The Ajuran ( Somali: ''Ajuuraan, Beesha Ajuuraan, Morshe'',

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

: أجوران) is a

Somali clan Somali clans (; ) are patrilineal kinship groups based on agnatic descent of the Somali people. Tradition and folklore connects the origin of the Somali population by language and way of life, and societal organisations, by customs, and by a fee ...

, part of the Jambelle clan which itself belongs to the largest Somali clan-family — the

Hawiye The Hawiye (; ) are one of the principal and largest of the Somali clans, tracing their lineage back to Sheikh Ahmed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Uthman, also known as Sheikh Hawiye, the eponymous figure of the clan. They are considered the earliest do ...

. Ajuran members largely inhabit

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

as well as southern east

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

; considerable numbers are also found in southern

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

. Some Ajuran members are settled in Mogadishu.

Overview

The Ajuran clan's origins are found in the

Ajuran Sultanate The Ajuran Sultanate (, ), natively referred to as Ajuuraan, and often simply Ajuran/Ajur, was a Muslims, Muslim empire in the Horn of Africa that thrived from the Late Middle Ages, late medieval and Early modern period, early modern period. F ...

, a Somali

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

sultanate Sultan (; ', ) is a Royal and noble ranks, 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". La ...

that ruled over large parts of the

Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...

in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. Today they largely live in the North Eastern Province in Kenya and the

Somali region The Somali Region (, , ), also known as Soomaali Galbeed () and officially the Somali Regional State, is a Regions of Ethiopia, regional state in eastern Ethiopia. It is the largest region of Ethiopia. The state borders the Ethiopian regions ...

of Ethiopia, but also in

. The Ajuran primarily speak the

Somali language Somali is an Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language belonging to the Cushitic languages, Cushitic branch, primarily spoken by the Somalis, Somali people, native to Greater Somalia. It is an official language in Somalia, Somaliland, and Ethio ...

. The Ajuran are said to be part of the Jambelle

but were displaced from modern Hawiye territories in the late 17th to early 18th centuries due to historical conflicts particularly in South Central Somalia. Lee Cassanelli in his 1982 book "''The Shaping of Somali Society: Reconstructing the History of a Pastoral People, 1600-1900''" often refers to the Ajuran as former leaders of a Hawiye clan dynasty.

History

Antiquity Many traditions link the Ajuran with a people known to the Somalis as Madanle (Maantiiinle. Madinle, etc.) who were celebrated well-diggers in southern Somalia and northeastern Kenya. Ajuran Empire The Ajuran clan established the Garen Dynasty that ruled both Mogadishu Sultanate and

during the Middle Ages. Early Modern Period During the early modern period, in the 19th century, under Sultan Olol Dinle, the

was almost revived. Not long after would Olol Dinle be accused of conspiring with the

Italians Italians (, ) are a European peoples, European ethnic group native to the Italian geographical region. Italians share a common Italian culture, culture, History of Italy, history, Cultural heritage, ancestry and Italian language, language. ...

against the Ethiopian government. He was assassinated by Haile Salassie in 1960.

Language

The Ajuran in Somalia normally speak standard Somali while those in the riverside communities of Hirshabelle speak

Maay Maay Mai-Mai, commonly spelled Maay Maay (also known as ''Af-Maay'', ''Af-Maymay'', or simply ''Maay''; the ''Mai-Mai'' is an ancient Cushitic language mainly spoken in Somalia and adjacent parts of Ethiopia and Kenya. In Somalia, it is spoken in So ...

. As for the Ajuran in Kenya, the linguistic case is more complex. The Wallemugge section are often bilingual in Somali and Borana.Islam and Ethnicity in Northern Kenya and Southern Ethiopia, Pax Boranica G.H.Schlee However most sources state that Somali is the dominant language in the North Eastern Province, so bilingual speakers are many among the Ajuran who live in Moyale where the Borana language is prevalent.

Clan Tree

This Clan Tree is based on "Identities on the Move: Clanship and Pastoralism in Northern Kenya" by ''Gunther Schlee''. -Samaale *Irir **Hawiye ***Jambeelle *****naaso Weyne ******Al'ama *******habar Hintire ******* Wacbudhan *******Quran Jecle *******Sibir *******Ajuuraan ******** Wallemugge *********Hermoon *********Dameestiran **********Gareen ***********Dayle ************Cabdalle *************Yarow *************Arab ************Seerjeele *************Galiisle *************

Abgaal The Abgaal (Somali language, Somali: Abgaal; Arabic: أبگال) are a Somali clan, Somali sub-clan of the Hawiye and the even larger Samaale clan. This prominent Somali clan, despite being one of the youngest in Somalia, is one of the most ...

(maternal) ************Dabuurow ************Awrtable ************Tukun *********Geelbaariis **********Mudina **********Anjabreele **********Garjeele ***********Moodin ***********Gedi² *********Gasho¹ *********Dhulxada **********Habar Carrare **********Reer Yusuf *********Riiba ********Sanle *********Faqa Shini ********Saremugge ********Tore ********Daqsore ********Baydan *********Madale **********Waaqle ***********Nuun ***********Uurmidig ***********Gidir ***********Beexaw ***********Daguro *********Bayle *********Kumatte *********Madinle ********Badbaydan *********Hoydan

Notable people

* Faduma Sarjelle, princess * Dhaqsoore. House of Gareen member * Rasul ibn Ali, sultan

References

Sources

* * {{cite book , last1=Lewis , first1=Ioan M. , author1-link=Ioan Lewis , date=1994 , title=Blood and Bone: The Call of Kinship in Somali Society , location=Lawrencewill, NJ , publisher=The Red Sea Press , isbn=0-932415-93-8 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9fAjtruUXjEC Somali clans