Garad ( Harari: ገራድ, , , Oromo: ''Garaada'') is a term used to refer to a king, Sultan or regional administrator. It was used primarily by Muslims in 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), ...

that were associated with Islamic states, most notably the

Adal Sultanate The Adal Sultanate, also known as the Adal Empire or Barr Saʿad dīn (alt. spelling ''Adel Sultanate'', ''Adal Sultanate'') (), was a medieval Sunni Muslim empire which was located in the Horn of Africa. It was founded by Sabr ad-Din III on th ...

Etymology

The origin of the term ''Garad'' is uncertain. According to Enrico Cerulli, Garad originates from the era of Adal. Garad denotes a headman within a ''"Gaar"'' (clan/house). In the Somali language ''Garad'' roughly translates to "chief" or "wise man", as well as "wisdom". Another word origin in the Somali language is ''Gar Aad'', which is the concatenation of the words "justice" and "move towards", therefore the literal meaning of Garad in Somali is "one who seeks justice" Garad also denotes a ''"chief"'' in Harari and Silt'e languages respectively. Historian Abdurahman Garad states Garad is derived from the Harari term agârada "to observe well" thus closely associated with the uniquely Harari title " Malak". According to Leslau, Garad is a Cushitic loanword in the Harari language. However, linguist Giorgio Banti disputes this claim, stating that Leslau's evidence is not sufficient to support it. Banti adds that there is little proof to support the terms Ethiopian Semitic origin as well.

History

Several Muslim states and dominions including Hadiya Sultanate, Sultanate of Darfur, Ganz province,

Harla The Harla, also known as Harala, Haralla were an ethnic group that once inhabited Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti. They spoke the Harla language, which belonged to either the Cushitic or Semitic branches of the Afroasiatic family. History The ...

and Somali Sultanate leaders were known as Garads. Within Somali clans the use of the traditional hereditary title ''"Garad"'' is most widespread among the Dhulbahante and Karanle and was also used by the

Habr Awal The Habr Awal, alternately known as the Zubeyr Awal (, , Full Name: '' Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ash-Ishaaq bin Ahmed, Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad)'' is one of the largest subclans of the wider Isaaq clan family, and is further divided into eight su ...

up until the 1940s. According to tradition the Somali Girhi's founding Garad ''"Aboker"'' lived five centuries ago in

Harar Harar (; Harari language, Harari: ሀረር / ; ; ; ), known historically by the indigenous as Harar-Gey or simply Gey (Harari: ጌይ, ݘٛىيْ, ''Gēy'', ), is a List of cities with defensive walls, walled city in eastern Ethiopia. It is al ...

. Tradition among the Somali Geledi clan claim Aw Kalafow, a descendant of Abadir, was the first to use the title ''Garad''. Enrico Cerulli and others state that the Harari titles such as ''Garad'' were embraced by Somali chiefs. In the early seventeenth century

Emirate of Harar The Emirate of Harar was a Muslim kingdom founded in 1647 when the Harari people refused to accept Imām ʿUmardīn Ādam as their ruler and broke away from the Imamate of Aussa to form their own state under `Ali ibn Da`ud. The Harar, city of Ha ...

, Garad was the title given to tax collectors on behalf of the state. According to Richard Caulk, Garad was a bygone Harari title that was introduced to the Oromo of

Hararghe Hararghe ( ''Harärge''; Harari language, Harari: ሀረርጌ፞ይ, هَرَرْݘٛىيْ,''Harargêy'', Oromo language, Oromo: Harargee, ) was a provinces of Ethiopia, province of eastern Ethiopia with its capital in Harar. Etymology Harargh ...

whom also began using it. Garads were also commanders of the army called the Malassay in the Harar Emirate. An eighteen century Harari chronicle states the Harar region went through major upheavals in the late 1700s which led to the destruction of several villages administrated by Garads.

Somali Garad clans

There are many Somali clans suffixed with Garad, in particular subclans of the

Marehan The Marehan (, ) is a Somali clan, which is part of one of the largest Somali clan families, the Darod. The clan are the largest tribe in the Jubaland state and make the majority of the Gedo, Middle Juba and Lower Juba states, some major cities ...

, Dhulbahante, and Karanle which include: * Reer Garad * Farah Garad * Mohamoud Garad *Guuleed Garad *Ali Garad *Yasin Garad *Abdi Garad

Places

* Jijiga Gerad Wilwal Airport, airport in Jijiga, Ethiopia *Garado, city in Wollo Province of

Amhara Region The Amhara Region (), officially the Amhara National Regional State (), is a Regions of Ethiopia, regional state in northern Ethiopia and the homeland of the Amhara people, Amhara, Awi people, Awi, Xamir people, Xamir, Argobba people, Argobba, a ...

derived from Garad. *Garad Erer, hill overlooking Porc-Epic Cave near

Dire Dawa Dire Dawa (; , meaning"where the Dir (clan), Dir hit his spear into the ground" or "The true Dir", , Harari language, Harari: ድሬዳዋ, lit. "Plain of Medicine"; ) is a city in eastern Ethiopia near the Somali Region and Oromia, Oromo borde ...

, Ethiopia * Garad (Garacad), port city in

Puntland Puntland is an autonomous state that considers itself to be part of Somalia, despite not accepting the legitimacy of Somalia's current governing administration. It was formed in 1998, and was a federal member state of Somalia from its fou ...

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 ...

Notable Garads

* Mahfuz of Adal Sultanate *

Garad Hirabu Goita Tedros Goita Hirabu Goita Ali, widely known as Garad Hirabu, was a Somali people, Somali military commander and general that served the Adal Sultanate. He held a distinguished position as one of the preeminent generals within the historical tapestry of t ...

*Dhuh Barar, last leader of the Somali Tolje'lo

Isaaq The Isaaq (, , ''Banu Ishaq'') is a major Somali clans, Somali clan. It is one of the largest Somali clan families in the Horn of Africa, with a large and densely populated traditional territory. The Isaaq people claim in a traditional legend ...

dynasty *Deria Abdalla, 4th chief of the

clan as well as the father of the clan's first Sultan, Abdulrahman Deria *Mohammed of Hadiya Sultanate, father of Empress

Eleni of Ethiopia Eleni (Ge’ez: እሌኒ, "Helena"; died April 1522) also known as Queen of Zeila (historical region), Zeila was Empress of Ethiopia by marriage to Zara Yaqob (r. 1434–1468), and served as regent between 1507 and 1516 during the minority of emp ...

*Ibrahim, of Sultanate of Darfur * Asmadin of Wej *Usman Oda of

, father of Oromo scholar Bakri Sapalo * Abun Adashe of Adal Sultanate * Dhidhin, first chief of the Somali Warsangali clan *

Abu Bakr Qatin Abu Bakr "the Slim" (Qaṭin) also known simply as Qaṭin sometimes spelt Qecchin or Katchthcen was a general in the Adal Sultanate under Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi. Abubaker's sobriquet ''"Qaṭin"'' is derived from the Harari term for ''"th ...

of Adal Sultanate *Sediso K’albo, last leader of the Gan- Silt'e dynasty * Sidi Mohammed, forefather of Halaba people * Matan ibn Uthman Al Somali of Adal Sultanate *Aboker, first chief of Somali Girhi clan * Jama Ali, current chief of the Somali Dhulbahante clan * Hassan Enjamo of Kebena * Aze of Hadiya *Ādan Ṣadiq of Imamate of Aussa *Abass, continued jihad in Ethiopian territory even after Imam Ahmed Gurey's death * Abdiqani Jama, grand chief of the Dhulbahante clan and one of the signatories of the

Somaliland declaration of independence The Somaliland Declaration of Independence was made on 18 May 1991 by Somali sultans from the Isaaq, Dhulbahante, Issa (clan), Issa, Gadabursi, Warsangali clans, as well as the Somali National Movement.Absame and Jidwaq Bartire also the Jijiga Gerad Wilwal Airport (JIJ) is named after him

References

{{Reflist Horn of Africa History of Darfur Society of Somalia Adal Sultanate Royal titles Noble titles Titles of national or ethnic leadership Aristocracy Heads of state