Mohamoud Ali Shire
Encyclopedia
Mohamoud Ali Shire was a Somali
ruler. He was the 20th Sultan
of the Warsangali Sultanate from 1897 to 1960.
and governor
of the sultanate. He also enjoyed many other title
s, including "Sovereign of the House of North East of Somaliland Sultanate" and "Sultan of Sultans of Somaliland". However, early rulers of the sultanate never referred to themselves as Sultan. The Sultan title was only later established by Mohamoud Ali Shire in 1897. The dynasty
, for its part, is most often referred to as the "Gerad" or the "House of North East Somaliland Sultanate".
Darod
, sought to undermine the power of his father. Before then, internal conflict amongst the Warsangali sub-clans had surfaced and had had an effect on Sultan Mohamoud Ali Shire and his ascension to power. The disarray caused by the young Mohamoud amongst the Warsangali was finally settled by the proposal that Shire fils should become Sultan, while his father could remain Gerad. Thus, Mohamoud Ali Shire assumed the title of the 20th Sultan of the Warsangali Sultanate.
power centered in northeastern and in some parts of southeastern Somalia
. It was one of the largest sultanates ever established in the territory, and, at the height of its power, included the Sanaag
region and parts of the northeastern Bari region of the country. The sultanate was founded in northern Somalia by a group of Somalis
from the Warsangali branch of the Darod clan, and was ruled by the descendants of the Gerad Dhidhin
.
The product of a six hundred year-old tradition of regal decorum, Sultan Shire administered his Sultanate from a large two-storey palace in Las Khorey
. He also maintained a fortress
, which, though now mostly in ruins, still remains an important historical site. Under the Sultan's general command was a council
of elders, which he intermittently summoned, as well as a personal corps of guards equipped with rifle
s.
Martially, Sultan Shire presided over an extensive cavalry
, with subsidiary commanders that were likewise under his immediate charge. Very well endowed in terms of animal wealth, he also kept a stable of well over a hundred thoroughbred
Arabian horse
s (faras), the latter of which Italian and British garrisons used to purchase from him.
Sultan Shire additionally maintained close ties with his contemporaries on the Arabian Peninsula
, regularly exchanging correspondence with the Sultans of South Arabia. Alongside missives Shire would trade with authorities in Britain, these letters were preserved in private files.
Mohammed Abdullah Hassan
, the Somali religious and nationalist leader whose Dervish State
fought a two-decade long war against British, Italian and Ethiopian forces. Despite being Hassan's brother-in-law
, the two rulers could not see eye-to-eye on a number of political, religious and social matters. Sultan Shire steadfastly defended his sultanate from being incorporated into Hassan's Dervish movement, and fought a number of battles to preserve its autonomy.
The British Somaliland
protectorate
's administration had also dealt with both Sultan Shire and Sayyid Hassan secretly, working to prevent any possible bilateral alliance of power-sharing and economic and political integration on their part. A notable incident took place in 1908, when British airplanes bombarded Jidali, Badhan and Taleex
. This led to the dispersal of Hassan's Dervishes into many areas, and it took a long period for the Sayyid to recoup his strength. However, despite the rift between them, Sultan Shire and his army within the British Somaliland protectorate's claimed areas of Sanaag were severely disturbed by the sudden ebb in Dervish activities. To demonstrate his concern, Sultan Shire ordered his army to open fire on a British ship that was about to land at the port of Las Khorey. I.M. Lewis cites this brief incident in his book, A Modern History of the Somali:
Furthermore, Hassan's association with Sultan Shire as brother-in-law gave him access to the Maakhir coast, which served as a gateway to the Arabian Peninsula for the importation of firearm
s and ammunition
. The Dervishes thus resumed their movements, which rendered the British nervous, especially since their alliance with the Isaaq
forged in a treaty from 1885 had proved ineffectual.
After a quarter of a century of holding the British at bay, the Dervishes were finally defeated in 1920 as a direct consequence of Britain's new policy of aerial bombardment
.
, ostensibly to discuss possible ways of settling differences. After a short session before the meeting was scheduled to begin, he was taken into custody by the British authorities. Sultan Shire was later tried without proper representation in a kangaroo court
. Due to his vehement and active opposition to foreign rule over his territory, Shire was sentenced to exile
in the Seychelles
for a period of seven years. On May 3, 1920, on board the HMS Odin
, Sultan Shire was delivered to British authorities in the Seychelles from their colony in Bombay, India
. At the time of his arrival on the archipelago
, a number of other prominent anti-imperialist leaders were also exiled there, including Sa'ad Zaghloul Pasha, the former Prime Minister of Egypt
, with whom Sultan Shire would soon develop a rapport.
Despite this confinement, Shire managed to maintain his sultanate's autonomy, even after his ultimate return from exile. The Sultan continued to play a prominent role in local affairs until his eventual death a few months after independence: existing documents show that the British administration regularly sought his support before introducing any major policy changes so as to avoid alienating the influential leader.
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
ruler. He was the 20th Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
of the Warsangali Sultanate from 1897 to 1960.
Titles
Also known as the Gerad, the Sultan was the sole regentRegent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
and governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of the sultanate. He also enjoyed many other title
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
s, including "Sovereign of the House of North East of Somaliland Sultanate" and "Sultan of Sultans of Somaliland". However, early rulers of the sultanate never referred to themselves as Sultan. The Sultan title was only later established by Mohamoud Ali Shire in 1897. The dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
, for its part, is most often referred to as the "Gerad" or the "House of North East Somaliland Sultanate".
Power struggle
In 1896, a power struggle developed between Mohamoud Ali Shire and his father, the powerful Gerad Ali Shire who then ruled the Warsangali Sultanate. The elder Gerad Ali Shire's authority was dwindling and young Mohamoud Ali Shire, with the tacit support of the Isse Garad (Bohogayslabe) sub-clan of the WarsangaliWarsangali
The Warsangeli , is a Somali clan, part of the Harti confederation of Darod sub-clans...
Darod
Darod
The Darod is a Somali clan. The father of this clan is named Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, but is more commonly known as Darod. In the Somali language, the word Daarood means "an enclosed compound," a conflation of the two words daar and ood .The Darod population in Somalia lives principally...
, sought to undermine the power of his father. Before then, internal conflict amongst the Warsangali sub-clans had surfaced and had had an effect on Sultan Mohamoud Ali Shire and his ascension to power. The disarray caused by the young Mohamoud amongst the Warsangali was finally settled by the proposal that Shire fils should become Sultan, while his father could remain Gerad. Thus, Mohamoud Ali Shire assumed the title of the 20th Sultan of the Warsangali Sultanate.
The Warsangali Sultanate
The Warsangali Sultanate was an imperialEmpire
The term empire derives from the Latin imperium . Politically, an empire is a geographically extensive group of states and peoples united and ruled either by a monarch or an oligarchy....
power centered in northeastern and in some parts of southeastern Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. It was one of the largest sultanates ever established in the territory, and, at the height of its power, included the Sanaag
Sanaag
Sanaag is an administrative region in northern Somalia. Its capital city is Erigavo.Sanaag has a long coastline facing the Gulf of Aden to the north, and is bordered by the Somali regions of Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sool and Bari....
region and parts of the northeastern Bari region of the country. The sultanate was founded in northern Somalia by a group of Somalis
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
from the Warsangali branch of the Darod clan, and was ruled by the descendants of the Gerad Dhidhin
Gerad Dhidhin
Gerad Dhidhin , also known as Gerad Abdulahi, was the founder of the Warsangali Sultanate in the late 13th century in the territory of present-day northern Somalia.-History:...
.
The product of a six hundred year-old tradition of regal decorum, Sultan Shire administered his Sultanate from a large two-storey palace in Las Khorey
Las Khorey
Las Khorey is an ancient coastal city in the Sanaag region, a territory disputed by the Puntland and Somaliland administrative regions of Somalia. In July 2007, the district became part of the Maakhir autonomous region of Somalia...
. He also maintained a fortress
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
, which, though now mostly in ruins, still remains an important historical site. Under the Sultan's general command was a council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
of elders, which he intermittently summoned, as well as a personal corps of guards equipped with rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s.
Martially, Sultan Shire presided over an extensive cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
, with subsidiary commanders that were likewise under his immediate charge. Very well endowed in terms of animal wealth, he also kept a stable of well over a hundred thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
Arabian horse
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
s (faras), the latter of which Italian and British garrisons used to purchase from him.
Sultan Shire additionally maintained close ties with his contemporaries on the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
, regularly exchanging correspondence with the Sultans of South Arabia. Alongside missives Shire would trade with authorities in Britain, these letters were preserved in private files.
Mohammed Abdullah Hassan
Sultan Shire had a rather complicated relationship with SayyidSayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
Mohammed Abdullah Hassan
Mohammed Abdullah Hassan
Sayyīd Muhammad `Abd Allāh al-Hasan was a Somali religious and patriotic leader...
, the Somali religious and nationalist leader whose Dervish State
Dervish State
The Dervish state was an early 20th century Somali Sunni Muslim state that was established by Muhammad Abdullah Hassan, a religious leader who gathered Somali soldiers from across the Horn of Africa and united them into a loyal army known as the Dervishes...
fought a two-decade long war against British, Italian and Ethiopian forces. Despite being Hassan's brother-in-law
Brother-in-law
A brother-in-law is the brother of one's spouse, the husband of one's sibling, or the husband of one's spouse's sibling.-See also:*Affinity *Sister-in-law*Brothers in Law , a 1955 British comedy novel...
, the two rulers could not see eye-to-eye on a number of political, religious and social matters. Sultan Shire steadfastly defended his sultanate from being incorporated into Hassan's Dervish movement, and fought a number of battles to preserve its autonomy.
The British Somaliland
British Somaliland
British Somaliland was a British protectorate in the northern part of present-day Somalia. For much of its existence, British Somaliland was bordered by French Somaliland, Ethiopia, and Italian Somaliland. From 1940 to 1941, it was occupied by the Italians and was part of Italian East Africa...
protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
's administration had also dealt with both Sultan Shire and Sayyid Hassan secretly, working to prevent any possible bilateral alliance of power-sharing and economic and political integration on their part. A notable incident took place in 1908, when British airplanes bombarded Jidali, Badhan and Taleex
Taleex
Taleh is an historical town in the northeastern Sool region of Somalia. It served as the headquarters of the pre-independence Dervish State.-History:...
. This led to the dispersal of Hassan's Dervishes into many areas, and it took a long period for the Sayyid to recoup his strength. However, despite the rift between them, Sultan Shire and his army within the British Somaliland protectorate's claimed areas of Sanaag were severely disturbed by the sudden ebb in Dervish activities. To demonstrate his concern, Sultan Shire ordered his army to open fire on a British ship that was about to land at the port of Las Khorey. I.M. Lewis cites this brief incident in his book, A Modern History of the Somali:
Furthermore, Hassan's association with Sultan Shire as brother-in-law gave him access to the Maakhir coast, which served as a gateway to the Arabian Peninsula for the importation of firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s and ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
. The Dervishes thus resumed their movements, which rendered the British nervous, especially since their alliance with the Isaaq
Isaaq
The Isaaq is one of the main Somali clans. Members of the clan principally live in the northwestern Somaliland region of Somalia, and the Somali Region of Ethiopia. The populations of five major cities of Somaliland – Hargeisa, Burco, Berbera, Ceerigaabo and Gabiley – are predominantly Isaaq...
forged in a treaty from 1885 had proved ineffectual.
After a quarter of a century of holding the British at bay, the Dervishes were finally defeated in 1920 as a direct consequence of Britain's new policy of aerial bombardment
Airstrike
An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...
.
Exile
Soon after Hassan's defeat, the British, dreading the prospect of another several decades of costly and difficult battles with yet another Somali potentate, set about attempting to neutralize Sultan Shire's influence. In short order, Shire was secretly invited to a conference in YemenYemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, ostensibly to discuss possible ways of settling differences. After a short session before the meeting was scheduled to begin, he was taken into custody by the British authorities. Sultan Shire was later tried without proper representation in a kangaroo court
Kangaroo court
A kangaroo court is "a mock court in which the principles of law and justice are disregarded or perverted".The outcome of a trial by kangaroo court is essentially determined in advance, usually for the purpose of ensuring conviction, either by going through the motions of manipulated procedure or...
. Due to his vehement and active opposition to foreign rule over his territory, Shire was sentenced to exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
in the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
for a period of seven years. On May 3, 1920, on board the HMS Odin
HMS Odin
Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Odin after the god Odin in Norse mythology. A sixth was ordered, but later cancelled: was a 74-gun third rate captured from the Danish at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1807. She was used for harbour service from 1811 and was sold in 1825. was a paddle...
, Sultan Shire was delivered to British authorities in the Seychelles from their colony in Bombay, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. At the time of his arrival on the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
, a number of other prominent anti-imperialist leaders were also exiled there, including Sa'ad Zaghloul Pasha, the former Prime Minister of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, with whom Sultan Shire would soon develop a rapport.
Despite this confinement, Shire managed to maintain his sultanate's autonomy, even after his ultimate return from exile. The Sultan continued to play a prominent role in local affairs until his eventual death a few months after independence: existing documents show that the British administration regularly sought his support before introducing any major policy changes so as to avoid alienating the influential leader.
Rulers of the Warsangali Sultanate
Rulers of the Warsangali Sultanate up to and after Sultan Mohamoud Ali Shire:| # | Sultan Sultan Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who... | Reign Reign A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation or of a people . In most hereditary monarchies and some elective monarchies A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office... | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gerad Dhidhin Gerad Dhidhin Gerad Dhidhin , also known as Gerad Abdulahi, was the founder of the Warsangali Sultanate in the late 13th century in the territory of present-day northern Somalia.-History:... |
1298–1311 | Established the Warsangali Sultanate in the late 13th century. |
| 2 | Gerad Hamar Gale | 1311–1328 | Son of Gerad Dhidhin. Expanded rule into the southern Somali Peninsula. |
| 3 | Gerad Ibrahim | 1328–1340 | |
| 4 | Gerad Omer | 1340–1355 | |
| 5 | Gerad Mohamud | 1355–1375 | |
| 6 | Gerad Ciise | 1375–1392 | |
| 7 | Gerad Ali Dable Gerad Ali Dable -Biography:Dable was born in the historical city of Las Khorey in northern Somalia, where he lived until the age of five.A rebellion within the Warsangali Sultanate then took place, with the Awramale sub-clan of the Warsangali Darod assuming leadership... |
1491–1503 | Exiled in Yemen Yemen The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east.... , from where he returned with cannon fire Cannon A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,... . Defeated the Gerad of Dhulbahante Dhulbahante The Dhulbahante is a Somali clan, and a part of the larger Harti Darod clan. Members of the clan primarily inhabit the Sool, Nugaal, Sanaag and Ayn regions, the Haud, the port city of Kismayo, as well as other areas in the Jubbada Hoose region of southern Somalia.-Tradition:Currently, there are... 's troops in the Battle of Garadag. |
| 8 | Gerad Liban | 1503–1525 | |
| 9 | Gerad Yuusuf | 1525–1555 | |
| 10 | Gerad Mohamud | 1555–1585 | |
| 11 | Gerad Abdale | 1585–1612 | |
| 12 | Gerad Ali | 1612–1655 | |
| 13 | Gerad Mohamud | 1655–1675 | |
| 14 | Gerad Naleye | 1675–1705 | |
| 15 | Gerad Mohamed | 1705–1750 | |
| 16 | Gerad Ali | 1750–1789 | |
| 17 | Gerad Mohamud Ali | 1789–1830 | |
| 18 | Gerad Aul | 1830–1870 | |
| 19 | Gerad Ali Shire | 1870–1897 | Father of Sultan Mohamoud Ali Shire, with whom he briefly engaged in a power struggle. |
| 20 | Sultan Mohamoud Ali Shire | 1897–1960 | Led the Sultanate during some of its most turbulent years. Fought against and signed treaties with the British. Eventually exiled to the Seychelles Seychelles Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar.... for ignoring imperial entreaties. |
| 21 | Sultan Abdul Sallan | 1960–1997 | |
| 19 | Sultan Siciid Sultan Abdul Sallan | 1997–present |
See also
- Warsangali Sultanate
- Gerad Ali DableGerad Ali Dable-Biography:Dable was born in the historical city of Las Khorey in northern Somalia, where he lived until the age of five.A rebellion within the Warsangali Sultanate then took place, with the Awramale sub-clan of the Warsangali Darod assuming leadership...
- Yusuf Ali Kenadid
- Majerteen Sultanate
- Sultanate of HobyoSultanate of HobyoThe Sultanate of Hobyo was a 19th century Somali ruling house in present-day northern Somalia. It was carved out of the former Majeerteen Sultanate by Yusuf Ali Kenadid, cousin of the Majeerteen Sultanate's ruler, Boqor Osman Mahamuud....