Ahmed Yusuf Mahamud (, ) was a
Somali Sultan
Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...
of the
Geledi sultanate
The Sultanate of the Geledi (, ) also known as the Gobroon dynasty,Somali Sultanate: The Geledi City-state Over 150 Years - Virginia Luling (2002) Page 229 was a Somali people, Somali kingdom that ruled parts of the Horn of Africa during the late ...
, reigning from 1848 to 1878 and succeeded his father
Yusuf Mahamud after his demise at the battle of Adaddey Suleyman. Ahmed was crowned as the fourth Sultan, and his rule marked a period of great prosperity in the Sultanate. The Sultan is credited as having brought over 20,000 Somali troops to free the slaves of
Zanzibar
Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small Island, islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. ...
.
Early life
Ahmed was born in the town of
Afgooye, where he stayed until the age of seven. His father Yusuf subsequently sent him to
Qur'anic schools in
Barawa
Barawa ( ''Barāwe'', , ''Baraawe'', ''Barāwa'', Italian language, Italian: ''Brava''), also known as Barawe and Brava, is the capital city, capital of the South West State of Somalia, South West State of Somalia.Pelizzari, Elisa. "Guerre civ ...
for studies under the tutelage of some of the leading
Qadiriyya
The Qadiriyya () or the Qadiri order () is a Sunni Sufi order (''Tariqa'') founded by Abdul Qadir Gilani (1077–1166, also transliterated ''Jilani''), who was a Hanbali scholar from Gilan, Iran.
The order, with its many sub-orders, is widesp ...
Sheikhs in Somalia. Barawa had developed into the heart of Islamic learning in southern Somalia and notables from all over would travel to the city to learn from its Sufi masters.
Reign
Ahmed Yusuf was one of the most powerful rulers in East Africa and had 50,000 troops at his command and controlled a vast territory from stretching
Mogadishu
Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...
to the
Jubba region. On the Benadir coast the potential power lay in the hands of Ahmed Yusuf, ruler of the Geledi Sultanate, who lived one day's march inland from Mogadishu. Sultan Ahmed exerted influence over the clans that inhabited the interiverine region. The lucrative
ivory trade
The ivory trade is the commercial, often illegal trade in the ivory tusks of the hippopotamus, walrus, narwhal, black and white rhinos, mammoth, and most commonly, African elephant, African and Asian elephants.
Ivory has been traded for hundred ...
continued to flourish under his reign that ran from
Luuq
Luuq (, , ) is a city in the southwestern Gedo province of Somalia. It is one of the older settlements in the area. It is the seat of the Luuq District. The town is located in a bend of the Ganana River, where the watercourse flows down from n ...
to Mogadishu. He also collected tribute from the concentrated agricultural clans along the
lower Shabelle
Lower Shabelle (, , , ) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia.
Geography
Lower Shabelle is bordered by the regions of Banaadir, Middle Shabelle (Shabeellaha Dhexe), Hiran, Bay, Middle Jubba (Jubbada Dhexe) and by the ...
valley as far south as Kismayo. Only the powerful Bimaal clan centered in Merca resisted Geledi hegemony.
British explorer
John Kirk in his 1873 visit to the region noted a variety of things. Roughly 20 large dhows were docked in both
Mogadishu
Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...
and
Merka respectively filled with grain produced from the farms of the Geledi in the interior. Kirk met the
Hiraab Imam Mahmood who reigned over Mogadishu. The
Shabelle river itself was referred to as the 'Geledi river' by Kirk, perhaps in respect of the sheer volume of produce that the Sultanate output. In
Barawa
Barawa ( ''Barāwe'', , ''Baraawe'', ''Barāwa'', Italian language, Italian: ''Brava''), also known as Barawe and Brava, is the capital city, capital of the South West State of Somalia, South West State of Somalia.Pelizzari, Elisa. "Guerre civ ...
there was little grain instead a large quantity of ivory and skins which had already been loaded onto ships destined for
Zanzibar
Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small Island, islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. ...
.
Following
Barawa
Barawa ( ''Barāwe'', , ''Baraawe'', ''Barāwa'', Italian language, Italian: ''Brava''), also known as Barawe and Brava, is the capital city, capital of the South West State of Somalia, South West State of Somalia.Pelizzari, Elisa. "Guerre civ ...
locals being defeated by an expansionist push by a cunning Somali merchant from
Kismayo, Sultan Ahmed intervened and defeated the invading forces and pursued them back to Kismayo, keeping the Banadir coast and
Shabelle river free from outside penetration.
Administration
Sultan Ahmed Yusuf's devolved administration described as such by the British
Parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
in 1876. Noted as a powerful ruler of the
Rahanweyn
The Rahanweyn (, Northern Somali, Somali: , ), also known as the Digil and Mirifle () is a major Somali clan. It is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa, with a large territory in the densely populated fertile valleys of the Jubba ...
, his brother Abobokur Yusuf was the governor of the lands opposite the southern Banadir coast. Abobokur collected a 2,000 dollar tax from
Barawa
Barawa ( ''Barāwe'', , ''Baraawe'', ''Barāwa'', Italian language, Italian: ''Brava''), also known as Barawe and Brava, is the capital city, capital of the South West State of Somalia, South West State of Somalia.Pelizzari, Elisa. "Guerre civ ...
annually on behalf of Ahmed and the towns of Golweyn, and Bulo Mareer were exceedingly prosperous. Ahmed himself lived at Afgooye. Other relatives of the Sultan managed the vast territories outside of the immediate interior of the Banadir coast.
Cultural contributions
The
Istunka tournament was developed in the
Ajuran period, and was celebrated subsequently each year during the Somali new year alongside other festivals such as Nowruz. It was not until the Geledi sultanate and the reign of Sultan Ahmed Yusuf that the martial art festival became a centralized tournament with separate teams each supported by an assembly of poets, female vocalists and dance groups throughout the duration of the contest.
[Lee V. Cassanelli, ''The Shaping of Somali Society: Reconstructing the History of a Pastoral People, 1600-1900'', (University of Pennsylvania Press: 1982), p.271.]
Battle of Agaaran
After preparations were made to finally defeat the
Bimal, Ahmed's brother Abobokur Yusuf warned him not to go through with the attack as the Geledi had an influential ally refuse to join the upcoming campaign. Reprimanding his brother, the Sultan said he could watch the women & children then. With Abobokur eventually deciding to accompany Ahmed the Geledi marched out to meet the Bimaal at Cagaaran near
Merca
Merca (, ) is the capital city of the Lower Shebelle province of Somalia, a historic port city in the region. It is located approximately to the southwest of the nation's capital Mogadishu. Merca is the traditional home territory of the Bimal c ...
. A fierce battle commenced, with the Geledi eventually gaining the upperhand. The Bimals used ''asraar'' magic to turn the tide and would rout the Sultan's army killing both Ahmed and Abobokur. Following the battle, their bodies were taken to
Merca
Merca (, ) is the capital city of the Lower Shebelle province of Somalia, a historic port city in the region. It is located approximately to the southwest of the nation's capital Mogadishu. Merca is the traditional home territory of the Bimal c ...
by the Bimal, where they were then displayed in front of a large crowd as a show of triumph. The Bimal Sultan praised both men as noble and courageous. Upon seeing the bodies of the dead men, the women of the Merca reportedly marveled at the beauty of Ahmed Yusuf and his brother, which resulted in a public uproar with them demanding a proper funeral for the late Sultan.
[Luling, p.26.]
See also
*
Somali aristocratic and court titles
This is a list of Somali aristocratic and court titles that were historically used by the Somali people's various sultanates, Realm, kingdoms and empires. Also included are the honorifics reserved for Islamic notables as well as traditional leader ...
*
Mogadishu
Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...
*
Rahanweyn
The Rahanweyn (, Northern Somali, Somali: , ), also known as the Digil and Mirifle () is a major Somali clan. It is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa, with a large territory in the densely populated fertile valleys of the Jubba ...
*
Barawa
Barawa ( ''Barāwe'', , ''Baraawe'', ''Barāwa'', Italian language, Italian: ''Brava''), also known as Barawe and Brava, is the capital city, capital of the South West State of Somalia, South West State of Somalia.Pelizzari, Elisa. "Guerre civ ...
Notes
References
*
{{s-end
19th-century Somali people
19th-century monarchs in Africa
Gobroon dynasty
Somali sultans
Somalian Muslims
1878 deaths
Year of birth unknown