Lets Talk African History: Somalis. An underrated history

[Bawon Samedi]

1. I'm not really sure. Apart from Ibn Battuta account of the Sultan, Abd al Aziz alMakdachaouy (meaning from Mogadishu).

(Which you've already showed I know)
Ibn Battuta's visit to the Maldives was in the 1340s I believe. We would later lose the island to the Portuguese.

Oh okay.

2. Sofala is said to have been founded as a gold colony by Somali sailors.

But there's not a lot of other historical documents about it.

Aye... I very much doubt Sofala because it was said to be controlled by the kingdom of Great Zimbabwe(they actually had a lot of influence on the southern coast than we think) who they let merchants/traders from the city of Kilwa use it.

Considering we ruled at least two different far off islands, it would have been cool if we had control over some other notable ones, like Zanzibar, Madagascar, Socotra etc.

3.

I doubt Zanzibar too because unlike most Swahili islands it is the most documented and we don't hear people from Somalia settling. I would bet more on northern Madagascar. Not sure of Socotra tho.

I would however bet on Gedi. Because I hear Gedi was a Swahili town that was invaded by Southern Cushytic people(and they changed the name to Gedi). They COULD have ben either Oromos or Somalis.

 

[YoungGeeljire]

@Diasporan Royalty

Sofala was founded/used by Somalis from Mogadishu as a gold colony before it was taken over by the Kilwa. It used to exclusively trade with Mogadishu while it was a Somali territory.

Of course our relationship with Sofala was peaceful and mutually beneficial (unlike how the Portuguese would operate)






Tomorrow I will make a post dispelling the myth of Mogadishu or other notable Somali port cities being funded by Arabs, which has been perpetuated by some ignorant "scholars" and authors. I will be using legitimate historical documents aswell.

 

[Bawon Samedi]

@YoungGeeljire

Wow... You'r actually correct. I googled searched it and Somalis were trading with people from Mozambique before Sofala was taken over by Kilwa. I wonder when people Great Zimbabwe took control over Sofala? Also SINCE Somalis had control over Sofala once, were Somalis trading with people from Great Zimbabwe? Because like I said that kingdom had some influence on the coastal part and Sofala if I remember correctly connected trade to Great Zimbabwe. It was Great Zimbabwe that had most of the gold in Eastern Africa. Those guys were mining gold worth over $7.5 billion according to this book.

 

[BlackStarLine]

Great thread!

Somalians always fascinated me. Now reading the info provided by OP, I'm understanding why. I always knew that anti African myth about them was/is a myth. Their actions show otherwise.

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

1. I'm not really sure. Apart from Ibn Battuta account of the Sultan, Abd al Aziz alMakdachaouy (meaning from Mogadishu).

(Which you've already showed I know)
Ibn Battuta's visit to the Maldives was in the 1340s I believe. We would later lose the island to the Portuguese.

2. Sofala is said to have been founded as a gold colony by Somali sailors.

But there's not a lot of other historical documents about it.


Considering we ruled at least two different far off islands, it would have been cool if we had control over some other notable ones, like Zanzibar, Madagascar, Socotra etc.

3.

Some Somalis did settle in northern Madagascar

 

[Broke Wave]

@YoungGeeljire

Wow... You'r actually correct. I googled searched it and Somalis were trading with people from Mozambique before Sofala was taken over by Kilwa. I wonder when people Great Zimbabwe took control over Sofala? Also SINCE Somalis had control over Sofala once, were Somalis trading with people from Great Zimbabwe? Because like I said that kingdom had some influence on the coastal part and Sofala if I remember correctly connected trade to Great Zimbabwe. It was Great Zimbabwe that had most of the gold in Eastern Africa. Those guys were mining gold worth over $7.5 billion according to this book.

I have some anecdotes regarding this but it does include the large southern African ethnically Bantu people who live in Somalia but totally adopted and became Somali. That meaning, their primary culture is Somali and language which of course indicates that it was a very long term migration and settlement which will make sense when I give the anecdote. Point is Anti Africanism is nonsense wrt somalis growing up I never felt anything like that.

 

[Bawon Samedi]

Speaking of Somalis and Madagascar....

The African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean

^^I might have to add this book to my list. @Grano-Grano @YoungGeeljire @Broke Wave I suggest yall at least take a look into this book since some of yall seem to be interested in the Indian Ocean trade.

 

[Bawon Samedi]

I have some anecdotes regarding this but it does include the large southern African ethnically Bantu people who live in Somalia but totally adopted and became Somali. That meaning, their primary culture is Somali and language which of course indicates that it was a very long term migration and settlement which will make sense when I give the anecdote. Point is Anti Africanism is nonsense wrt somalis growing up I never felt anything like that.

So you're saying the people who founded the port were Bantu Somalis? More importantly the bolded is very interesting because Southern Somalia is right near the Swahili cultural influence and we know they were trading back and forth. So it would make sense for Bantus to migrate into Southern Somalia and Somalis to migrate Southern. This can put a hole into the exaggeration that ALL Bantu-Somalis in Somalia were there due to being slaves.

 

[25YOUTHS!!]

IN
Interesting thread, ya'll dropping knowledge, especially the pre-Islamic parts

 

[Bawon Samedi]

Never heard of her.


@Grano-Grano @Karbaash @Broke Wave

 

[Bawon Samedi]

Ancient ruins in Taleh, Somalia

 

[BocaRear]

"The Somali people in pre-islamic times practiced a complex Monotheistic religion with a set of Deities superseded by a single all powerful figure called Eebe (God also known as Waaq). The Equillibrium of the Universe in Somali Mythology was tied with the Love (Gacal ) and between the beloved (Gacalo).or the sky Bull and the Cow
The Universe was said to balance itself on the horns of a The Love and the Beloved or Waaq and Eebe so the Bull and the cow of the sky a beast forever staring at the cow tied to a pole in front of him. Whenever his love turned her eyes away from the Bull, it would result in a physical shift that caused natural disasters on Earth Religious temples were called (Xeero) dating from antiquity known as Taalo were the centers where important ceremonies were held led by a (Wadaad) the priest"

It appears that this religion was commonly practiced amongst the cushytic groups like the closely related Oromos:
"In the pre-colonial Oromo society, the core of Oromo social, economic, political, philosophical, and spiritual life was a holistic institution known as Gada.
Under Gadaa, Oromos believed in Waaq (God). Waaq is one as a supreme being, but It is also many as ayyaana. Ayyaana exist in everybody and everything in the universe. In Oromo religion, Waaq creates and regulates the existence of all animate and inanimate, material and non-material nature and places them in a well-balanced cosmic order.

As an extension of this phenomenon, Oromos believe that society collapses unless a balance is struck between female and male, young and old, spiritual and physical power in the cosmic order of Waaq’s wisdom. The interdependence of the dominant and the liminal is considered a precondition for peace and prosperity in both metaphysical and practical sense.

Oromos refer to this concept of peace and order of Waaq as safuu. Safuu is extremely important in Oromo religious and political thought. If the balance is disturbed, it is said that safuu is lost. The loss of safuu is the loss of seera Waaq (Waaq’s law and order). The loss of safuu signals the reign of chaos and disaster."
Oromo Religion

The laas geel rock art:

 

[DrBanneker]

@Grano-Grano @Karbaash @Broke Wave


"Encyclopaedia of the history of science, technology and medicine in non-western cultures", by Helaine Selin, 1997, pg 761.

Can yall expand on this? Did not know there was Malagasy rulers outside of Madagascar, let alone Yemen. And did not know Somalis invaded Yemen.

I think they mean the Himyarite Jewish dynasty that ruled Yemen at the time. Though I thought it was the Axumite Emperor who expelled them and Aksum ruled Yemen for a sec.

 

[DrBanneker]

Non-Southern Europeans are LATE comers to history and civilization. And no this is not DR being "militant" but DR who loves history. West African civilizations predate non-Southern European ones by A LOT and the more digging it seems the dates goes back longer.

This is pretty true, it wasn't until the coronation of Pepin the Short, Charlemagne's father that the Pope in Rome even bothered crossing the Alps, and this was almost the 9th century AD. The real rise of Northern Europe isn't even 1000 years old.

 

[Bawon Samedi]

I think they mean the Himyarite Jewish dynasty that ruled Yemen at the time. Though I thought it was the Axumite Emperor who expelled them and Aksum ruled Yemen for a sec.

If this is true then it wouldn't make any sense for them to be called "Malagasy."