iyo dagaalada , geesigii iyo gabyaagii weynaa ee Xuseen Xasan waa ninku tebey markii Berbera lagu xidhay 1889kii: marku lahaa :
Suldaankiyo cuqaashii miyaan sixin khabaarkayga
Saaxiibkey Maxamuud miyaa seegay marinkiisa
Isagaase xaajada sirgaxan saababayn jiraye
Sahlanaa amuurteydu sow lalama sooyaamo.
Nuur Suldaan Faarax Suldaan Guuleed "Nuur Tayo" ooy isku jiil ahaayeen ayaa waagi u saldanada waayay ee ka dibna la boqray suldaan Diiriye Suldaan Xasan (1877kii) isagoo 15 jir ah , ayaa isagoo saluugsan wiilka yar ee u adeerka u yahay ee laga doortay ayaa isagoo suldaan Diiriye na duraya Ciidagale na la hadlaya isagoo markaas le hadii aan anigu talin lahaa sidan ma noqteen iyo hadii Maxamuud la waayo yaa reerka u talin , wuxu yidhi:
Haday alalegti aniga tahay lama idlaadeene
Geelii irdaha weyn lahaa inaba yaa daajin
Isha baryada yaa idinla tagi arinka liitooba
Maxamuud hadii iilka la dhigo yaa armin doona
Maxamuud wuxu ahaa ninkaas ku caan baxay talada, Maxamuud Ducaale oo d'a ah ayaa ku dardaaramay in geela naawlistiisa looga dhigo abaanduule isagoo waagaas d'a ahaa ,sidii baana loo yeelay . Geelii Webiga daashiisa baa laga soo qaaday Ogaadeenkii , 200 iyo 1000 kale oo dheeraad ah. Geeraarkan dheer ayuu Xaye Galaydh mariyay ka dib markii geela la soo qaaday isagoo kana mid ahaa gaaskii geela soo qaaday. Xaye geeraarkan wuxu kaga sheekaynayaa meelahay geela la soo mareen oo dhan iyo goobahay ku jareen Ogadeenkay geela ka soo maroorsadeen. Geelaas wuxu ahaa geelii la magac baxay "Caalya".
Geeraar waa nin godkiisiyo
Garanaaya higaadiiyo
Nin libaax ku gullaalo
Gabi oodan jafaayoo
Sidii goodir haraadoo
Aar gabnii laga laayoo
Goortii Aadmigu seexday
Guux hadaan ledi waaye
Afartaan isu geeyey
Maan gollaana ka sheego
Iyadoo gallimaadiyo
Naloo geeystay waxyeeloo
Oo gogoshii qaban weynay
Kuwii soo gatay moodka
War ma la noo galbiyeenoo
Faqi noo go'ay maanta
Faran geela ku raagiyo
Gadaanley wada buuxdiyo
Ma la gaadhnay sibraarka
Geeddigii u horeeyey
Goolmadooobiyo Quus
Galabtii ma marnay
Geeddigii ka dambeeyay
Daroor maw gudubnoo
Geela mawgu qalnay
Geeddigii ka dameeyay
Colkiiyoo kala giigoo
Xaajadii gudahiisa
Ninba meel ka goldoonay
Guurtidaanu u soocniyo
Garyaqanku ma fiirshoo
Geesigii Maxamuud
Guddoonkii ma ku deyney
Gaashaan dheeg wiyileedloo
Ma guud saarnay caleentoo
Sidii gaalka Talyaani
Gaardi mayskula meernay
Geeddigii ka dambeeyey
Gigadii Qorituur
Gaado aanu ku laynay
Reer Dhagood maku giirtay?
Geeddigii ka dambeeyey
Gadhka Waadhida-Heela
Awrku maw gelin daaqay
Geeddigii ka dambeeyey
Galka Dhiito dusheeda
Caanihii hasha geydhiyo
Galaan maysku biyeynoogalxood maysla noqdeen
Geeddigii ka dambeeyey
Sida roobka Gu'Soora
Gaatan meel xeradeeda
Ma guulaamo dhaqaaqnay
Geeddigii ka dambeeyay
Geligii Cillanaa
Gaadiidkaanu ku laynay
Gaajadii ma ku reebnay
Geedigii ka dambeyay
Nin doonaa ha gunuufee
Gurmad hayska mareenoo
Ha gees qaado digniintuye
Godka Aw Cali jiifiyo
Kolkaannu Heele? gudbayney
Inaanan gabanaynin
Gunti mayska helnay.
Geeddigii ka dambeeyey
Galbeed masu majiirnoo
Geela naawilidiisa
Guclaroor ma ahayn
Geeddigii ka dambeeyay
XidhGalool ma ahaynoo
Fardaha maw galgalsiinay
Geeddigii ka dambeyey
Galladiid dhinaceeda
Gawaantii la fadhiistay
Geesaa maw kala boodnoo
Goohu maysu baxaayey
Geeddigii ka dambeeyey
Kolkaanu gaanka Hudduudo
Golaneyney biyaa??
Leexadii cirka gaadhay
Galawgu iyo Fiintu
Galiyaay ma ku waashay
Geeddigii ka dambeeyay
Gooradiisa ma qaadnoo
Sidii gaas ma maraynoo
Garbo maw hadhasaneynay
Geedigii ka ambeeyey
Meel guyaal laga raagoo
Baryo ood lagu gooyniyo
Taliskii? dadka gooyiyo
Guuto loogu casuumay
Ma guullay habeennoo
Midhaa maw guranaynay
Geeddigii ka dambeeyey
Gudihii Webigii iyo (Shabeele)
Gudcurkay fadhiyeen
Arrinkaanu gorfaynay
Gaadiidka naga reebiyo
Guul inoogu dhaqaaajiyo
Inoo gaabsha dhawaaqiyo
Guhaad maysku aloosnay
Geeddigii ka dambeeyay
Habeenkaas gidigiis
Gucleroor ma ahayn
Geeddigii ka dambeyay
Kolku waagu guduutay
Annkoo gildhigii iyo
Isu geynay rasaasta
Weerarkii gigta yeedhay
Gurmad aaran kaxeeyoo?.......................
Geeddigii ka dambeeyay
Geelu haysu yimaadee
Xigsin maysku garaacnoo
Ul Galool maku taagnay
Geeddigii ka dambeeyay
Kuwii Goodir liskeediyo
Galxoodkeeda dhamaayay
Geetaan kaanu ka reebnay
Gamiguuu curanaaya
Gega mayska arkeenoo
Madhiinkii gurxamaayiyo
Gooska maysla abaarnay
Goda-xiis dabadeeda
Ma gogleeyey Tukuu
Geeddigii ka dameeyay
Iyadoo Gesiluub?
Gaashaankii nagu raacdoo
Gubad qiiqii la moodo
Durba maysla galcoonoo
Ka Gar mays daba joogtay
Geeddigii ka dambeeyay
Habeenkaa garbiyaay iyo
Gudimooyin u qaatiyo
Guri looma haleelee
Intoo laysu gadaamay
Gardiidkay cararaysay
Gujo mawgu labaynay
Geeddigii ka dambeeyey
Goolibaadhkiyo faylkiyo
Siidhigii gantamaayay
Gaadhba mays dalbanaayey
Geeddigii ka dambeeyay
Habeenkaa gidigii iyo
Gadoobkey Ledo yeedhayiyo
Garridaannu tubanayniyo
Goobo Dhoobiyo baana
Ma gariiray dhulkii
Geeddigii ka dambeeyay
Geelashay dhaqaayeen
Gaajadii ma ku reebnay
Geedigii ka dambeeyay
Ayaxoo gala waabshiyo
Sidii geed timireedka
Iyadoo gudguduudan
Gabnaa loo tirinaayo
Dhaankii mawla galnay
Geeddigii ka dambeeyay
Waa rag soo guddi laabtay
Gabalkoo ...............
Garab-weynta candhaysito
Gannabaa rati qoodh iyo
Gocaydii la lisaayiyo
Gurboodkii yaryaraa iyo
Kolba goosan ma soocnoo
Ma loo goostay qoryaa
Gujiyey oo iska dhaafee
Raga qaar hal godobeediyo
Hanoo geysto canaanoo
Intii gaal na cabiidshee
Gammankii naga oodmay
Rag dagaalka ka guulmiyo
Hana moodo gobtoodoo
Geedaa ... ku yaaliyo
Garxoor haw sahansheeno
Oo ganuunkaan ka jibeeniyo
Kolbay geel ha na jiidhee
Annagooo ganna mooyee
Walee gaadh nabadeed
Baan gudub loo wadaa seexan.
Duulaankii Hagoogane 1921
Major Xaaji Muuse Faarax Igre
Qalcadii Taleex iyo Ciidankii u watay Adam Gib isagoo u la socodo Mahdi Cabdulle Xasan oo Daraawiishta ka soo hor jeestay maalimii ugu danbaysay. waa sawir laga qaaday Taleex isla maalintii la qabsaday, Ciidankaas aad arkaysaan waa ciidankii Adan Gib
Somaalidu inkastooy yihiin qawmiyad dhan oo dal madax banaan ku nool hadana waxay ka mid yihiin umadaa aan waxna qorin waxna akhriyin inta badan, oo jecel inay aduunkaba ku maqalaan "sheeko" dhagaana ku maalaan, umad dhan oo kor u dhaaftay 20 million hadana hal abuurkooda qalin fara ku tiris yihiin, somaalidu dhaqan ahaan ama wahsi haka ahaato ama dhaqan haka ahaatee cilmi kaste waxay jecelyiin in isagoo sida BBC u dhurmaya oo cod ah ay dhagaystaan.Waxad arkaysaa makhaayad magaalo ama waab miyi dadyow fara badan oo jaraaiid hor yaalo hal nina u tebinayo warka inta kale ee garab fadhida ayagoo mid kastaaba akhrisan karo hadna marna isku taxalijyeyn inay iskood u akhristaan ,waxay aad u xiiseeyan "waxan maqlay, ama igu maqaal ah" halkay umadaa aduunkaee hor maray aad u tix galiyaan "wuxu jaraaid heblaayo sheegay ama buug hebel qoray sida" ka dibna qoraal ahaan keydka taariikhida u galo. Aad ayay xataa u yartay qoraaga somali in buugaagtey qoreen somalidu iibsadaan ooy akhristaan.
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Hadaynu nahay somali waxa inaga dhaadhacsan in dalka Ingriisku iska yimi awalna somalidu ahayd umad madax banaanayd, se ma ahayn taariikhdu sidaas.Somalidu waxay mar kaste ka soo qaataan Isiticmaarka Gaalka Cad markay ka hadlayaan Isticmaar, waxa se ka horeeyay Isticmaarkii Turkishka oo somalida iyo umada Muslinkaba ula dhaqmi jiray si kaba sii xun gaalada. Abd Al Qadir Pasha oo hogaaminaayay ciidamadii Turkishka ayaa 1867kii Berbera ka taagay calanka Turkishka oo hoos keenay Somalia mustacmarad Turkish empire , 1875kii na ilaa Harar ka taagay calankii Turkishka. Istcimaarka European ka 80 sanadood ayuu somalia ka arimanaayay Isticmaarkii Turkishkana muda intaas leeg ooy ugu dhanabaysay 1884kii Turkishka oo si toos ahugu wareejiyay xeebaa somalia Ingiriiska , waa midh ay somalidu badankood diraasad xumo awgeed ay u hilmaamaan mar kaste.
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Sarkaalkii ugu horeeyay ee udubka u asla isticmaarka Ingiriiska Walsh, Langton Prendergast, 1889-1912 wuxu buugiisa Under the Flag and Somali Coast Stories si cad uga shekaynayaa siday Turkishku ula shaqeyn jireen Isticmaarka cusub ayagoo soo dhawaynaya , ilaa somalidii manduubka uga ahayd Turkishka magaalada Berbera ay hoos keenayaan Ingiriiska sida Manduubka Turkishka ee Berbera Maxamed Xaaji Sharmaarke Xaaji Saalax oo ahaa manduubkii ugu danbeeyay ee Turkishka magaalada Berbera.
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Turkishka waxay ka haluuleen Somalia dhamaadkii 1870 ciidmadoodu ka dib markii Mahdiyintii Sudan bilaabeen muqaawamada ay kaga soo hor jeedeen maamulka Ingiriiska , ayagoo Turkishku garab siinayo Ingiriiska sababtaa awgeed ayay ciidankoodii ugala baxeen Somalia si ay dagaalka Sudan uga qeyb qaataan. Dhamaadkii 1880 ayaa Sudan waxa lagu jabiyay hadhaagii ugu danbeeyay ee Mahdist firxad fara badan oo le Mahdiyiin iyo Sunuusisiyiin ( Muqaawamadii Libiya ee Cumar Al Mukhtaar) ayaa caalamka Islaam u kala qaxay. 1887 markay Ingiriisku heshiisayada yaryar een lahayn wax aqoonsi ah la galeen gancsatada Berbera,Karin, Maydh,Shalcow, Laas Qori iyo Zaylac ay ku tilmaameen heshiisyo Qabaail , ayadoo la wada ogyahay inaan 2 nin oo Cali Siciid ah oo Maydh dagan iyo 2 Sacad Yoonis ah oo Shalacow jooga iyo 4 Muuse Care ah oo Maydh jooga aanay matalin reerkay u saxeexeen heshiiska ee Habar Yoonis ,ama, 9 gancasato oo Habar Jeclo oo Cadan jooga aanay matalin Habar Jeclo ( Fiiri heshiisayada Major Hunter ee lagu magacaabay heshiis qabiil iyo Ingiriis).
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Waxay Ingiirksu iyo Turkishkaba ka caban jireen bilowgii Isticmaarka xarakada Sanuusi iyo ta Mahdi oo somalia ilaa miyiga ka jirtay oo nimankaas wadaada ah Somalida ku gubaabin jiray inay la dagaalamaan Gaalada . Salaadiinta Sunuusiga iyo Mahdiyiinta aadu soo dhaweeyay 1880-1899kii waxa ka mid ahaa Suldaan Nuur Amaan waagi danbna noqday suldaanka kali ah ee Daraawiishta soo dhaweeyay duulaano fara badna ka qeyb qaatay sida dagaalkii Firdhin oo Dhulbahnate oo gaalo wataan kula hirdameen daraawiishta goobtaas oo ciidanka Ingiiiriska ah oo 350 askari oo Dhulbahnate ah hogaaminayeen:
1-Major Benyon
2-Captain Friedrichs
3-Lieutenant Walsh
Halka ciidanka Daraawiishtana ay hogaaminayeen dagaalkii ugu horeeyay ee Firdhidin :
1- Xaaji Suudi "Darwiish Axmed Warsame" (H.Jeclo)
2- Ina Cabdalle Xasan (Ogadeen)
3- Suldaan Nuur Amaan. (H.Yoonis)
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Wax Daraawiish ku sheega dagaal ugu horeeyay kaas Firdhidin waxaba hadii laysku wada qaado mudo ka yarayd 4 sanadood ayuu "ku dhafoo carar" dagaal ah oo tuur tuur ah dhex mareen kooxdii dooxatada ahayd iyo ciidamo somali iyo ciidamo ajnabi.
1- Firdhidin
2-Gumburo
3- Daraatoole
4- Jidbaale oo ugu danbeeyay oo dhamaaday 1904kii.
Mudadaadaa 4taas sandood mooyaane 16 sanadood ee kale Daraawiish sanad kaste qabiilada somalia ayay dagaal boob iyo dhac ah ku qaadi jireen ama qabiilada somali baa ka aar goosan jiray. Dagaaladaas waxa ka mid ah:
1- Dayax Weerar
2- Gunde Gooye
3- Ilko Cad
4- Kal Xoor
5- Gebogabo
6- Ilig Daldala
7- Baladhiig
8-Buraan
9- Hagoogane
10-Caado
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Lama odhan karo Daraawiishtu waxay bilaabeen wax cusub, Magaca Daraawiish waa magacii Mahdiyiintii Sudan ay keeneen Somalia dhamaadkii 1880gii, duubka cad/cas iyo dharka Carabtaba Xaaji Suudi oo joogi jiray Sudaan baa ku soo kordhiyay qalabka Daraawiishta, eriga Khusuusi waa eri af Carabi ah oo somalidu taqaanay oo Gurtida gaarka ah ee talada goysa ku tilmaamijireen sidii 7dii Khusuusi ee suldaan Xirsi Amaan 1824-1879 , lamana odhan karo dad aan waxba ogayn bay toosiyeen , somalidu se Gaalka xeebta dagan waxay ka necbaayeen Xabshida galbeedka ka xigta iyo Turkishkii ka horeeyay , oo Gaal xeebta dagan halis weyn umay arkayn.
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Kacaankii Maxamed Afweyne oo maal badan u huray taariikh abuuris Gacan Ku Rimis ah oo ujadeedu tahay dooxatadii Daraawiish hala "Daaroodeeyo" oo halaga dhigo halgan reerka Daaroodki ku fanaan Somalida kalana lagu duro.Waxa taariikhdaas loo adeegsaday oo lagu xalaaleeyay somali badan oo Qaranimadu ku fogtay oo aad ugu daacad ahaa Somalinimada sida Xaaji Muuse Galaal iyo abwaano badan oo xumadii 1960gii la fogaatay oo maansooyinkooda ku soo daray dooxatadii Daraawiishta isu bixisay.
Waxa la yaab ah Daaroodkii Daraawiishta ka firdhan jiray oo aad u necebaa dhiig miiratdaas oo gabyaagoodii la jiilka ahaa Daraawiishta 1899-1921 sida:
1- Cali Dhuux Adan Gurayo (Dhulos)
2- Qamaan Bulxan Yuusuf(Ogaadeen)
3- Xarbi Ismaaciil Dheere( Ogaadeen)
4- Bidhiidh( Dhulos)
5- Cilmi Raage (Ogaadeen).
Nina amaanin oo mid kaste ka qabay fikrad ahaan waxay somalida kaleba ka qabto ayaa wixii ka danbeeyay 1974kii marku ninka la yidhaahdo Aw Jaamac Cabdi Ciise ku qaatay qandaraaska xaaraanta ah keydinta iyo qurxinta taariikhdii madoobayd ee Daraawiishta, Akaadimiyada Fanka Iyo Suugaanta kaligii loo xil saaray ,ayaa waxa shaac baxay dabayl jacayl oo Daaroodkii jiillalkan danbe ahaa lagu soo jiitay qabyaalad iyo colaad horin ka dhan ah qabiilada kale Dir , Hawiye iyo Isaaqba , ayadoo ahayad tiirka ka danbeeyay qorista buuga odayga Kaabo Qabiil Aw Jaamac Cabdi Ciise ay ahayd in Daraawiishta la Daaroodeeyo oo xumaantoodii oo dhan laga dhigo "khayr" ay garan waayeen Somalidu wixii ku lidka ahaana laga dhigo Somalida kale oon Daarood ku jirin. Halku odayga Hayaag ee Aw Jaamac Cabdi Ciise ku dadaalayay in aan haba yaraatee wax lagu faano mooyaane inaan wax run ah laga qorin taariikhda Daraawiishta. Aw Jaamac Cabdi Ciise heerku qabyaalad ka gaadhay isagoo reerku ka soo jeedaba 99% Daraawiish ka soo hor jeedeen oo dagaalkii ugu horeeyay ba ayagoo Ingiiriis wato dhex maray dooxatadii Daraawiishta iyo reerk Dhulbahnate oo 350 fardoolay ah oo hogaaminayaan 3 gaal fooda laysku daray tuulada Garoowe u dhow ee Firdhidin, ayaa hadana marna xaqiiqada dhabta ah ee Daraawiishta buugiisa kaga hadal oo mar kaste ka dhigayaa Dhulbahnate inay wada ahaayeen Taabiciiyiin muxaafida ah oo ah askar indho iyo dhago l'a oo Ustaadka ku saliya.
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Aw Jaamac Cabdi Ciise 2diisii buug ee Maxamed Afweyne shaanbada kacaanka ugu dhuftay hadii diraasad lagu sameeyo oo la barbar dhigo qoraaladii ugu horeeyay ee Ingiriisku qoray sida:
1- Douglas Jardin ,The Mad Mullah Of Somaliland.
2-In the Grip of the Mullah. A Tale of Adventure in Somaliland.
3- Sun Sand and Somal, Henry Rayne.
Farqiga u dhexeeya qof kaste waa dareemi karaa, markay lid ku tahay ujeedada Daaroodaysan sidii dagaalkii Taleex , markaste Aw Jaamac Cabdi Ciise waa ka leexiyaa xaqiiqada si aanu barnaamijku is burin. Aw Jaamac Cabdi Ciise oo waayadan danbe huwan hulaab Somalinimo burburkii dawladii Maxamed Afweyne ka dib ayaa hada wuxu isku difaacaa inu waagaas u waxan keydinaayay aanu meelo fara badan wax ka eegin oo "jibo" haysay "ama Saar Daraawiish", Aw Jaamac Cabdi Ciise marna ma waraysan Somalidii kale ee Daraawiishta soo gaadhay ama Daraawiishtaba ka mid ahaa sida :
1- Maxamud Daallin (1860-1990)
2- Darwiish Cabdi Warsame "Dheere" 1878-1986.
3- Sheeko Xariir.
Aw Jaamac taas ka sokow marna taariikh ku sheegiisa uma soo adeegsan daliil ka baxsan sheekooyinka odayaasha reerkiisa ah marku soo daliishadana waa mar ay u haboontay oo tiisa u rabo daryeelaysa "selective refrences".
Inkastoo aad loo buunbuuniyo Daraawiish ku sheega oo la yidhaahdo Gaalay la dagalaami jireen 20 sanadood , xaqiiqadu waxa weeyaan wax ka yar 3 sanadood iyo 4 isku tuur tuur oo u badnaa ku dhufo oo ka dhaqaaq bay Daraawiish iyo ciidamadii Somali iyo Ingiriis isku haleeleen. Mudadu dagaalku socday waxay ahayd 1901-1904 dagaalna kama danbayn 1904kii oo Daraawiishtu waxay hoos tageen Muxamiyada Talyaaniga ooy heshiis la galeen ka dibna Duflaal Maxamed Cabdulle Xasan iyo ninkii Daraawiishta u xaajoonayay ee Xaaji Cabdilaahi Shixiri ku dhawaaqeen heshiis ah " I and My People are the Italian people" aniga iyo umadayduba waa umad Talyaani. Halkaas ayuu ku dhamaaday wixii u bixiyay Aw Jaamac Cabdi Ciise "jihaad" isaga iyo odayga Faarax Idaajaa oo isna BBC da ka afuufi jiray Taariikhda Kacaanku jeclaa inay Somalida maqashiiyaan ooy ka dhaadhicyaan , Idaajaa waa ninka ku caan baxay BBC da in u sheeko kaste iyo gabay Kaste u badiyo Daarood oo u xataa marku Daaroodka kale hadal hayo xoogaa yar oo 2 Mareexaan ah ku dhex tuuro oo marmarka qaarkiiba ilaaabo ujeedu u socday 15ka midhidhna kaga dhamaadaan isagoo Faarax Afcad ama hebelo kale oo Mareexaan ah dhex xulaya.
Duluucda qoraalkan ma aha in si faafaahsan aan uga hadlo taariikhdii dooxatada Daraawiish, se ayadoo kooban baan marka hore hordhac ahaan umuyaa u maqashiin ka dibna dhacdaddi Taleex iyo dagaalkii Hagoogane ee ugu danbeeyay ku soo af jari.
Warqaddii Boqor Cisman ku baryayey Filonardi
Boqor Cisman’s letter to Filonardi
Warqaddani ma ku soo xasuusinaysaa xaaladda maanta taagan ee ciidamada shisheeye lagu doonayo in lagu keeno Soomaaliya. Waa waraaq xodxodasho oo aad mooddo in afo saygeedii u dirayso. Cabdullaahi Yuusuf iyo Cadde Muuse ruuxa u muunsoodka Xabashida ku eedaynayoow bal eeg Suldaanka (Boqorka) waxa markaas uu hubka u urursanayey oo geyeysiisay inuu gaalada u oslo waxay ahayd inuu Soomaalida koonfurta degta ku jebiyo asagoo adeegsanaya cudud shisheeye.
Bishii Oktoobar 19keedii, Sannadkii 1892 (27kii Rabical Awal, 1310), Suldaankii Majeerteen ee Boqor Cismaan Maxamuud Yuusuf ayaa warqaddan ka diray Caluula una diray Signor Filonardi[1];
"Haddee waqtidheer kuma aanan arkin xubbi aad u xooglehna waxan u qabnaa aragtidiinna. Saxiibkeen ayaad tahay mana ogin sababta aad annaga noo tuudheen. Doontii Esfita ahayd waa noo timid sannadkan, laakiin la'aantaa bay timi. Haddee hadda waxan rajaynaynaa inaan muxubbo iyo galgacal idinku aragno, waayo saaxiibtinimo iyo Galgacayl ayaa ka jira dhexdeenna.
Si naxariis leh noogu keen qoryihii iyo rasaastii aan kaala hadalnay sanadkii la soo dhaafay, waayo hareeraheenna waxa hareeyey mucaaradad. Waxan filaynaaniin caawimo xaggiinna ah waayo saaxiibkeen baad tahay waadna yeeli.
Waqtiga aan qorahayo (warqaddan) ninkii Abi Bakr Cawad baa halakan yimid oo noo keenay mushaharkii sannadka. Waxaan u soo jeedinnay asaga inuu war buuxa ku siiyo.
Markaad halakan timaado waynu is fahmi doonnaa. Waxaan doonaynaaniin baaruud (baaruudda qaraxda) qorigii Ofiat ahaa, iyo fadhigii iyo alaabtii guriga ee kale. Waxan aad u jecelnahay inaan magacaaga u dhisno guri dhagax ah. Adiga waxan jecelnahay inaan kuu adeegno waynuna isku raaci doonna meesha aan gurigaas kaaga dhisayno."
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On October 19, 1892 (27 Rabi El Aual, 1310), the Sultan of Majerten, Osman Mohamud Jusuf, similarly wrote the following letter from Alula, to Signor FIlonardi:
"Since long we have not seen you and we have a great desire to see you. You are our friend and we do not know why you have abandoned us. The steamboat Esfita has arrived this year, but without you. Now we hope to have the pleasure of seeing you, because friendship and affection exist between us.
Kindly bring to us the rifles and the cartridges of which we have spoken about with you last year, because the rebellion has increased around us. We expect the assistance from you because you are our friend and you will do it.
On the date of this (letter) Abi Bakr has arrived here bringing to us the salary of the year; we have recommended him to give detailed information.
When you come here we will understand each other. We want barut(gun powder) for the Ofiat, the seats and the other furniture. We wish to construct a stone house in your name. For you we wish to work and we shall agree at which site the house will be built."
[1] Mohamad Osman Omar, Somalia: Past and Present, pages 58
Warqaddani ma ku soo xasuusinaysaa xaaladda maanta taagan ee ciidamada shisheeye lagu doonayo in lagu keeno Soomaaliya. Waa waraaq xodxodasho oo aad mooddo in afo saygeedii u dirayso. Cabdullaahi Yuusuf iyo Cadde Muuse ruuxa u muunsoodka Xabashida ku eedaynayoow bal eeg Suldaanka (Boqorka) waxa markaas uu hubka u urursanayey oo geyeysiisay inuu gaalada u oslo waxay ahayd inuu Soomaalida koonfurta degta ku jebiyo asagoo adeegsanaya cudud shisheeye.
Bishii Oktoobar 19keedii, Sannadkii 1892 (27kii Rabical Awal, 1310), Suldaankii Majeerteen ee Boqor Cismaan Maxamuud Yuusuf ayaa warqaddan ka diray Caluula una diray Signor Filonardi[1];
"Haddee waqtidheer kuma aanan arkin xubbi aad u xooglehna waxan u qabnaa aragtidiinna. Saxiibkeen ayaad tahay mana ogin sababta aad annaga noo tuudheen. Doontii Esfita ahayd waa noo timid sannadkan, laakiin la'aantaa bay timi. Haddee hadda waxan rajaynaynaa inaan muxubbo iyo galgacal idinku aragno, waayo saaxiibtinimo iyo Galgacayl ayaa ka jira dhexdeenna.
Si naxariis leh noogu keen qoryihii iyo rasaastii aan kaala hadalnay sanadkii la soo dhaafay, waayo hareeraheenna waxa hareeyey mucaaradad. Waxan filaynaaniin caawimo xaggiinna ah waayo saaxiibkeen baad tahay waadna yeeli.
Waqtiga aan qorahayo (warqaddan) ninkii Abi Bakr Cawad baa halakan yimid oo noo keenay mushaharkii sannadka. Waxaan u soo jeedinnay asaga inuu war buuxa ku siiyo.
Markaad halakan timaado waynu is fahmi doonnaa. Waxaan doonaynaaniin baaruud (baaruudda qaraxda) qorigii Ofiat ahaa, iyo fadhigii iyo alaabtii guriga ee kale. Waxan aad u jecelnahay inaan magacaaga u dhisno guri dhagax ah. Adiga waxan jecelnahay inaan kuu adeegno waynuna isku raaci doonna meesha aan gurigaas kaaga dhisayno."
------------
On October 19, 1892 (27 Rabi El Aual, 1310), the Sultan of Majerten, Osman Mohamud Jusuf, similarly wrote the following letter from Alula, to Signor FIlonardi:
"Since long we have not seen you and we have a great desire to see you. You are our friend and we do not know why you have abandoned us. The steamboat Esfita has arrived this year, but without you. Now we hope to have the pleasure of seeing you, because friendship and affection exist between us.
Kindly bring to us the rifles and the cartridges of which we have spoken about with you last year, because the rebellion has increased around us. We expect the assistance from you because you are our friend and you will do it.
On the date of this (letter) Abi Bakr has arrived here bringing to us the salary of the year; we have recommended him to give detailed information.
When you come here we will understand each other. We want barut(gun powder) for the Ofiat, the seats and the other furniture. We wish to construct a stone house in your name. For you we wish to work and we shall agree at which site the house will be built."
[1] Mohamad Osman Omar, Somalia: Past and Present, pages 58
Suldaan Cali Yuusuf oo gaalo baryaya
Suldaan Cali Yuusuf oo gaalo baryaya
Warqaddani ma ku soo xasuusinaysaa xaaladda maanta taagan ee ciidamada shisheeye lagu doonayo in lagu keeno Soomaaliya. Sida Cabdullahi Yuusuf maanta Xabashi u wato ayuu Suldaankii Hobyood ee Cali Yuusuf u ugu qayshanayey saancaddaalaha Talyaaniga si loogu kaalmeeyo hub uu ku qabsado Koonfurta Soomaaliya.
Bishii October 10keedii sannadkii 1892 ayaa Suldaankii Hobyood warqad u diray Filonerdi oo ahaa ninka dhisay xafiiskii Mustacmarada Talyaaniga ee Somalia[1]
"Waxan kugu wargelinaynaa in sannadakan aad na tuudheen waayo Doonyo nooma aysan imaanin sidii caadadu ahaan jidhey. Cidina weli nooma aysan keenin looxaantii, sidoo kalena ma haysanno wax raashin iyo rasaas ah. Sannadakan waxa dhacay dagaal qaraar. Dadka deegaankan saxaraha ahuna waa nagu mucaaradeen dagaal rag badan nalooga dilayna haddee waa dhacay.
Markii doonnidii Esfita ay baxday, waxaan rajaynayney in ruux dhankaaga ka imaan doono laakiin haddee illaa maanta ciduna ma aysan noo imaan. Taariikhda aan warqaddan qorahayo, Abu Bakr bin Cawad ayaa noo yimid oo noo keenay lacagtii aad na siin jidheen ee sannadka 1891. Waxan rajaynaynaa inaad nagu kaalmayn doontaaniin raashin iyo qalab dagaal waayo haddee badbaadadiinna ayaan ku jirnaa calankaagana waa harsanaynaa. Marka haddee u malayn mahayo inaa na illowdeen oo na tuudheen.
Hadda waxan ku naaloonaynaa imaatinkiinna iyo adinkoo wada waxaan idinka codsannay. Nimankan la yiraa Abu Bakr bin Cawad ayaa warka oo tifaftiran idin siinahaya. Waxaan rajaynaynaa inaad degdeg noo soo gaartaaniin sannadakan si aan wadar ahaan xaajadeenna u gudanno!
Haddee hadda waxan haynaa laba waddan: Hoybo iyo meesha la yiraa Ceel Huur, askar intii hore ka badanna waa haysanaaniin. Saaxiibbadeena la dilay waa 11. Doonteeniina oo ay alaabtannadii qaar saaran yihiinna sannadakan waxay ku jabtay Hobyo. Abaanoow lacag baan u baahnahay doonna hadde ma haysanno. Adigaa saaxiibkannaga ah mana ogin Masiixiyiin na gargaadha oon adiga ahayn, haddee calankaa kiinna ahna waa difaacnaa."
……………………………
On 10 October 1892 the Sultan of Obbia wrote to Filonardi, the architect of the Italian colonial administration in Somalia:
"We inform that this year we have been adandoned and there was no steamboat that has come to us, as it was the practice. Nobody has brought to us the woods and we have neither food nor cartridges. There was a serious war this year. The inhabitants of the desert have rebelled against us and there was a fighting in which some of ours have been killed.
After the departure of the steamboat Esfita we hoped some one would come from your side, but until now nobody came. On the date of this letter Abu Bakr bin Auad has arrived bringing to us the payment of the year 1891. We hope you will help us with food and the supply of war material, because we are under your protection and your flag. We would not think that you have abandoned us.
Now we wish your arrival together with what we have requested. ABu Bakr bin Auad will give full information. We hope you come soon this year to negotiate together.
Now we have two countries: Obia and Eil Hur and we have many soldiers different than before. Those of our friends killed are 11. Our saia (boat) has broken down this year at Obbia with some of our properties on board. We need money and we are without boat. You are our friend and we do not know other Christians besides you, and we defend your flag.”
[1] Mohamad Osman Omar, Somalia: Past and Present, pages 56 - 57
Warqaddani ma ku soo xasuusinaysaa xaaladda maanta taagan ee ciidamada shisheeye lagu doonayo in lagu keeno Soomaaliya. Sida Cabdullahi Yuusuf maanta Xabashi u wato ayuu Suldaankii Hobyood ee Cali Yuusuf u ugu qayshanayey saancaddaalaha Talyaaniga si loogu kaalmeeyo hub uu ku qabsado Koonfurta Soomaaliya.
Bishii October 10keedii sannadkii 1892 ayaa Suldaankii Hobyood warqad u diray Filonerdi oo ahaa ninka dhisay xafiiskii Mustacmarada Talyaaniga ee Somalia[1]
"Waxan kugu wargelinaynaa in sannadakan aad na tuudheen waayo Doonyo nooma aysan imaanin sidii caadadu ahaan jidhey. Cidina weli nooma aysan keenin looxaantii, sidoo kalena ma haysanno wax raashin iyo rasaas ah. Sannadakan waxa dhacay dagaal qaraar. Dadka deegaankan saxaraha ahuna waa nagu mucaaradeen dagaal rag badan nalooga dilayna haddee waa dhacay.
Markii doonnidii Esfita ay baxday, waxaan rajaynayney in ruux dhankaaga ka imaan doono laakiin haddee illaa maanta ciduna ma aysan noo imaan. Taariikhda aan warqaddan qorahayo, Abu Bakr bin Cawad ayaa noo yimid oo noo keenay lacagtii aad na siin jidheen ee sannadka 1891. Waxan rajaynaynaa inaad nagu kaalmayn doontaaniin raashin iyo qalab dagaal waayo haddee badbaadadiinna ayaan ku jirnaa calankaagana waa harsanaynaa. Marka haddee u malayn mahayo inaa na illowdeen oo na tuudheen.
Hadda waxan ku naaloonaynaa imaatinkiinna iyo adinkoo wada waxaan idinka codsannay. Nimankan la yiraa Abu Bakr bin Cawad ayaa warka oo tifaftiran idin siinahaya. Waxaan rajaynaynaa inaad degdeg noo soo gaartaaniin sannadakan si aan wadar ahaan xaajadeenna u gudanno!
Haddee hadda waxan haynaa laba waddan: Hoybo iyo meesha la yiraa Ceel Huur, askar intii hore ka badanna waa haysanaaniin. Saaxiibbadeena la dilay waa 11. Doonteeniina oo ay alaabtannadii qaar saaran yihiinna sannadakan waxay ku jabtay Hobyo. Abaanoow lacag baan u baahnahay doonna hadde ma haysanno. Adigaa saaxiibkannaga ah mana ogin Masiixiyiin na gargaadha oon adiga ahayn, haddee calankaa kiinna ahna waa difaacnaa."
……………………………
On 10 October 1892 the Sultan of Obbia wrote to Filonardi, the architect of the Italian colonial administration in Somalia:
"We inform that this year we have been adandoned and there was no steamboat that has come to us, as it was the practice. Nobody has brought to us the woods and we have neither food nor cartridges. There was a serious war this year. The inhabitants of the desert have rebelled against us and there was a fighting in which some of ours have been killed.
After the departure of the steamboat Esfita we hoped some one would come from your side, but until now nobody came. On the date of this letter Abu Bakr bin Auad has arrived bringing to us the payment of the year 1891. We hope you will help us with food and the supply of war material, because we are under your protection and your flag. We would not think that you have abandoned us.
Now we wish your arrival together with what we have requested. ABu Bakr bin Auad will give full information. We hope you come soon this year to negotiate together.
Now we have two countries: Obia and Eil Hur and we have many soldiers different than before. Those of our friends killed are 11. Our saia (boat) has broken down this year at Obbia with some of our properties on board. We need money and we are without boat. You are our friend and we do not know other Christians besides you, and we defend your flag.”
[1] Mohamad Osman Omar, Somalia: Past and Present, pages 56 - 57
Amina Boqor Maxamed Boqor Cusmaan iyo Jeycalkeedii Gaalkii Dougls Collin 1944. Sawir Gacmeed u Dougls Collin ku cabiray Amina Boqor Maxamed Boqor Cusm
Majerteen famous butterfly dance.
Some screenshots from the book - A Tear for somalia by Douglas collins.
Some screenshots from the book - A Tear for somalia by Douglas collins.
<<<<>
Sawir Gacmeed u Douglas Collin ku cabiray Amina Boqor Maxamed Boqor Cusmaan
Amiina herself broke the spell by whispering, 'War, Abdi Melik, awa wa addo' (Oh, how the moon shines), and then kissing me passionately,'Oh my God, I love thee'. Drunk with happiness, I replied with a long, slow kiss, 'I love thee too, Amiina'.he brilliant moon now riding high above bathed us both in her friendly light. Drawing my lungi over us we slept, lulled to sleep by the trade winds whispering in the palms, and the incessant breaking of the surf.All too soon from the Suacron fishing village behind us a cock-crowheralded the false dawn and Amiina stirred sleepily in my arms. 'Abdi Melik,' she whispered, 'I si, I si' (give me, give me). Her lips parted and her kisses infused me with a passion more than I could bear, soon, too soon to be extinguished as love itself rested. Urgently now the cock crowed its strident reveille again. The sun's first blush peeped above the sea. Pulling Amiina protestingly to her feet I stripped in a second whilst she disrobed, letting fall her shift as she looked shyly at me, a bronze aphrodite. Hand in hand we ran to the sea, splashing through the shallows and surf, then swimming on to a wrecked dhow where we rested, panting with exhilaration and laughing with the joy of being young and in love. 'Ahalki an tagno' (let us return), I smiled at her. 'Edinku sidas shada, eg! wainu ta-gaina' (Say ye so? lo, we go), she laughed, diving in the shining waves and heading for the beach.We dressed quickly and ran up to the house, past the astonished sentry, who gave me a belated butt salute as we went by, and so began my love affair with Amiina.
===================
During these ecstatic nights I would teach her English, giving her simple exercises to do whilst I worked in the office by day. From Amiina I learnt much of the folk-lore of the Somalis; that the legendary figures of the Somali race, Darod and Isshak, came from Arabia, and she herself claimed to be able to trace her ancestry to these Arabian aristocrats. Amiina possessed all the physical beauty rhapsodied by the younger set of advanced Somali poets in their short love-poems, the 'belwo'. A poet will often write some of his best 'belwo' to an un-approachable beauty knowing that his love for her is hopeless—perhaps because of his financial standing or because of his inferior tribe. He would base his romantic love on the curve of a breast or the nicker of an eyelash.These Somali love-poems are mostly of physical love, passionate and sincere. It is not done to use vulgar expressions, thereby offending public taste. It must be remembered that poetry requires no special materials nor carrying space other than the talent of the composer, which is carried in his memory. Since the Somali is continually moving his tents in the search for grazing and water this is important, for he must carry as little equipment as possible on his burden camels. Also poetry costs nothing —quite a factor to the nomadic Somali in his insecure and poor life. Generally, marriages are not undertaken lightly by Somalis and are mostly arranged Vy the parents with a view to mutual financial advantages. . The arrangements are complex and are decided upon by the man con¬cerned, the girl's father and also the tribal Akils or elders. Much must be arranged and then settled; the bride-price ('yarad'), the token payment made ('gabati) by the man on his engagement and the percentage ne has to find of his estate, the 'mehr', which is made out to his wife on marriage. A dowry, or ('dibat') is given to the couple by the bride's family. Usually the girl before marriage is gentle and very beautiful, but after marriage, like her European sister, she generally develops into a shrew, becoming irritable and a nagger. The reason for this is that her position is caused by economic necessity as well as tradition. Her status is decidedly inferior to that of man. For this reason I think many Somali women prefer European amourettes, for unlike the Somali, who if he treated his wife with unusual thoughtfuhiess, would be laughed at by the rest of his tribe, the European would show her that kindness and consideration he normally shows to his own women, to which the Somali girl is unaccustomed. And so it was with Amiina and myself, for in my love-making I showed her all the gentle intimacies of love without the lustful passion she alone would have known otherwise.
During the long evenings I took delight in composing poems to her, as close to the Somali 'balwo' as I could get, and in one of them I described her charms:
================================
'As lovely as a dhow at sea
Thy young beauty is to rne, Tall, with all the gerenuk's grace,
A daughter of the Darod race.
Black hair, fine as gossamer thread, Eyes that speak of things unsaid High cheek-bones with straight nose On thy mouth—the desert rose.
God was with him and in the morning when he awoke, the dry bones were covered with meat. The next night he left the bones again in the cave and in the morning they were clad with flesh. 'He lived thus for many weeks. 'Then it came to pass that one day he saw a girl with her flocks. He went to meet her and she told him her name was Donbirro, and she was the daughter of Dir, the son of Irrir, and lived in a near-by village. Darod asked her if she would like him to water the flocks for her and she replied that this was impossible since the nearest well was many days' walk away. Then Darod took her sheep and goats and watered them at his own well. Donbirro came every day to the place where Darod lived. Every day she gave him milk from the sheep and goats of her flock and every day Darod watered the flocks at his well, Donbirro was a beautiful girl, tall and of good bearing, with soft and lovely features. Darod fell in love with her and wanted her for his wife.'But one day Donbirro's father grew curious and asked the girl why the flocks would not take water when they returned to the village. Donbirro did not reply.
The next day, therefore, Dir, the father of Donbirro, set out with a young man from the tribe to follow the girl when she went out with the flocks. When they found Donbirro she was talking with Darod, near the well, and the flocks having been watered, were resting near by. When Darod saw the two men he feared for his life, and climbed a huge tree that stood close by the well, having first covered the mouth of the well with a large flat stone. That tree is known as "Lanta Ful" (the branch he climbed) and is standing even now.
==========================
The father of Donbirro approached with the other man of the tribe, and when they saw the girl and Darod, they were very angry. Then they saw the well, and the flocks resting, and they coveted the well for the use of their tribe, and wished to take it away from Darod. 'The two men strove to take away the stone from the well, but Darod was beloved of God and they could not move it. Then they called for Darod to come down from the tree, but Darod, knowing they meant him evil, refused. 'Finally, Dir, the father of Donbirro, asked Darod what price he would take to come down from the tree and remove the heavy stone from the well, so that the tribe might use the water. Darod replied that he would come down and remove the stone and give the well to the tribe for their own use, if Dir, the father of Donbirro, would let him marry the girl. 'Then the father of Donbirro told Darod he might have the girl, and so Darod consented to descend from the tree. But Darod told the two men that if he jumped he would break his bones. Therefore he asked the men to come and stand beneath the tree so that he might step down on their shoulders. The one man, proud and haughty, refused, but Dir, who was the head of the tribe, came and stood beneath the tree, and Darod stepped on his shoulders and came down to the ground, and that was a sign of peace between them.'And Darod approached the well, where lay the flat stone which the two men could not move, and he kicked it away lightly with one foot. And the tribesmen were amazed.
========================
'Then Darod married Donbirro, and from her he had five sons, and Darod lived out his life in our land and from him are descended my father, Mohamed Boghor, and many other great men. And the tribes of Darod are the Warsangeli, the Dolbahanta, the Isman Mohamed of the Mijjer-tein, the Ogaden, and the Bartire.
'And Darod was beloved of God, and had great wisdom, and lived the life of a Muslim. He went among the people and spoke to them the words of the Prophet (upon whose name be praise) and turned away from our idols, and towards Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate.' Amiina, her story told, lay back and I kissed her. Later that evening, under a full moon, she danced for me the butterfly dance of the Mijjertein Somalis. But this night of enchantment was marred by the first whisperings of doubt in my mind, for she then brought up the vexed question of the date gardens at Ghesseli, passionately declaring that the Isman Mohamed were the rightful owners and not the despised Midgans. She angrily resisted my advances when I would not agree. We returned to Alula, both angry, and the doubt and suspicion grew until like the kherif outside, they screamed through my tortured mind that my love meant nothing to her, that she really loved Sheik Abdurraham Mursal's son and that she was just a tool of her father, the Sultan, and was merely pretending a love of make-believe in order to further the ends of her tribe.
============================
Night after night she persisted in her impassioned pleas, first coaxing and then furiously demanding that the date gardens be returned to the Isman Mohamed, and night after night I wearily resisted her blandish¬ments. There was no more love-making between us for she no longer spoke the intimate little endearments I wished to hear, and withheld from me her bewitching body for which I craved. One hot tropical night the end came suddenly with a violence which appalled me. Mouthing obscenities she screamed abuse in Somali at me. Her eyes went mad. She called me a 'waraba', a hermaphroditical dog. Inher violence she picked up a heavy steel ash-tray, hurling it at me and cutting my forehead.The warm blood flowed and mingled with the bitterness on my lips. I struck her—hard on the face with my open hand. She reeled across the room, her eyes extended with shock. Tears then flowed and she ran sobbing from the room, away into the empty night. What is love, I thought bitterly? That elusive something one tries to pluck out of the heavens with clutching hands and eager heart. Is it happiness? Ah! No! A little happiness, yes, during those all too brief ecstatic moments soon to be dispelled by long, weary, agonising hours of unhappiness, and then the hell of hate, for where does love begin and hate finish? Then comes the sword of jealousy—long and silvered. It bites through the breast. Not in one long, clean, quick thrust, but slowly questing as though doubting that awful finality. Reaching the heart it probes gently and its tip is withdrawn with just a touch of crimson. A thousand times it touches the target of love and then with one heart¬rending, final thrust it goes home and the blade is withdrawn fully crimsoned to the hilt.
===============================
The heart is no more. There is no more love. Nothing to love with.
The months passed slowly now and I was in an agony to hear news of the war. I sent a letter to headquarters in Mogadishu requesting a relief so that I might be relieved and sent to a more active sphere. There was no answer.
My gramophone records had long since worn out and I had not had a drink for months. I brewed a kind of'grappa' from dates and added army ration plum jam, which turned it into a poisonous liqueur, but in the evenings its potency aided sleep. I could feel the utter loneliness closing in on me. I grew irritable when I found sand in the sugar although I had been used to it for almost a year now. I cursed Yusuf when I found him helping himself to a spoonful of my army plum jam. My last tin. A month later the long-awaited mail came up by diesel with the good news that I was to be relieved at last. The colonel himself was to visit Alula, bringing my relief up with him. The days and weeks went by monotonously. The nights were lonely without Amiina. I missed her laughter, her tantrums and her tears, but above all I missed her bewitching body with a longing that must remain unassuaged. A plume of dust over the sand dunes heralded the arrival of the colonel's convoy withmysuccessor, Keith. I saluted and shookhands with them both.
146
=========================
'Well, Collins, you've had a long spell here,' said the colonel conver¬sationally. 'Are you fit?' He looked sharply at me.
I nodded dumbly and ushered them to the house. Haji Dif fussed around, shaking hands with his escort.
The guard commander turned out the guard and presented arms. He inspected them. Minutely. Each man stiffened to attention and gazed rigidly to his front. Gendarme Ali Jama had the top button of his tunic undone. The colonel flicked at the offending button-hole with his cane.
'Do it up,' he said.
Ali Jama quivered with fright, endeavoured to right the frightful enormity with fumbling fingers, then dropped his rifle.
'Pick it up,' rasped the colonel. I blushed.
'Dismiss the guard,' he ordered. I marched to their front, right-turned and stood to attention.
'Guard dis miss,' I shouted.
The guard commander and three men turned sharply to their right. Ali Jama turned to the left. Chaos.
'As you were,' I roared. 'Guard dis miss.' They marched off.
We had lunch. The colonel and Keith made small talk, I remained silent. After weeks of waiting for this moment I now resented their presence. I wanted to be alone again.
Kit inspection followed. There were eight spoons missing.
'Haji Dif,' called the colonel, 'ask these askaris where their spoons are.' The askaris remained silent.
'My fault, sir,' I mumbled. 'I borrowed them for tunny bait.' The colonel cocked a quizzical eyebrow at me.
I focused my eyes mesmerically on the red band encircling his cap. Keith sniggered.
'You did what?' snapped the colonel. I found my tongue at last and explained in great detail how a spinning spoon would attract tunny better than live bait. He was no Isaak Walton fan and was not amused.
'The hospital,' he said. We inspected it.
'The lines,' he said. We inspected them.
"The latrines,' he said. We inspected them. They smelt.
'The armoury,' he said. We inspected it. In a corner stood half a dozen spare carbines with bayonets attached. A spider had built an intricately laced web festooning the bayonet points. 'Pretty, sir,' I remarked lamely as he poked the web to pieces with his cane.
'The jail,' he said. I sweated.
147: end.
===================
During these ecstatic nights I would teach her English, giving her simple exercises to do whilst I worked in the office by day. From Amiina I learnt much of the folk-lore of the Somalis; that the legendary figures of the Somali race, Darod and Isshak, came from Arabia, and she herself claimed to be able to trace her ancestry to these Arabian aristocrats. Amiina possessed all the physical beauty rhapsodied by the younger set of advanced Somali poets in their short love-poems, the 'belwo'. A poet will often write some of his best 'belwo' to an un-approachable beauty knowing that his love for her is hopeless—perhaps because of his financial standing or because of his inferior tribe. He would base his romantic love on the curve of a breast or the nicker of an eyelash.These Somali love-poems are mostly of physical love, passionate and sincere. It is not done to use vulgar expressions, thereby offending public taste. It must be remembered that poetry requires no special materials nor carrying space other than the talent of the composer, which is carried in his memory. Since the Somali is continually moving his tents in the search for grazing and water this is important, for he must carry as little equipment as possible on his burden camels. Also poetry costs nothing —quite a factor to the nomadic Somali in his insecure and poor life. Generally, marriages are not undertaken lightly by Somalis and are mostly arranged Vy the parents with a view to mutual financial advantages. . The arrangements are complex and are decided upon by the man con¬cerned, the girl's father and also the tribal Akils or elders. Much must be arranged and then settled; the bride-price ('yarad'), the token payment made ('gabati) by the man on his engagement and the percentage ne has to find of his estate, the 'mehr', which is made out to his wife on marriage. A dowry, or ('dibat') is given to the couple by the bride's family. Usually the girl before marriage is gentle and very beautiful, but after marriage, like her European sister, she generally develops into a shrew, becoming irritable and a nagger. The reason for this is that her position is caused by economic necessity as well as tradition. Her status is decidedly inferior to that of man. For this reason I think many Somali women prefer European amourettes, for unlike the Somali, who if he treated his wife with unusual thoughtfuhiess, would be laughed at by the rest of his tribe, the European would show her that kindness and consideration he normally shows to his own women, to which the Somali girl is unaccustomed. And so it was with Amiina and myself, for in my love-making I showed her all the gentle intimacies of love without the lustful passion she alone would have known otherwise.
During the long evenings I took delight in composing poems to her, as close to the Somali 'balwo' as I could get, and in one of them I described her charms:
================================
'As lovely as a dhow at sea
Thy young beauty is to rne, Tall, with all the gerenuk's grace,
A daughter of the Darod race.
Black hair, fine as gossamer thread, Eyes that speak of things unsaid High cheek-bones with straight nose On thy mouth—the desert rose.
God was with him and in the morning when he awoke, the dry bones were covered with meat. The next night he left the bones again in the cave and in the morning they were clad with flesh. 'He lived thus for many weeks. 'Then it came to pass that one day he saw a girl with her flocks. He went to meet her and she told him her name was Donbirro, and she was the daughter of Dir, the son of Irrir, and lived in a near-by village. Darod asked her if she would like him to water the flocks for her and she replied that this was impossible since the nearest well was many days' walk away. Then Darod took her sheep and goats and watered them at his own well. Donbirro came every day to the place where Darod lived. Every day she gave him milk from the sheep and goats of her flock and every day Darod watered the flocks at his well, Donbirro was a beautiful girl, tall and of good bearing, with soft and lovely features. Darod fell in love with her and wanted her for his wife.'But one day Donbirro's father grew curious and asked the girl why the flocks would not take water when they returned to the village. Donbirro did not reply.
The next day, therefore, Dir, the father of Donbirro, set out with a young man from the tribe to follow the girl when she went out with the flocks. When they found Donbirro she was talking with Darod, near the well, and the flocks having been watered, were resting near by. When Darod saw the two men he feared for his life, and climbed a huge tree that stood close by the well, having first covered the mouth of the well with a large flat stone. That tree is known as "Lanta Ful" (the branch he climbed) and is standing even now.
==========================
The father of Donbirro approached with the other man of the tribe, and when they saw the girl and Darod, they were very angry. Then they saw the well, and the flocks resting, and they coveted the well for the use of their tribe, and wished to take it away from Darod. 'The two men strove to take away the stone from the well, but Darod was beloved of God and they could not move it. Then they called for Darod to come down from the tree, but Darod, knowing they meant him evil, refused. 'Finally, Dir, the father of Donbirro, asked Darod what price he would take to come down from the tree and remove the heavy stone from the well, so that the tribe might use the water. Darod replied that he would come down and remove the stone and give the well to the tribe for their own use, if Dir, the father of Donbirro, would let him marry the girl. 'Then the father of Donbirro told Darod he might have the girl, and so Darod consented to descend from the tree. But Darod told the two men that if he jumped he would break his bones. Therefore he asked the men to come and stand beneath the tree so that he might step down on their shoulders. The one man, proud and haughty, refused, but Dir, who was the head of the tribe, came and stood beneath the tree, and Darod stepped on his shoulders and came down to the ground, and that was a sign of peace between them.'And Darod approached the well, where lay the flat stone which the two men could not move, and he kicked it away lightly with one foot. And the tribesmen were amazed.
========================
'Then Darod married Donbirro, and from her he had five sons, and Darod lived out his life in our land and from him are descended my father, Mohamed Boghor, and many other great men. And the tribes of Darod are the Warsangeli, the Dolbahanta, the Isman Mohamed of the Mijjer-tein, the Ogaden, and the Bartire.
'And Darod was beloved of God, and had great wisdom, and lived the life of a Muslim. He went among the people and spoke to them the words of the Prophet (upon whose name be praise) and turned away from our idols, and towards Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate.' Amiina, her story told, lay back and I kissed her. Later that evening, under a full moon, she danced for me the butterfly dance of the Mijjertein Somalis. But this night of enchantment was marred by the first whisperings of doubt in my mind, for she then brought up the vexed question of the date gardens at Ghesseli, passionately declaring that the Isman Mohamed were the rightful owners and not the despised Midgans. She angrily resisted my advances when I would not agree. We returned to Alula, both angry, and the doubt and suspicion grew until like the kherif outside, they screamed through my tortured mind that my love meant nothing to her, that she really loved Sheik Abdurraham Mursal's son and that she was just a tool of her father, the Sultan, and was merely pretending a love of make-believe in order to further the ends of her tribe.
============================
Night after night she persisted in her impassioned pleas, first coaxing and then furiously demanding that the date gardens be returned to the Isman Mohamed, and night after night I wearily resisted her blandish¬ments. There was no more love-making between us for she no longer spoke the intimate little endearments I wished to hear, and withheld from me her bewitching body for which I craved. One hot tropical night the end came suddenly with a violence which appalled me. Mouthing obscenities she screamed abuse in Somali at me. Her eyes went mad. She called me a 'waraba', a hermaphroditical dog. Inher violence she picked up a heavy steel ash-tray, hurling it at me and cutting my forehead.The warm blood flowed and mingled with the bitterness on my lips. I struck her—hard on the face with my open hand. She reeled across the room, her eyes extended with shock. Tears then flowed and she ran sobbing from the room, away into the empty night. What is love, I thought bitterly? That elusive something one tries to pluck out of the heavens with clutching hands and eager heart. Is it happiness? Ah! No! A little happiness, yes, during those all too brief ecstatic moments soon to be dispelled by long, weary, agonising hours of unhappiness, and then the hell of hate, for where does love begin and hate finish? Then comes the sword of jealousy—long and silvered. It bites through the breast. Not in one long, clean, quick thrust, but slowly questing as though doubting that awful finality. Reaching the heart it probes gently and its tip is withdrawn with just a touch of crimson. A thousand times it touches the target of love and then with one heart¬rending, final thrust it goes home and the blade is withdrawn fully crimsoned to the hilt.
===============================
The heart is no more. There is no more love. Nothing to love with.
The months passed slowly now and I was in an agony to hear news of the war. I sent a letter to headquarters in Mogadishu requesting a relief so that I might be relieved and sent to a more active sphere. There was no answer.
My gramophone records had long since worn out and I had not had a drink for months. I brewed a kind of'grappa' from dates and added army ration plum jam, which turned it into a poisonous liqueur, but in the evenings its potency aided sleep. I could feel the utter loneliness closing in on me. I grew irritable when I found sand in the sugar although I had been used to it for almost a year now. I cursed Yusuf when I found him helping himself to a spoonful of my army plum jam. My last tin. A month later the long-awaited mail came up by diesel with the good news that I was to be relieved at last. The colonel himself was to visit Alula, bringing my relief up with him. The days and weeks went by monotonously. The nights were lonely without Amiina. I missed her laughter, her tantrums and her tears, but above all I missed her bewitching body with a longing that must remain unassuaged. A plume of dust over the sand dunes heralded the arrival of the colonel's convoy withmysuccessor, Keith. I saluted and shookhands with them both.
146
=========================
'Well, Collins, you've had a long spell here,' said the colonel conver¬sationally. 'Are you fit?' He looked sharply at me.
I nodded dumbly and ushered them to the house. Haji Dif fussed around, shaking hands with his escort.
The guard commander turned out the guard and presented arms. He inspected them. Minutely. Each man stiffened to attention and gazed rigidly to his front. Gendarme Ali Jama had the top button of his tunic undone. The colonel flicked at the offending button-hole with his cane.
'Do it up,' he said.
Ali Jama quivered with fright, endeavoured to right the frightful enormity with fumbling fingers, then dropped his rifle.
'Pick it up,' rasped the colonel. I blushed.
'Dismiss the guard,' he ordered. I marched to their front, right-turned and stood to attention.
'Guard dis miss,' I shouted.
The guard commander and three men turned sharply to their right. Ali Jama turned to the left. Chaos.
'As you were,' I roared. 'Guard dis miss.' They marched off.
We had lunch. The colonel and Keith made small talk, I remained silent. After weeks of waiting for this moment I now resented their presence. I wanted to be alone again.
Kit inspection followed. There were eight spoons missing.
'Haji Dif,' called the colonel, 'ask these askaris where their spoons are.' The askaris remained silent.
'My fault, sir,' I mumbled. 'I borrowed them for tunny bait.' The colonel cocked a quizzical eyebrow at me.
I focused my eyes mesmerically on the red band encircling his cap. Keith sniggered.
'You did what?' snapped the colonel. I found my tongue at last and explained in great detail how a spinning spoon would attract tunny better than live bait. He was no Isaak Walton fan and was not amused.
'The hospital,' he said. We inspected it.
'The lines,' he said. We inspected them.
"The latrines,' he said. We inspected them. They smelt.
'The armoury,' he said. We inspected it. In a corner stood half a dozen spare carbines with bayonets attached. A spider had built an intricately laced web festooning the bayonet points. 'Pretty, sir,' I remarked lamely as he poked the web to pieces with his cane.
'The jail,' he said. I sweated.
147: end.
A Tear For Somalia
By Douglas Collins
end.
By Douglas Collins
end.
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