Ajuran Sultanate

The Ajuran Empire (Somali: Dawladdii Ajuuraan, Arabic: دولة الأجورانية), also spelled Ajuuraan Empire,^[1] and often simply as Ajuran,^[2] was a Somali empire in the medieval times that dominated the Indian ocean trade. They belonged to the Somali Muslim sultanate^[3][4] that ruled over large parts of the Horn of Africa in the Middle Ages. Because of their centralized administration and strong military, they were able to resist an attack by the Ottoman empire. This was called Gaal Madow. The fought a number of wars with the Portugese, and were able to withstand them. After the war, trade routes were re-established or strengthened. In the coastal provinces, trade flourished. Ships sailed to and came from many kingdoms and empires in East Asia, South Asia, Europe, the Near East, North Africa and East Africa.^[5]

Ajuran Empire Dawladdii Ajuuraan دولة الأجورانية
13th century–late 17th century
Flag
The Ajuuraan Empire in the 15th century
Capital	Mareeg (initially) Qelafo Merca
Common languages	Somali · Arabic
Religion	Sunni Islam
Government	Monarchy
Sultan, Imam
History
• Established	13th century
• First Ajuran-Portuguese war	1538–57
• Second Ajuran-Portuguese war	1580–89
• Oromo invasion	Mid-17th century
• Decline	late 17th century
Currency	Ajuran • Mogadishan
Preceded by Succeeded by Sultanate of Mogadishu Hiraab Imamate Geledi Sultanate
Today part of	Somalia  Ethiopia

The empire was very important, and built many castles and fortresses. Some of them can still be seen, mostly in the southern part of Somalia. There are also a number of pillar tombs, necropolises, and cities built during that era, which are now in ruins, which are attributed to Ajuran engineers.^[5] During the Ajuran period, many regions and people in the southern part of the Horn of Africa converted to Islam because of the theocratic nature of the government.^[6] The royal family, the House of Garen, expanded its territories and established its hegemonic rule through a skillful combination of warfare, trade linkages and alliances.^[7]

The Ajuran also controlled the water resources. They built wells and cisterns on the rivers Shebelle and Jubba. Many of these wells are still working. The rulers also developed a new system of agriculture and taxation, which were used in parts of the Horn of Africa until the 19th century.^[1] The later rulers of the Ajuran were not as successful: There were rebellions, and by the late 17th century the empire had fallen apart into a number of smaller states. The most prominent of these was probably the Geledi Sultanate.^[8]

The Ruling Dhulhada

The Dhulhada was the ruling hereditary dynasty of the Ajuran Empire. Its origin lies in the Garen Kingdom that during the 13th century ruled parts of the Somali Region of Ethiopia. With the migration of Somalis from the northern half of the Horn region southwards, new cultural and religious orders were introduced, influencing the administrative structure of the dynasty.^[9]

A system of governance began to evolve into an Islamic government. Through their genealogical Baraka, which came from the saint Balad (who was known to have come from outside the Kingdom).

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ajuran_empire.thumb

References

1. Njoku, Raphael Chijioke (2013). The History of Somalia. Greenwood. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-313-37857-7.
2. "Ajuran | historical state, Africa". Encyclopedia Britannica.
3. Luling, Virginia (2002). Somali Sultanate: the Geledi city-state over 150 years. Transaction Publishers. p. 17. ISBN 978-1-874209-98-0.
4. Mukhtar, Mohamed Haji (1989). "The Emergence and Role of Political Parties in the Inter-River Region of Somalia from 1947–1960". Ufahamu. 17 (2). doi:10.5070/F7172016882.
5. Shelley, Fred M. (2013). Nation Shapes: The Story behind the World's Borders. ABC-CLIO. p. 358. ISBN 978-1-61069-106-2.
6. Ramsamy, Edward, ed. (2012). Cultural Sociology of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa: An Encyclopedia. Vol. 2: Africa. SAGE Publications. ISBN 978-1-4129-8176-7.
7. Pouwels, Randall L. (2006). Horn and Crescent: Cultural Change and Traditional Islam on the East African Coast, 800–1900. African Studies. Vol. 53. Cambridge University Press. p. 15. ISBN 9780521523097.
8. Njoku (2013).
9. "Einleitung zu den Futuh al-gaib.", Die Futūh al-ġaib, De Gruyter, pp. 27–46, 1933-12-31, ISBN 978-3-11-155738-0, retrieved 2024-09-23