Adal Sultanate(Awdal)
The kingdom of Adal(1415–1577) was a Muslim Somalilander Kingdom centered in Zeila,Somaliland. Adal was founded by Sabr ad-Din II after the decline of the Ifat Sultanate. At its height it controlled territory stretching from Somaliland all the way to cities in Sudan such as Suakin.
Ziela or Saylac in Somali is a historical port town in the Awdal region of Somaliland. Ziela hosts one of Islam’s first masjids (Masjid Qiblatayn). This masjid was built by the first generation of Companions along with the locals of Ziela during the first Hijra headed towards Abyssinia to escape Quraish persecution. The Masjid’s foundations still face Al Aqsa as it was built before the Qibla was changed to the Kaaba.
Ziela is also referenced in the Bible as the location of the Havelites and similarly mentioned in the 1st-century Greco-Roman travelogue Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. Ziela evolved into an early Islamic center and capital for the Adal Kingdom.The Somaliland kingdom of Adal has produced many legends such as Yusuf bin Ahmad al-Kawneyn or more famously known as Aw Barkhadle(“Blessed Father”). Yusuf bin Ahmad al-Kawneyn is an Isaaq man born in Ziela. He was credited with converting the Maldivian population into Islam and is revered to as a saint there. They refer to him as Saint Abu Barakat al Barbari(“Blessed father of Somalia”). Ibn Battuta states the Maldivian king Sultan Mohamed Al Adil was convinced by Aw Barkhadle to accept Islam. Aw Barkhadle was also credited with starting the first Muslim settlement in Sri Lanka.
The ethnic makeup of the Islamic Kingdom of Adal was quite diverse. The predominant tribal groupings were as follows Isaaq, Dir, Afars, and Hararis. Their legacy is one marked with wars with Abyssinia(Ethiopia). Under the Leadership of Imam Ahmed ibn Ibrahim Al-Ghazi otherwise known as Ahmed Gurey they karbaashed or in other words subdued Ethiopia as a colony and conquered large parts of Abyssinia(Ethiopia). Between 1529–1543 the Kingdom of Adal defeated several Ethiopian emperors and embarked on a conquest referred to as Futah Al Habash(“Conquest of Abyssinia.”)
During the Adal-Ethiopian wars the Kingdom of Adal under the leadership of Ahmed Gurey wiped out 2/3(66%) of Ethiopia’s population and if not for Portuguese intervention the numbers would have been much higher. During this conquest Adal managed to control over 3/4 of Christian Abyssinia. The Abyssinians then managed to seek and get in contact with Cristóvão da Gama. Cristóvão da Gama was a Portuguese military commander who led an army of well equipped Portuguese against the Adals. It is worth mentioning the Adal Sultanate maintained a robust commercial and political relationship with the Ottoman Empire. To level the playing field and resist Portuguese influence in the region the Ottomans provided technological support,gunfire, and weapons to the Adal Kingdom. This reflected a proactive policy the Ottomans were taking in their affairs with Muslims in distant lands. The Ottomans had a change in strategy they were not only going on the offensive against its enemies on their borders but rather they would extend it to the seas, oceans, and far flung lands in the Ummah. With the support of the Ottomans Adal managed to fight off Portuguese influence and were successful in their campaigns against the Abyssinians.
During its existence, Adal had political relations and engaged in trade with other entities in Northeast Africa, Europe, the near East and South Asia. Many of the historic cities in the Horn of Africa such as Berbera, Harar, Amud, and Awbare prospered under its reign. Adal cities were reknown for having courtyard houses, mosques, shrines, walled enclosures and cisterns. Adal attained its peak in the 14th century, trading in slaves, ivory and other commodities with Abyssinia and kingdoms in Arabia through its chief port of Zeila. One of the empire’s most wealthy provinces was Ifat it was well watered and nearby provinces had many large rivers along with water. Cities in Adal had lots of cultivation, horses, and cattle so much so that they had a surplus and had to export to Aden,Jeddah,Mecca and all around Arabia. Zeila was described as a “Port of much provisions for Aden, and all parts of Arabia and many countries and Kingdoms.” The historian Al-Umari of Cairo in his study in 1340’s about the history of Adal wrote “they cultivate two times annually by seasonal rains…The rainfall for the winter is called ‘Bil’ and rainfall for the ‘summer’ is called ‘Karam’ in the language of the people of Zayla.” Interestingly we Somalilanders still use these terms Karan and Bil.
