The Emirate of Harar was a Muslim kingdom founded in 1647 when the
Harari people
The Harari people ( Harari: Gēy Usuach, "People of the City") are Semitic-speaking ethnic group inhabiting the Horn of Africa. Members traditionally reside in the walled city of Harar, called simply ''Gēy'' "the City" in Harari, situated in t ...
refused to accept Imām ʿUmardīn Ādan as their ruler and broke away from the
Imamate of Aussa to form their own state under
`Ali ibn Da`ud. Prior to its invasion by Shewan forces under
Menelik II
, spoken = ; ''djānhoi'', lit. ''"O steemedroyal"''
, alternative = ; ''getochu'', lit. ''"Our master"'' (pl.)
Menelik II ( gez, ዳግማዊ ምኒልክ ; horse name Abba Dagnew ( Amharic: አባ ዳኘው ''abba daññäw''); 17 ...
, the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide Intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by ...
noted that the
Harar
Harar ( amh, ሐረር; Harari: ሀረር; om, Adare Biyyo; so, Herer; ar, هرر) known historically by the indigenous as Gey (Harari: ጌይ ''Gēy'', ) is a walled city in eastern Ethiopia. It is also known in Arabic as the City of Sain ...
kingdom made up the area between the rivers
Awash and
Shebelle while the
Ogaden was a tributary state. Originally however the Harar Emirate composed of present-day
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...
and to south of eastern
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the Er ...
including the
Arsi Province.
Harar also dominated trade in
Shewa
Shewa ( am, ሸዋ; , om, Shawaa), formerly romanized as Shua, Shoa, Showa, Shuwa (''Scioà'' in Italian), is a historical region of Ethiopia which was formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire. The modern Ethiopian capital Add ...
. Harar's influence began shrinking in the nineteenth century possibly due to lack of resources and famine.
Like all Muslim states in the area, the Emirate of Harar was technically under the protection of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
.
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...
annexed the Emirate of Harar in 1875. The
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading post ...
defeated the Khedivate and occupied its territories in 1882 including Harar, but the British agreed to evacuate Harar and essentially cede the city to the
Ethiopian Empire
The Ethiopian Empire (), also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia, or just simply known as Ethiopia (; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ , , Oromo: Itoophiyaa, Somali: Itoobiya, Afar: ''Itiyoophiyaa''), was an empire that historical ...
's sphere of influence in exchange for assistance against
Mahdist forces in Sudan. As per the terms of their agreement (the
Hewett Treaty), the British withdrew from Harar in 1884, leaving the city to the son of the former Emir of Harar with a few hundred rifles, some cannon and a handful of British trained officers. The Emirate would be finally destroyed and annexed by the armies of Negus Sahle Maryam of Shewa (the future Emperor
Menelik II
, spoken = ; ''djānhoi'', lit. ''"O steemedroyal"''
, alternative = ; ''getochu'', lit. ''"Our master"'' (pl.)
Menelik II ( gez, ዳግማዊ ምኒልክ ; horse name Abba Dagnew ( Amharic: አባ ዳኘው ''abba daññäw''); 17 ...
) in 1887 following the Emirate's defeat at the
Battle of Chelenqo.
Emirs of Harar (Dawud Dynasty)
{, class="wikitable"
, -
! !! Name !! Reign !! Note
, -
, 1
,
,
, Founder of the Emirate of Harar
, -
, 2
,
,
, Son of Emīr ʿAli
, -
, 3
,
,
, Son of Emīr ʿAli
, -
, 4
,
,
, Son of Emīr ʿAbdullah
, -
, 5
,
,
, Son of Emīr ʿAbdullah
, -
, 6
,
,
, Son of Emīr Abūbakar
, -
, 7
,
,
, Son of Emīr Abūbakar
, -
, 8
,
,
, Son of Emīr Abūbakar
, -
, 9
,
,
, Son of Emīr Abūbakar
, -
, 10
,
,
, Son of Emīr Yūsuf
, -
, 11
,
,
, Son of Emīr Yūsuf
, -
, 12
,
,
, Son of Emīr Maḥamed
, -
, 13
,
,
, Son of Emīr Maḥamed
, -
, 14
,
,
, Son of Emīr Maḥamed
, -
, 15
,
,
, Grandson of Emīr Maḥamed
, -
, 16
,
,
, Son of Emīr Abūbakar
, -
, 17
,
,
, Son of Emīr ʿAbdalshakūr, deposed by the
Khedivate of Egypt
The Khedivate of Egypt ( or , ; ota, خدیویت مصر ') was an autonomous tributary state of the Ottoman Empire, established and ruled by the Muhammad Ali Dynasty following the defeat and expulsion of Napoleon Bonaparte's forces which br ...
, -
, --
,
,
, Egypt annexed Harar in 1875
, -
, --
,
,
, Britain annexed Egypt in 1882, subsequently occupying Harar
, -
, 18
,
, {{nowrap, 1884–1887
, Son of Emīr Maḥamed (17), his rule and Harar's briefly renewed independence were both ended by the invasion of Harar by the Shewa kingdom in 1887.
See also
*
Sultanate of Harar
*
Egyptian invasion of the Eastern Horn of Africa
*
Walashma Dynasty
References
Further reading
*Avishai Ben-Dror (2018): "Emirate, Egyptian, Ethiopian: Colonial Experiences in Late Nineteenth-Century Harar"
History of Ethiopia
1647 establishments in Africa
1887 disestablishments in Africa
Geography of the Ottoman Empire
Vassal states of the Ottoman Empire
Former monarchies