The Gaalje'el ( so, Gaaljecel), ( it, Galgial), ( ar, الجعل) Galjecel is one of the largest
Somali clans, whose origins trace back to
Samaale Samaale, also spelled Samali or Samale ( so, Samaale) is traditionally considered to be the oldest common forefather of several major Somali clans and their respective sub-clans. His name is the source of the ethnonym ''Somali''..
As the purported ...
. The Galje'el clan belong to the
Saransor family of clans, alongside the Issa, Masare and
Degodia
The Degoodi or Degodia ( so, Degoodi or Degoodiya, ar, دغودي) is a Somali clan.
They are genealogically related to the other Samaale, but in particular to the Garjante, Gaalje'el, Masare, Isa (Saransor) and 'Awrmale, with which they share ...
.
Etymology
According to ''Ali Jimale,'' the etymology of the name Gaalje'el is from ''gaal,'' meaning
camel
A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. C ...
and ''je'el'' meaning love: ''gaalje'el'' meaning "that which loves the camel". ''Gaal'' is the
Af May (
Reewin dialect) equivalent of ''Geel'' in Af Maḥa Tiri (the Maḥa Tiri dialect).
Another etymology, which has recently gained steam, references the
Jaalin tribe of
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
. By combining "Geel", the
dromedory camel for which the tribe is known to rear, with the arabic Al Je'el (الجعل), proponents of this etymology point to the bedouin nature of the Gaalje'el and surmise that the tribe could have had its origins in the nearby country, since they share the names of several branches.
Distribution
The Gaalje'el traditionally settled in the region called
Qorahsin
Qorahsin ( so, Qoraxsin) It is the land west of the Shebelle River, the name Qoraxsin means West or Galbeed in Somali, this Land is suitable for grazing and farming.
The oral history of the elders says; that Gaalje'el originally lived on the eas ...
of
Hiraan
Hiran ( so, Hiiraan, ar, هيران) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in central Somalia and part of the Hirshabelle State.
Overview
Hiran is bordered by the Somali Region of Ethiopia (or the 1908 Convention Line) to the northwest, t ...
,
Lower Shabelle
Lower Shabelle ( so, Shabeellaha Hoose, Maay: ''Shibelithy Hoosy'', ar, شبيلي السفلى, it, Basso Scebeli) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia.
Geography
Lower Shabelle is bordered by the regions of Banaadir, ...
,
Middle Shabelle
Middle Shabelle ( so, Shabeellaha Dhexe, ar, شبيلي الوسطى, it, Medio Scebeli) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia.
Overview
It is bordered by the Somali regions of Galguduud, Hiran, Lower Shabelle (Shabell ...
These regions are called
Qorahsin
Qorahsin ( so, Qoraxsin) It is the land west of the Shebelle River, the name Qoraxsin means West or Galbeed in Somali, this Land is suitable for grazing and farming.
The oral history of the elders says; that Gaalje'el originally lived on the eas ...
because it is located west of the Shabelle River,
and also inhabit in
Jubaland
Jubaland ( so, Jubbaland, ar, , it, Oltregiuba), the Juba Valley ( so, Dooxada Jubba) or Azania ( so, Asaaniya, ar, ), is a Federal Member State in southern Somalia. Its eastern border lies east of the Jubba River, stretching from Gedo t ...
,the city of Kismayo the largest rural community is Gaaljecel.
.
The Gaalje'el are often incorrectly associated with the
Hawiye
The Hawiye ( so, Hawiye, ar, بنو هوية, it, Hauija) is the largest Somali clan family. Members of this clan traditionally inhabit central and southern Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia ( Somali, Harar, Oromia and Afar regions) and the Nor ...
clan due to their close political and social alignment. However, the Gaalje'el actually descend from
Saransoor
Saransoor ( so, Saransoor) is a Somalis, Somali Samaale clan family, among the largest by population and by area, inhabiting a traditional territory in Somalia spanning from Qorahsin, Hiran, Somalia, Hiran, to Ras Kamboni, Lower Jubba. In Kenya' ...
, as do the
Degoodi
The Degoodi or Degodia ( so, Degoodi or Degoodiya, ar, دغودي) is a Somali clan.
They are genealogically related to the other Samaale, but in particular to the Garjante, Gaalje'el, Masare, Isa (Saransor) and 'Awrmale, with which they share ...
,
Masarre and the
Iise. This means that there is no closer blood relation than beyond those also shared amongst all Somalis.
History
In several Italian narrations, the Gaalje'el along with the rest of the Saransoor were historically counted as a Hawiye subclan of Moolkaal Jibide Gugundhabe.
Gaaljecel were also followers of
Sheikh Hassan Barsane
Sheikh Hassan Barsame ( so, Sheekh Xasan Barsane; ar, الشيخ حسن البرصمي) was a Somali people, Somali cleric and religious scholar. He was best known for having led a revolt against Italian Empire, Italian colonial forces after Worl ...
who led an over two decades long anti-colonial campaign against the Italians and Ethiopians.
Lineage
Gaalje'el is descended from
Samaale Samaale, also spelled Samali or Samale ( so, Samaale) is traditionally considered to be the oldest common forefather of several major Somali clans and their respective sub-clans. His name is the source of the ethnonym ''Somali''..
As the purported ...
Saransoor has 4 son's, together with their uncle
Garre
The Garre (also Gurreh, Karre, "Binukaaf") ( Somali: ''Reer Garre'', Arabic: بنو كاف, romanized: ''Banī kāf'' ) is a major Somali clan whose origins trace back to Samaale who traces the lineage from the Arabian Peninsula through Aqiil ...
they are division of Larger
Gardheere Gardhere or Gardere or Garder ( Somali: ''Gardheere'', Arabic: جرذير ) also more commonly known as Gardhere Samale Bin Xill (Somali: ''Gardheere Samaale'') is the first born of Somali Bin Xill also Known as Samaale Bin Xill the Father of all ...
Samaale Samaale, also spelled Samali or Samale ( so, Samaale) is traditionally considered to be the oldest common forefather of several major Somali clans and their respective sub-clans. His name is the source of the ethnonym ''Somali''..
As the purported ...
clans.
In several Italian narrations, the Gaalje'el, along with the rest of the
Saransoor
Saransoor ( so, Saransoor) is a Somalis, Somali Samaale clan family, among the largest by population and by area, inhabiting a traditional territory in Somalia spanning from Qorahsin, Hiran, Somalia, Hiran, to Ras Kamboni, Lower Jubba. In Kenya' ...
, were incorrectly counted as a subclan of Moolkaal Jibide Gugundhabe, leading to the confusion surrounding their relationship with the
Hawiye
The Hawiye ( so, Hawiye, ar, بنو هوية, it, Hauija) is the largest Somali clan family. Members of this clan traditionally inhabit central and southern Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia ( Somali, Harar, Oromia and Afar regions) and the Nor ...
clan. The Gaalje'el and the
Hawiye
The Hawiye ( so, Hawiye, ar, بنو هوية, it, Hauija) is the largest Somali clan family. Members of this clan traditionally inhabit central and southern Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia ( Somali, Harar, Oromia and Afar regions) and the Nor ...
both descend from
Samaale Samaale, also spelled Samali or Samale ( so, Samaale) is traditionally considered to be the oldest common forefather of several major Somali clans and their respective sub-clans. His name is the source of the ethnonym ''Somali''..
As the purported ...
, although via different branches, and do not share a closer lineage beyond that common to all
Somali.
Clan tree
Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology highlights some of the more prominent families which make up the Gaalje'el
Gaalje'el
*Barsame
**Mugurmal
**Hadowe
***Mahamed Hassan
***Dumal Ja'eer
****Yabar Dumal
****Hassan Dumal
****Ali Dumal
*Soranle
**Mu'Awiya
**Arwaq (Doqondid)
***Ilkole
***Zubeir
***Mujaber
***Idris
**Dholadhaqan
***Erdhanli
****Dirisame
*****Gargelis
*****Wasuge
****Dorwaq
*****Abtisame
******Jidfafah
*******Baile
*******Shige
******Haji Saleh
*******Abki Alin
*******Dumal Weyn
*******Yibadhale
*****Millah
*****Lahube
******Bes Lahube
******Omar Lahube
*******Makahil
********Ali Makahil
********Yabar Makahil
******Alofi Lahube
*******Kabole Alofi
*******Bila Alofi
*******Yabar Alofi
Notable figures
*
Amina Mohamed Abdi
Amina Mohamed Abdi ( so, Aamina Maxamed Cabdi; 21 October 1981 – 23 March 2022) was a Somali politician, she was an MP in the Federal Parliament of Somalia from 2012 till her death, as a member of the opposition Union for Peace and Development ...
, Somali Politician, and Member of Somali Parliament (MP) in the House of Representatives
*
Sheikh Hassan Barsane
Sheikh Hassan Barsame ( so, Sheekh Xasan Barsane; ar, الشيخ حسن البرصمي) was a Somali people, Somali cleric and religious scholar. He was best known for having led a revolt against Italian Empire, Italian colonial forces after Worl ...
, cleric who led a revolt against Italian colonial forces after World War I.
*
Omar Faruk Osman
Omar Faruk Osman is a Somali journalist and trade unionist, who is the General Secretary of the Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU). As the head of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ)., he is also a member of the Executive Com ...
, Somali journalist and trade unionist who is the General Secretary of the Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU).
*
Abdihakim Luqman, first Speaker Of Hirshabelle Parliament
*
Fawziya Abikar Nur
Fawziya Abikar Nur () is the Somalian Federal Ministry of Health (Somalia), Minister for Health and Social Care since March 2017. She is trained in law and public health and previously worked for the World Health Organization. She was in the post ...
, Federal Minister for Health and Social Care in Somalia since March 2017.
* Ugas Abdullahi Ugas, is the governor of galje’el clans since 2012.
* Amb.Abdulwahab Mo'allim Mohamed Haji Aden.was former minstray of livestock and range
*
Mohamed Mukhtar Ibrahim
Mohamed Mukhtar Ibrahim is a development and business entrepreneurship specialist. He was the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of Somalia, having been appointed to the position on 6 February 2015 by the now former Prime Minister Omar Ab ...
Former Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.
*
Mohamed Olow Barrow
Mohamud Olow Barrow so, Maxamud Colow Barrow, ar, محمد أولو بارو was a Somali politician. He served as the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources of Somalia, having been appointed to the position on 17 January 2014 by Prime Minis ...
, He served as the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources of Somalia
References
{{Reflist
Somali clans