Not to be confused with the Sultanate of Adal.
The Kingdom of Adal | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 960–1275 | |||||||||||
| Capital | Zeila | ||||||||||
| Common languages | Arabic, Somali, Harla (Possibly) | ||||||||||
| Religion | Islam | ||||||||||
| Demonym(s) | Adalite | ||||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
• Established | 960 | ||||||||||
• Disestablished | 1275 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
The Kingdom of Adal (flourished 10th Century) (also Awdal, Adl, Adel) was a Somali Muslim kingdom centered around Zeila.[1] It was established by the local Somali tribes in the 10th century. Its capital and headquarters was Zeila, which attracted many merchants around the world, contributing to the wealth of the city. Zeila is an ancient city and it was one of the earliest cities in the world to embrace Islam.[2]
Origins and history
editIn the late 9th century, Al-Yaqubi was an Armenian Muslim scholar and traveller in the 9th century wrote that the Kingdom of Adal was a small wealthy kingdom and that its capital, Zeila, served as the headquarters for the kingdom, which dates back to the 9th century.[3] Though, most likely, Adal was an Axumite puppet state during this period of time until the collapse of Axum.
Yusuf bin Ahmad al-Kawneyn is believed to be born in Zeila during the Adal Kingdom period, with which he associated. Yusuf bin Ahmad al-Kawneyn is a very famous Somalia saint.[4] He is believed to be the founder and ancestor of the royal family known as the Walashma Dynasty, which governed both the Ifat Sultanate and the Adal Sultanate during the Middle Ages.[5] But this is most likely false as Umar Walasma founded the Walashama Dynasty and the Walashama Dynasty was a Harla Dynasty and Yusuf is Somali.
References
edit- ^ Mukhtar, Mohamed. Historical Dictionary of Somalia (Volume 87) (Historical Dictionaries of Africa, 87).
- ^ Mukhtar, Mohamed. Historical Dictionary of Somalia (Volume 87) (Historical Dictionaries of Africa, 87).
- ^ Lewis, Ioan. Peoples of the Horn of Africa: Somali, Afar and Saho.
- ^ Lewis, Ioan. Saints and Somalis: Popular Islam in a Clan-based Society.
- ^ Lewis, Ioan. Saints and Somalis: Popular Islam in a Clan-based Society.