Somalia's Timeline

[Chimera]

9000 BC

 

 

Laas Gaa'l or Laas Gaal (Somali Laas Gaal) is a complex of caves in Somalia/Somaliland famous for its recent discovery of cave paintings. The caves are located near Hargeisa in an area called Laas Gaa'l. The cave paintings were named after the area when it was discovered. They contain some of the earliest known art in the Horn of Africa and the African continent in general, dating back to somewhere between 8,000 and 9,000 BC.

 

Cave paintings

 

The cave paintings are the most significant Neolithic rock art in the whole of Africa. The cave paintings were recently discovered by local Somali men at Laas Gaa'l' an area outside the city of Hargeisa. Even under scorching sun and the past wars that occurred in the region, the paintings are still intact. The paintings have strong, vibrant colours and stark outlines. The paintings show the ancient civilizations that once lived in the region worshipping cattle.

[Chimera]

25 century BC the somali coast is known to the ancient Egyptians as Punt

 

 

 

disintergrated two stories high pyramids still lie in ainabo and ancient tombs are still unexplored

 

1 century AD the periplus of the red sea mentions wealthy ports on the somali coast

 

-Malao(Berbera)

-Opone(Ras xafun)

-Munde(Bosasso)

 

these ports inhabitants were known as berberi's and they traded with the Phoenecians,Romans and indians

[Chimera]

MOGADISHU KINGDOM

 

900/1750 AD

 

RULERS

 

First Sultan of the Mogadishu Kingdom was

 

=Sultan Umar father of Abu bakr

=Sultan Abu Bakr

=Sultan Ahmad I

=Sultan Muhammad I

=Sultan Ahmad II

=Sultan Mahmud

=Sultan Ali

=Sultan Uthman

=Sultan Muhammad II

=Sultan Ahmad III

 

Ibn Battuta

 

We traveled by sea for fifteen nights and arrived at Mogadishu. It is a town endless in its size. Its people have many camels, of which they slaughter hundreds every day, and they have many sheep. Its people are powerful merchants. In it are manufactured the clothes named after the city, which have no rival, and which are transported as far as Egypt and elsewhere

 

 

One of the customs of the people of the city is that when a ship arrives at anchorage, the small boats come out to it. In every boat is a group of young people of the town, andeach of these brings a covered dish with food in it. He offers it to one of the merchants ofthe ship and says, "This is my guest." Each one of these people does this similarly.When a merchant debarks from the ship, he goes only to the house of his host - the young person. But a man who has frequented the town a good deal and knows the people can lodge where he wishes. When he lodges with his host, the host buys his goods and sells them for him. They agree on the prices before the sales. This custom is very profitable

 

When the young people came out to the ship I was on, one of them came to me. My companion told them, "This is not a merchant, but a faqih" (lawyer). So the young manshouted to the others, saying, "This is a guest of the Qadi " (Judge). The Qadi came to the shore with some of his students, and sent one of the students out to get me. Idisembarked and came ashore and saluted the Qadi and his company. He said, "In thename of God, let us go and greet the Sultan." I said I would go with them after I hadfound my lodgings. He replied: "It is the custom that when a faqih or a man of religioncomes, he does not lodge until he has met the Sultan." So I went with them as herequested

 

We went to that house, which is very near the Sultan's house, and found it had everything we needed. They brought us food from the Sultan's house, and we ate. Their food is rice cooked with ghee, placed on a large wooden dish. On top they put relishes of chicken,meat, fish, and vegetables. They cook green bananas in fresh milk and serve it separately, and they also cook sour milk with pickled lemons and peppers, with vinegar and salt, green ginger, and mangoes. One of the people of Mogadishu eats as much as a group of us would. Thus they are large of body and fat.On Friday they brought me a suit of their clothing - a silk wrapping instead of my trousers - for they do not wear trousers here. Also, a shirt made of fine linen, a coat ofthe Jerusalem style, and an embroidered turban from Egypt. We went to the Grand Mosque to pray. When the sheikh came out, I greeted him. He said to me, in Arabic "You are most welcome. You have honored our country and given us pleasure.''

 

In 1342 AD the Arab traveler Ibn Battuta met in an Indian port a man from Mogadishu who had been in China. His name was Sa’id. There is no indication he had been there on business, but we do know he was a devout Moslem and an Islamic doctor of law.

 

 

 

Kiblui Khan the Mongol Emperor of China and the grandson of Ghengis Khan heard of the trading Empire in Mogadishu and send an envoy to establish trade links and to negotiate a release of an earlier envoy that was send by the Emperor and held captive in Mogadishu -China's encounter with africa

 

Zheng He

 

the muslim admiral

 

14th century AD

 

 

When the Chinese reached the east coast of Africa, they found people who built houses of brick. "Men and women wear their hair in rolls; when they go out they wear a linen hood. There are deep wells worked by means of cog wheels. Fish are caught in the sea with nets." The Africans offered such goods a "dragon saliva, incense, and golden amber." The Chinese found the African animals even more amazing. There included "lion, gold-spotted leopards, and camel-birds (ostriches), which are six or seven feet tall." The most exciting thing that Zheng He ever brought back to the emperor’s count was a giraffe.

 

The animal came from today's Somalia. In the Somali Language, the name for giraffe (girrin) sounds similar to the Chinese word for unicorn(chi'lin). It was easy to imagine that this was the legendary animal that had played an important part in the birth of Confucius. Surely, it must be a sign of Heaven's favor on the emperor's reign.

 

When the giraffe arrived in 1415, the emperor himself went to the palace gate to receive it, as well as a "celestial horse" (zebra) and a "celestial stag" (oryx). The palace officials offered congratulations and performed the kowtow before the heavenly animals.

 

Chinese coins from the Song and Ming dynasties found in Somalia

 

 

Mogadishu also minted it's own coins for trade

 

[Chimera]

ADAL KINGDOM 700/1660 AD

 

12 century AD The Walashma dynasty of Adal conquers the muslim Kingdom of Shewa

 

The Walashma dynasty was a Muslim noble family who ruled parts of what is now eastern Ethiopia, Djibouti, southern Eritrea and western Somalia.

 

RULERS

 

=Haqq ad-Din I

=Sabr ad-Din I

=Jamal ad-Din I

=Ali ibn Sabr ad-Din

=Ahmad ibn Ali

=Haqq ad-Din II

=Sa'ad ad-Din II

=Sabr ad-Din II

=Mansur ad-Din

=Jamal ad-Din II

=Badlay ibn Sa'ad ad-Din

=Muhammad ibn Badlay

=Shams ad-Din ibn Muhammad

=Muhammad ibn Azhar ad-Din

=Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad

=Umar Din

=Ali ibn Umar Din

=Barakat ibn Umar Din

 

= Ahmed Gurey

 

 

Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi (c.1507 - February 21, 1543) was a Somali Imam and General who defeated Emperor Lebna Dengel of Ethiopia. Nicknamed Gran (Gurey in Somali) "the left-handed", he embarked on a conquest which brought three-quarters of Ethiopia under the power of the Muslim Kingdom of Adal from 1529 to 1543.

 

continues

 

in 1660 after many battles against the Ethiopian Empire and incursions of the oromo's the Adal Empire disintegrated in to multiple states

[Chimera]

on the other side of east africa there was the..

 

A-J-U-U-R-A-A-N KINGDOM

 

1400/1780

 

Hobyo the ancient port of Somalia was the commercial centre of the A-j-u-u-r-a-a-n Sultanate, based in Qalafo . All the commercial goods grown or harvested along the Shabelle river were brought to Hobyo to trade, as Hobyo remained the active mercantile pitstop of ancient times. The A-j-u-u-r-a-a-n rulers collected their tribute from the town in the form of sorghum (durra), and the port of Hobyo was incredibly profitable for the A-j-u-u-r-a-a-n sultans.

 

Hobyo's A-j-u-u-r-a-a-n rulers were allies of the Mogadishu Sultanate, and trade between Hobyo and the Banaadir coast flourished for some time. So vital was Hobyo to the prosperity of the A-j-u-u-r-a-a-n Sultanate that when a clan successfully revolted against the A-j-u-u-r-a-a-n and established an independent Imamate of the Hiraab , the power of the A-j-u-u-r-a-a-n sultans crumbled within a century,

 

not much is known about this mysterious powerfull kingdom that Controlled large parts of East africa from the 14th century till the late 17th century

[Chimera]

Gerad Sultanate

 

The Sultanate was an imperial power centered around the borders of the North East of British Somaliland and some parts of South East of Italian Somaliland. It was one of the largest Sultanates in Somalia, and, at the height of its power, it included the Sanaag region, parts of North East of Bari region. It was established by a tribe in North of Somalia and ruled by the descendents of the Gerad Dhidhin.

 

Gerad Dhidhin (1298–1311)

Gerad Hamar Gale(1311–1328)

Gerad Ibrahim (1328–1340)

Gerad Omer (1340–1355)

Gerad Mohamud (1355–1375)

Gerad Ciise (1375–1392)

Gerad Siciid (1392–1409)

Gerad Ahmed (1409–1430)

Gerad Siciid (1430–1450)

Gerad Mohamud (1450–1479)

Gerad Ciise (1479–1491)

Gerad Ali dable (1491–1503)

Gerad Liban (1503–1525)

Garad Yuusuf (1525–1555)

Garad Mohamud (1555–1585)

Garad Abdale (1585–1612)

Garad Ali (1612–1655)

Gerad Mohamud (1655–1675)

Garad Naleye (1675–1705)

Garad Mohamed (1705–1750)

Gerad Ali (1750–1789)

Gerad Mohamud Ali (1789–1830)

Gerad Aul (1830-1870)

Gerad Ali Shire (1870–1897)

Sultan Mohamud Ali Shire (1897–1960)

 

In 1896, internal conflict amongst clans led to the coming of a new Sultan: Mohamoud Ali Shire However, a clan withdrew their loyalty and support from the new Sultan and decided to join Sayyid Mohammed Abdullah Hassan and his Dervish army. Robert L. Hess's article, "The 'Mad Mullah' (the Sayyid) and Northern Somalia," cites this alliance: "In attempt to break out of Obbian circle, the Mullah (Sayyid Mohammed Abdullah Hassan) sought closer alliances with the clans of British Somaliland and of Ethiopia." (Hess, 423)

 

continues

 

 

Shaykh Uways bin Muhammad

 

the largest brotherhood in Tanzania is Qadirriyya wich is divided in many independent branches. the origin of this order is connected to the somali sheikh Uways bin muhammad who having been invited by the sultan arrived in Zanzibar in 1880's. Shehu Awesu as sheik Uways was called in Swahilli paid several lengthy visits to Zanzibar and initiated many disciples into his order who afterwards spread the order to the mainland and as far as Congo area - by abdulaziz Y. lohdi and David westerlund

 

Blood rivalry

 

Farther east on the Bari coast, by the middle of the nineteenth century two tiny kingdoms emerged that would play a significant political role on the Somali Peninsula prior to colonization. These were the Sultanate of Boqor Ismaan Mahamuud, and that of his kinsman Sultan Yuusuf Ali Keenadiid of Hobyo (Obbia). The Sultanate originated in the mid eighteenth century, but only came into its own in the nineteenth century with the reign of the resourceful Boqor Ismaan Mahamuud.

 

Ismaan Mahamuud's kingdom benefited from British subsidies (for protecting the British naval crews that were shipwrecked periodically on the Somali coast) and from a liberal trade policy that facilitated a flourishing commerce in livestock, ostrich feathers, and gum arabic. While acknowledging a vague vassalage to the British, the sultan kept his desert kingdom free until well after 1900

 

Boqor Ismaan Mahamuud's sultanate was nearly destroyed in the middle of the nineteenth century by a power struggle between him and his young, ambitious cousin, Keenadiid. Nearly five years of destructive civil war passed before Boqor Ismaan Mahamuud managed to stave off the challenge of the young upstart, who was finally driven into exile in Arabia. A decade later, in the 1870s, Keenadiid returned from Arabia with a score of Hadhrami musketeers and a band of devoted lieutenants. With their help, he carved out the small kingdom of Hobyo after conquering the local clans. Both kingdoms, however, were gradually absorbed by the extension into southern Somalia of Italian colonial rule in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

 

continues

[Chimera]

 

Sayid Abdullah Hassan

 

born April 7, 1864, Somalia, died December 21, 1920 in Imi, Ethiopia) was Somalia's religious and nationalist leader (called the "Mad Mullah" by the British, although he was neither mad nor a mullah) who for 20 years led armed resistance to the British, Italian, and Ethiopian forces in Somalia.

 

continues

 

Sayid's letter to the British: - I wish to rule my own country and protect my own religion. If you will, send me a letter saying whether there is to be peace or war. I intend to go from Burao to Berbera I warn you of this - I wish to fight with you. I like war, but you do not. God willing, I will take many rifles from you, but you will get no rifles or ammunition from me.If you want wood and stone, you can get them in plenty. There are also many ant-heaps. The sun is very hot. All you can get from me is war - nothing else. I have met your men in battle, and have killed them. We are greatly pleased at this. Our men who have fallen in battle have won paradise. God fights for us. We kill, and you kill. We fight by God's order. That is the truth. We ask for God's blessing. God is with me when I write this. If you wish for war, I am happy; and, if you wish for peace, I am content also. But if you wish for peace, go Solvay from my country back to your own. If you wish for war, stay where you are. Hearken to my words. I wish to exchange a machine gun for ammunition. If you do not want it, I will sell it to some one else. bend me a letter saying whether you desire war or peace

 

more info

 

 

FORT TALEX

 

Shaikh Muhammad Ibn 'Abdillaah As-Sumaale

 

Shaikh Muhammad Ibn 'Abdillaah As-Sumaalee was born at the beginning of this (20th) century, around 1910 or so. This is because the Shaikh remembers seeing the Somali Mujaahid known as Sayyid Muhammad 'Abdullaah, and he was a little older by then. And Sayyid Muhammad died in the year 1920.

 

continues

[Chimera]

Omar Samatar's Rebellion 1925

 

Though victorious against the sultan's forces, the populace had yet to accept Italian rule without a fight. Commissioner Trivulzio, assigned with administering Hobyo, reported movement of armed men towards the borders of the sultanate before the annexation and afterwards. As preparations were underway to continue the Corpo Zaptié's advance into **********, a new threat emerged.

 

One of Sultan Ali Yusuf's commanders, Omar Samatar, attacked and captured El-Bur on the 9th of November. The local populace sided with Omar, and soon enough the Italians had a full scale revolution on their hands after Omar followed up his previous success with the capture of El-Dhere. The Corpo Zaptié tried and failed to recapture El-Bur from Omar. By the 15th of November the Italians had fled to Bud Bud, ambushed by partisans the whole way and rather diminished in forces and resolve.

 

A third attempt was planned, but before it could be executed the commander of the operation, Lieutenant-Colonel Splendorelli, was ambushed and killed between Bud Bud and Bula Barde. Italian morale hit rock bottom, and Hobyo seemed a lost cause as Omar stood poised to reconquer Hobyo itself. In an attempt to salvage the situation, governor De Vecchi requested two battalions from Eritrea and assumed personal command. The rebellion soon spilled over the borders into the Benadir and Western Somaliland, and Omar grew increasingly powerful.

 

The disaster in Hobyo shocked Italian policymakers in Rome. It was the Adwa fiasco of the Abyssinian War all over again, and Italy's plans for East Africa were unraveling before their very eyes. Blame soon fell on Governor De Vecchi, who's perceived incompetence was blamed for Omar's rise. Rome instructed De Vecchi that he was to receive the reinforcement from Eritrea, but that the commander of the Eritrean battalions was to assume the military command and De Vecchi was confined to Mogadishu and limited to an administrative role. The commander was to report directly to Rome, bypassing De Vecchi entirely.

 

continues

[Chimera]

1960 Somalia independence

 

 

In 1977 Somalia went to war with Ethiopia

 

Somali commanders defeated the ethiopian army and conquered Somali galbeed

 

 

then the forces of russia,cuba the eastern block of germany and the people's republic of Yemen came to the aid of the ethiopians and fought the somali patriots

 

with all these countries backing Ethiopia the balance was uneven and eventually the somali troops were pushed back

 

Said barre became a Dictator then somali groups toppled him and the rest you allready know..

[me]

Not many countries have a history as long, rich and diverse like our country. It is sad that not many people have investigated our history. It is even sadder that we mostly rely on others to tell us about our history. It is time for us Somalis to take interest in our own history. Thank you for this topic Dave. Any historians, archaeologists or anthropologists on SOL or are we all economists (faraxs) Bio-chemists ( xalimo's).

 

Originally posted by David_Letterman:

Ibn Battuta

 

We traveled by sea for fifteen nights and arrived at Mogadishu. It is a town endless in its size. Its people have many camels, of which they slaughter hundreds every day, and they have many sheep. Its people are powerful merchants.

Maybe its time that Mogadishu regained its old glory and became a merchant city once again. Somalis are good in business because its in our genes, we have always had it in us. Dubai should better watch out, we will catch up soon. But if want to catch up we need to loose this narrow minded attitude of qabyaalad and racism. we should open our doors to people from all over the world ( ONLY IN MOGADISHU THOUGH!! yes a redneck never looses its spots) Mogadishu should become a cosmopolitan once again.

 

Originally posted by David_Letterman

Kiblui Khan the Mongol Emperor of China and the grandson of Ghengis Khan heard of the trading Empire in Mogadishu and send an envoy to establish trade links and to negotiate a release of an earlier envoy that was send by the Emperor and held captive in Mogadishu -China's encounter with africa

yeps kidnap, hijack, piracy. Not much has changed on that front.

 

 

If you don't know where your coming from you won't know where your going and you wont know you are. With a history as rich as ours we don't need an identity crisis. Even Ibn batuta pointed out. That we are not Arabs. When he said

 

Originally posted by David_Letterman:

We went to the Grand Mosque to pray. When the sheikh came out, I greeted him.

He said to me, in Arabic

"You are most welcome. You have honored our country and given us pleasure.''

Why was it important to him to mention that the sheikh said it Arabic? could it be because most people didn't speak Arabic.

[Chimera]

exactly and he mentioned that the inhabitants spoke an indigineous language

 

i heard somewhere that ibn battuta over 30 times encountered merchants and scholars from Mogadishu and Zeila in foreign countries during his trip

[me]

Hmmmm is there a book about his travels and his encounters in Somalia?

[Chimera]

Ross E. Dunn, The Adventures of Ibn Battuta

 

The Travels of Ibn Battuta to Central Asia by Ibrahimov Nematulla Ibrahimovich

[Chimera]

WORLD WAR 1

 

the tirailleurs somaliens participated in the following battles/engagements while attached to the Colonial Infantry Regiment of Morocco, French Army:

 

verdun-douaumont (1916), la malmaison (1917), l'aisne (1917-1918) la marne (1918) noyon (1918)

 

all of these are supposedly sewn onto the flag of the regiment. but AFAIK there is no picture of the flag on the internet yet.

 

one example of such a battle in which the somalis were indispensible was the liberation of point de grave. it took place over a seven day period (april 14-21, 1918). the somali infantry fought an extremely tough german force of indeterminate strength, who were defending themselves in the middle of a moonscape littered with mines and bunkers, and heavily supported by artillery. however the somalis were resolute in their attack and victory was assuredly theirs: 947 germans killed, 100 concrete bunkers taken, 90 pieces of artillery taken, 3300 germans captured. after this action, the entire unit was given a divisional citation for its incredible fortitude.

 

the tirailleurs somaliens took part in many of the big allied drives of 1918

 

the second battle of picardy: (march 21 to april 30, 1918)

 

the somalis parent unit, the colonial infantry regiment of morocco, belonged to the 38th infantry division, french army, commanded by general guyot de salins. it was considered an elite division at the disposal of the army. on march 29th, the elite unit was at resson-sur-matz. they took part in battles at canny-sur-matz and plessis-de-roye. these battles in particular showcased the brilliance of both the somalis and the entire colonial infantry regiment of morocco.

 

the second battle of the marne (july 18 to august 6, 1918)

 

general mangin ordered the 38th infantry division to the northeast of villers-cotterets forest. the somalis fought valorous combat at parcy, tigny, hartennes, and taux. following this battle, the somalis, along with the whole colonial infantry regiment of morocco, was transferred to the headquarters of the 2nd moroccan division, where it would remain until the end of the war.

 

the battle of oise and ailette (august 17 to september 4, 1918)

 

beginning on august 18th, somalis took part in the battles of gizancourt, crezy-au-mont, and coucy castle, always under heavy german fire.

 

the third battle of champagne (september 26 to october 4, 1918)

 

in the giant french offensive, the somalis seized the famous butte of mesnil and gratreuil village, after undertaking a successful crossing at dormoise.

 

in 1918 the somalis participated in the last allied attacks against the german line, fighting in the champagne area of france, as well as in the sectors of the oise/aisne rivers. they received 6 unit citations of distinction and another 1200 citations of distinction for the heroic acts of its individual soldiers.

 

the battle of argonne (october 14-20, 1918)

 

the somalis helped destroy the hindenburg line defenses near vouziers, fighting battles at monthois and olizy primat.

 

some of the somali heroes included:

 

1. tirailleurs robleh barreh and abdillahi god, who were badly wounded

 

2. tirailleurs gaya god and ismail adoual, who were mentioned in the army dispatches, for outstanding behavior at soissons and longpont

 

3. adjutant dagal mecke, who saw some of his fellows hindered by a few machine-guns, decided with courage to lead his fellow soldiers. he went out ahead, in harms way, and quickly silenced the machine-gun nests. he accepted military decoration for this outstanding bravery, along with another soldier, a tirailleur djama robleh, who offered assistance to the adjutant. djama robleh was mentioned in army dispatches for heroism as well.

 

(http://www.djibnet.com/news/index.php?p=121)

[SURAMBAYA]

So this is a post by you, replied by you, populated by and crowded by you.....What happened to the rules around here?