Farah Garad

Farah Garad

Faarax Garaad فرح جراد
Regions with significant populations
Languages
Somali, Arabic, English
Religion
Islam (Sunni)
Related ethnic groups
Mohamoud Garad (Galool Oriye, , Jama Siad), Baho Nugaaled, and other Darod groups

The Farah Garad or Garad Farah (Somali: Faarax Garaad, Arabic: محمد جراد, Full Name: ’Farah Shirshore Habarwa Abdullah Muse Said Saleh Abdi Mohamed Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti ) is a Somali clan. Its part of the Dhulbahante clan-family, a sub-division of the larger Harti/Darod clan. The Farah Garad are divided into three major sub-clans — Ahmed Garad, Baharsame and Barkad. Numerically, the largest of these three subclans is the Ahmed Garad, which itself subdivides into Ararsame and Ali Gheri.

Garad Jama Garad Ali is concurrently the Garad of Farah Garad and the supreme Garad of Dhulbahante, however the largest constituency is held by Garad Abdirizak Garaad Soofe, who is the Garad of Ali Gheri and Ahmed Garad overall.^[1]

Overview[]

According to the late imminent scholar Ioan Lewis, as with all Somali clans the clan is sub-divided into primary lineages and dia-paying groups. The three main Farah Garad primary lineages are Barkad, Baharsame and Ahmed Garad. These may form confederations which at times amalgamate with smaller Farah Garaad lineages for many purposes, such as a political alliance, to facilitate a higher level jilib via a singular Farah Garad structure having a singular sub-clan chieftain, or hagbad (accumulated savings).^[2]

Of the three farah Garad sub-clans, Ahmed Garad is numerically the largest, and may itself on occasion subdivide into the Ararsame (mainly Reer Hagar but also Wa'ays Adan and maybe other dia-paying groups) and what was during the Dervish era the wadaad fraternity of Reer Khayr, a term which can contemporarily be considered as archaic or dated, and which was mainly Ali Gheri, but also Farah Adan, Arale Mahad and possibly other Ahmed Garad dia-paying groups. Whereas Ararsame is named after an ancient twin duo, Reer Khayr is named after the Dervish period wadaad fraternity which was predominantly Ali-Geri. The Odala and Egal Naleye dia-paying groups, sometimes collectively named after their uterine lineage Bahgeri, are intermittently categorized under either Ararsame or Reer Khayr'.^[3]

Distribution[]

The primarily homeland of the clan straddles the Nugaal Valley and the Ciid segments of the Haud plateaus where they inhabit the Sool and Togdheer regions of Somaliland.^[4] In particular, they settle in the districts of Las Anod and Buuhoodle. In Ethiopia, the clan has a significant presence in the Dollo Zone, specifically in the woredas of Boh, Danot and Werder.^[5][6]

The Barkad, Bah'ararsame and Ahmed Garad are respectively centred around the towns of Widhwidh, Kalabaydh and the city of Buuhoodle. Furthermore, large part of the population in the city of Las Anod are members of this clan. Ahmed Garad subclans also have their own distinct towns, such as Ararsame in Galgala and Horufadhi, Ali Gheri Dhulbahante in Marqaan, and Reer Khayr in Dhilaalo.^[7]

History[]

Shiikhyaale was the largest, most prestigious and the best equipped Darawiish administrative division. The prestigiousness of Shiikhyaale derived from it being populated by some of the largest Dhulbahante subclans, such as the Reer Khayr confederation, the Bah'ararsame the traditional hereditary lineage of the Dhulbahante royalty, as well as the fact that some of the most important Dervish political positions were held by Bah'ararsame. For example, the first few Dervish prime ministers were Bah'ararsame. The first persons to hold the head of the Haroun position were also Bah'ararsame. Likewise, some of the most feared horsemen on the Somali peninsula were traditionally the Mohamoud Garad sub-clan of Dhulbahante, one of the largest Dhulbahante clans.^[8] According to James Hayes Sadler, some sections of the Farah Garad were the only ones who would remain loyal to the Dervishes in the face of Dhulbahante defection due to the threat of a British military onslaught. He also noted that most of the Dhulbahante that joined the Dervish movement did so out of fear of the Mullah or personal gain:^[9][10]

It is, however, believed that, with the exception of the Ali Gheri and possibly other sections of the Gerad Farih, the majority of the people who joined the Mullah in the Dolbahanta have done so either through fear of him or personal gain, and that a large seceding from his following may be expected when our expedition takes the field

— Great Britain. War Office. General Staff, Official History of the Operations in Somaliland, 1901-04

Despite this however, the Farah Garad would still be raided by the Dervishes, especially the Ali Gheri subclan, who were set upon and attacked by Hassan and his Dervish army, forcing them to evacuate and seek refuge in Burao, Berbera and Haud among the Isaaq clans. British colonial governor Horace Byatt reported that 800 Dhulbahante refugees arrived in Berbera, but feared that they could not be protected nor fed properly, stating that only 300 native infantry and 200 King's African Rifles were in Berbera and insufficient to hold off a Dervish attack. Byatt also raised concerns for the Dhulbahante refugees en route to British controlled territory and the possibility of them being looted by hostile clans, particularly the Habr Yunis.^[11] Baron Ismay in his intelligence report on the Dervish raids on the Ali Gheri and the Dolbahanta clan's of Bohotle notes:

No important move was made till November 1911, when he successfully attacked the Ali Gheri at Bohotleh. He followed this up in February 1912 with an attack on the Dolbahanta at Eildab, In this engagement our people lost all their stock and were reduced to starvation. They flocked to Berbera demanding to be supported. Yet another attack on Bohotleh in March resulted in the remaining Dolbahanta in that vicinity being looted and driven out. Bohotleh remained in Dervish hands.^[12]

In June 1913 the Farah Garad once again suffered yet another Dervish raid on their towns at Udaweina. General Richard Corfield had in response moved out to the area with his troops to support the shaken Farah Garad, who retreated westwards towards the lands of the Habr Yunis:^[11]

In June Corfield, receiving reports that dervish raiders had attacked Dolbahanta Farah Gerad karias (mobile villages) at Udaweina, moved out to support them, but they were so shaken that they retired westward, which then caused trouble with the Habr Yunis

— Roy Irons, Churchill and the Mad Mullah of Somaliland: Betrayal and Redemption 1899–1921

British colonial administrator Sir Douglas Jardine describing the plight of the Dhulbahante as a whole writes:

The most pitiful lot of all fell to certain sections of the Dolbahanta. Ousted from their ancestral grazing grounds by the Mullah's advance and bereft of all their stock, the remnants wandered like veritable Ishmaelites in the Ishaak country, deprived of Asylum and almost all access to the coast.^[13]

Garadate seat[]

Since Saaxdheer is the residence of the contemporary grand Garaad Jama, it is thus regarded as the seat of the Dhulbahante Garadate.^[14][15] Markus Hoehne likewise described Sahdheer as the residence of the supreme Dhulbahante garaad.^[16]

Baharsame[]

The seat of Darawiish prime minister Aw Cabbaas Xuseen stone at Gurdumi was where Aw Cabbaas Xuseen, of the Baharsame clan, sat a meeting with the Huwan where he was ultimately killed.

Baharsame is the traditional royal lineage of the entire Dhulbahante clan which had a dynastical succession that ruled over the plains of Ciid-Nugaal for four centuries starting with Shirshoore, until the incumbent heir Garad Jama Garad Ali. This hereditary line of succession was continuous except during the Darawiish era when the Darawiish Sultan Diiriye Guure became head of the Dhulbahante clan.^[17] The Ali Garad and Garad Yasin subclans are sometimes considered as a political confederation within Baharsame.

British general Malcolm McNeill considered it an achievement to punish Dhulbahante tribes for their Darawiishnimo during the two months between June 1901 and July 1901 stating "the Dolbahanta tribes who had sided with him had been severely punished".^[18]

The Baharsame along with the Ali Gheri, being the Shiikhyaale clans, were referred to as the elite clans of the Darawiish by an Intelligence Officer at Buuhoodle:^[19]

The tribes which he favours most are the Ali Gheri and the Ba Ararsama. He has no prisoners what ever, having killed any he may have had.

— Intelligence Officer Bohotle

Groups[]

The Dharbash Darawiish administrative division was one third Baharsame and composed of Baharsame muqaddims (arbitrators), scouts, clerics, tenders and fighters:

• Dharbash, was a Darawiish administrative division which was one third Baharsame, a Farah Garad clan.

People[]

Part of a series on
Dhulbahante garadate
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Garad Saleban Garad Mohamed Adan Ali Gurey Nur Hedik yearly stipend Gogosha Yagoori
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Jama Garad Ali Garad Abdiqani Garad Jama Garad Ali Garad Jama V Garad Jama "Farah" Garad Ali I Diiriye Guure etc.
Seat
Jidali Silsilad Sahdheer
Related topics
USP party Nugaal Majeerteen Sultanate
v

• Cabbaas Xuseen, first prime minister of the Darawiish (1895 - 1900); of the Baharsame clan
• Xaashi Suni Fooyaan, peace-time prime minister of the Darawiish (1905-1906); of the Baharsame clan
• Soofe-cali Buraale, member of the Darawiish haroun, i.e. the government; was of the Baharsame clan
• Cabbane Sugulle, commander of Burcadde-Godwein, a Darawiish administrative division

Pre-colonial era[]

During the pre-colonial era, there were two Supreme Dhulbahante garaads, one in the east, and the other in the west:

The Dulbahante, as far as I have seen them, are a fine martial race of men, second to none of the branches of Darrood either in conduct or appearance, and they are described as being courteous and hospitable to the stranger who visits them. They have generally two Sultans, or Garaads, the elder of whom, Mahomed Ali Harrin, governs the eastern limits of the province; whilst his colleague, Ali Garaad, (recently deceased) guards the N. W. frontier from the thieving Haber-tel- Jahleh in the neighbourhood of Kurrum and from the Agahdur family of Noh Amor.

— Journal of the Royal Geographical Society^[20]

Dervish era[]

An Evening Express piece published by Walter Alfred Pearce referred to Diiriye Guure as the head of the Dhulbahante clan during the Dervish era.^[21]

Subclans[]

Barkad[]

When the first expedition of British General Eric Swayne against the Darawiish was launched in 1901, four clans were named as hostile clans deserving of collective punishment; these were the Ararsame, Reer Hagar, Jama Siad and Barkad, all of these being Dhulbahante clans:^[19]

It was also reported that the Dolbahanta tribes had scattered for the want of grazing; that the Rer Hagar and Ararsamah had gone southward towards Baliwein and Bohotle, and that the Jama Siad and Barkad had moved westward towards the eastern end of the Bur-Dab range ... a line of advance was chosen to avoid as much as possible dense bush, and to bring the force between the various sections of the hostile tribes.

— Eric Swayne

Five Dhulbahante subclans were punished by the Eric Swayne for their Darawiish adherence; namely Ali Gheri, Jama Siad, Nur Ahmed, Barkad and Reer Hagar:

The effect of these sudden seizures and attacks on the Jama Siad and Rer Hagar had a salutary effect. Overtures were made by both tribes, also by the Nur Ahmed, and the Berkat expressed their willingness to come in. It now only remained to compel the Ali Gheri to come to terms.

— Eric Swayne

People[]

There were many notable Barkad people in the Darawiish haroun, i.e. its government. These include:

• Jaamac Ismaaciil Dhoon, was a member of the Darawiish haroun; of the Barkad clan
• Xareed Duubi Deero, was a member of the Darawiish haroun; of the Barkad clan
• Samatar Bullalleh, mentioned in the Geoffrey Archer's 1916 important members of Darawiish haroun list

Ararsame[]

Ararsame is a Farah Garad subclan which consists of the twins Hagar Adan (whose descendants are known as Reer Hagar) and Wa'ays Adan. The close confederational ties between Hagar Adan and Wacays Adan clans arguably stems from the fact that Ciid-Nugaal oral traditions reputes the forefathers of the Hagar-Adan and Wa'ays Adan clans to have been monozygotic or 'identical twins. As such, the extended name of these two clans are also termed Mataano Ararsame, meaning Ararsame twins. Although Jama Siad Dhulbahante were the first subclan attacked by the British mounted colonial force, the main British colonial army led by Eric Swayne selected the Ararsame as their first target to attack. The loot attacked included sheep, traditionally owned by women, therefore, meaning the British Colonial Auxiliary Forces also attacked non-combatant Darawiish women of the Ararsame clan:^[19]

Swayne resolved to punish these refractory tribes. On the 19th June, by making forced marches, the Rer Hagar karias were surprised at Jillib, and more karias of the Rer Hagar and Ararsamah were attacked at dawn on June 20th some 20 miles further on, with the result that over 3,000 camels 20,000 sheep, and 620 cattle were captured.

— Eric Swayne

In the first book written on the colonial wars against the Darawiish written in 1902, Malcolm Mcneill states that the two clans who were the biggest opponents of European colonialism were the two Dhulbahante subclans of Ararsame (an Ahmed Garaad clan) and Ali Gheri (a Reer Khayre clan):^[22]

The two principal offenders were the Ali Gheri and the Arasama tribes, who had for a long time made the whole Dolbahanta country unsafe for Europeans without a large escort; it was now time to settle with them once and for all.

— Malcolm McNeill

British general McNeill reported that in June 1901, twelve hundred men within the Ali Geri and Ararsame homelands (both Farah Garad Dhulbahante) were killed, and their livestock taken and transferred by the British to Isaaq clans or to soldier conscripts as a salary.^[19]

The total number of casualties inflicted on the enemy at McNeill's zariba and in the subsequent pursuit in the Ararsamah and the Ali Gheri country, and at Ferdiddin, cannot have fallen far short of some 1,200 men killed ... The camels were either given as compensation to the Ishak tribes who had been looted by the Mullah or were handed over to the men, with their how disposed consent, in lieu of pay, thus reducing the cost of the expedition.

— McNeill

The Ararsame (Reer Hagar) were also implicated in a Darawiish attack on a barracks commanded by British general Malcolm Mcneill and were among 600 casualties laying in its surroundings:^[23]

he could not have lost less than 600 men killed and wounded. It was also clear that the Kayat, Adan Madoba, Rer Hagar, Ali Gheri, Jama Siad, Nur Ahmed, and Mijjarten tribes were all implicated in the attack on the zariba, as was evidenced by the bodies of men actually shot, and by wounded men

Eric Swayne states that Aynaba is traditionally a Reer Hagar deegaan (locality) and that it was an enemy territory:^[19]

Our own spies penetrated to the Rer Hagar Dolhahanta encampments at Ain Abo and Baliwein, 75 miles south of Burao, and strong patrols acting on their information captured prisoners in the enemy's country

— Eric Swayne

People[]

• Cali Meggar, mentioned in the Geoffrey Archer's 1916 important members of Darawiish haroun list

Groups[]

• Dharbash, was a Darawiish administrative division which was one third Ararsame, it being a Farah Garad clan.
• Golaweyne had two Farah garad clans: Reer Khayr, and the Ararsame subclans of Wacays Adan and the Diiriye subclan of Reer Hagar.

Reer Khayre[]

commander-poet Ismail Mire (pictured) administered the largest infantry Shiikhyaale and Adan Ali Gurey the second-largest, Golaweyne.

Reer Khair is a predominantly Ali Gheri confederation. The poem by Ali Dhuh confirms that the Reer Khayre subclan is an Ahmed Garaad confederation that consists of Ali Geri, Mahad Adan and Farah Adan, with Dhuh referring to it as a grouping in his poem Allahu Akbar.^[24] The Reer Khair have the largest deegaan (traditional clan territory) of the Farah Garad clans, stretching some 200 kilometers, from Dhilaalo in the north to Dannood in the south. According to both colonial sources as well as native historians such as Jama Omar Issa, the Reer Khayre were the clan whom began and started the early camp of Maxkamadaha Darawiishta in 1895.^[25]

One of the largest plunders inflicted by a European army upon African natives was inflicted upon the Ali Gheri clan in July 1902, when 6,000 camels were looted from them, besides fifty Ali Gheri men being killed during a British-led expedition which included Abyssinian and other African levies:^[26]

It now only remained to compel the Ali Gheri to come to terms. By July 8th this tribe was subdued after suffering a loss of some 50 men and 6,000 camels.

— Eric Swayne

Groups[]

In the following Dervish administrative divisions, at least half comprised Reer Khayre muqaddims (arbitrators), scouts, clerics, tenders and fighters:

• Ragxun, was a Darawiish administrative division which was half Farah Garad, as Cali Geri is a Farah Garad subclan.
• Miinanle, was a Darawiish administrative division which was majority Farah Garad, as Cali-geri and Odala & Egal-Naleye are Farah Garad sub-clans.^[27]
• Golaweyne, was a Darawiish administrative division which was half Farah Garad, as Cali-geri are Farah Garad sub-clans.

People[]

• Jaamac Cudur, commander of a Garbo Darawiish subdivision
• Osman Boss, commander of a Ragxun subdivision
• Aadan Dhacdhaco, was a member of the Darawiish haroun, i.e. government; was of the Reer Khair Dhulbahante clan
• Cabdi Yaar Guuleed, was a member of the Darawiish haroun, i.e. government; was of the Reer Khair Dhulbahante clan
• Maxamuud Cilmi, was a member of the Darawiish haroun, i.e. government; was of the Reer Khair Dhulbahante clan
• Aadan Cawad, was a member of the Darawiish haroun, i.e. government; was of the Reer Khair Dhulbahante clan
• Soofe Durraan, was a member of the Darawiish haroun, i.e. government; was of the Reer Khair Dhulbahante clan
• Mohamud Hosh, was a member of the Darawiish haroun, i.e. government; was of the Reer Khair Dhulbahante clan
• Saliid Baynax, member of Darawiish haroun

Bahgeri Dhulbahante[]

• Hirsi Halanje, mentioned in the Geoffrey Archer's 1916 important members of Darawiish haroun list
• Cabbaas Ghalal, mentioned in the Geoffrey Archer's 1916 important members of Darawiish haroun list

Clan tree[]

There is no clear agreement on the clan and sub-clan structures and some lineages might be omitted."^[28] However, the following summarised clan tree presented below is taken from John Hunt's A general survey of the Somaliland Protectorate (1944-1950):^[29]

• Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti (Darod)
  • Mohamed Abdirahman (Kabalalah)
    • Abdi Mohamed (Kombe)
      • Salah Abdi (Harti)
        • Said Abdi (Dhulbahante)
          • Muse Said
            • Abdale Muse
              • Habarwa Abdale
                • Shirshore Habarwa
          • Farah 'Garaad' Shirshore
            • Yasin 'Garad' Farah
            • Abdulleh Garad Farah
              • Ali 'Garad' Abdulle
              • Mohamed 'Garad' Abdulle (Bah'ararsame)
                • Mohamoud 'Garad' Mohamed (Jabane)
                  • Mohamed Mohamoud
                  • Warsame Mohamoud
                  • Liban Mohamoud
                  • Sharmarke Mohamoud
              • Guleed 'Garaad' Abdulleh (Barkad)
                • Ali Gulled
                • Amir Gulled
                • Mohamoud Gulled
              • Ahmed 'Garaad' Abdulleh
                • Samakab Ahmed (Odala)
                • Egal Ahmed (Bahgeri)
                • Warfa Ahmed (Bahgeri)
                • Hassan Ahmed (Bahgeri)
                • Naleye Ahmed (Egal Naleya)
                • Ali'Geri Ahmed (Reer Khayr),^[a]
                  • Ismail Ali’Geri
                  • Hersi Ali’Geri
                  • Shawe Ali’Geri
                  • Burale Ali’Geri
                  • Gulled Ali’Geri
                  • Subaan Ali’Geri
                • Adan Ahmed
                  • Mahad Adan (Reer Khayr)
                  • Farah Adan (Reer Khayr)
                  • Wa'eys Adan (Ararsame)
                  • Hagar Adan (Ararsame)
                    • Gedi Hagar (Bah Ogaden)
                    • Addaad Hagar (Bah Ogaden)
                    • Warsame Hagar (Bah Ogaden)
                    • Elmi Hagar (Bah Ogaden)
                    • Amir Hagar (Bah Ogaden)
                    • Gulled Hagar (Bah Ogaden)
                    • Ayaar Hagar (Bah Warsengali)
                    • Fatah Hagar (Bah Warsengali)
                    • Adan Hagar (Bah Warsengali)
                    • Adan Hagar (Bah Warsengali)
                    • Farah Hagar (Bah Warsengali)

Notes[]

Notable Figures[]

Prime ministers[]

• Ali Khalif Galaydh, Ex-Prime minister of Somalia and Khaatumo President.
• Cabbaas Xuseen, first prime minister of the Darawiish (1895 - 1900)
• Xaashi Suni Fooyaan, peace-time prime minister of the Darawiish (1905-1906)

Leaders[]

• Mohamed Yusuf Jama, former Khaatumo president
• Saleban Essa Ahmed, SSC Leader and former Somaliland Minister of Health
• Abdihakim Abdullahi Haji Omar, Former Vice President of Puntland.
• Ismail Mire, Shiikhyaale commander, poet.
• Barni Sugulle, female governor of Indhabadan, sister of Faarax Sugulle
• Jaamac Ismaaciil Dhoon, Barkad, Darawiish muqaddim

Commanders[]

• Suleiman Aden Galaydh, Darawiish commander at Cagaarweyne
• Xayd Aden Galaydh, Darawiish commander at Jidbali

Royal figures[]

• Garad Jama Garad Ali, Traditional Clan Chief of the Dhulbahante Clan.^[32]
• Diiriye Guure, Darawiish monarch since 1895; also Dhulbahante monarch from 1898 until the Cagaarweyne battle

Enterprisers[]

• Abdinasir Ali Hassan, Chairman of Hass Petroleum.
• Abdi Holland, Somali artist.
• Ali Dhuh, a coiner of new Somali words; poetic critic of the Sayid
• Aadan Carab, poet who chronicled colonial-era events; said a Dhulbahante genocide occurred at the hands of European colonialists

Legislative speakers[]

• Bashe Mohamed Farah, Speaker of Somaliland House of Representatives.
• Faarax Sugulle, head of the Darawiish haroun

Politicians[]

• Ali Jangali, Former Somali minister of foreign affairs.
• Abdiqani Mohamoud Jidhe, Governor of Sool.
• Abokor Seed Cali, member of the Darawiish haroun, of the Odala Samakab (Bahgeri Dhulbahante) clan

References[]