Qallu is one of the thirteen sub-clans of the Sheikhal clan.First footsteps in East Africa
by Richard Burton Sheikhal are of Arab origin and brought Islam to Ethiopia and Somalia. The Sheekhaal inhabit

Somali region The Somali Region ( so, Deegaanka Soomaalida, am, ሱማሌ ክልል, Sumalē Kilil, ar, المنطقة الصومالية), also known as Soomaali Galbeed (''Western Somalia'') and officially the Somali Regional State, is a regional state ...

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

and

Djibouti Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...

Etymology

Qallu is a common name known in Oromo and Somali traditions because there is a clan called “Qallu’’ within each of these ethnic groups. However, it is the Somalis who enthusiastically refer to the name.Ulrich Braukämper: ''Islamic History and Culture in Southern Ethiopia. Collected Essays'', Göttinger Studien zur Ethnologie 9, 2003, , pp.112-129, 117 It is said that “Qallu” is referring to "people of the religion" and it describes the Qallu’s main occupation in their societies. That means in the past, most of the persons who belong to Qallu clan were dominantly the teachers of Islam in the areas that they reside.

Variations in the Descriptions of Qallu

The Qallu inhabit

Hararghe Hararghe ( am, ሐረርጌ ''Harärge''; Harari: ሀረርጌይ ''Harärgeyi'', Oromo: Harargee, so, Xararge) was a province of eastern Ethiopia with its capital in Harar. History Hararghe translates to "land of the Hararis". The region co ...

Somali Region The Somali Region ( so, Deegaanka Soomaalida, am, ሱማሌ ክልል, Sumalē Kilil, ar, المنطقة الصومالية), also known as Soomaali Galbeed (''Western Somalia'') and officially the Somali Regional State, is a regional state ...

, and

Dire Dawa Dire Dawa ( am, ድሬዳዋ, om, Dirree Dhawaa, 3=Place of Remedy; so, Diridhaba, meaning "where Dir hit his spear into the ground" or "The true Dir", ar, ديري داوا,) is a city in eastern Ethiopia near the Oromia and Somali Re ...

as well as the Republics of

and

. The Qallu in Ethiopia trace back their genealogy to Abaadir Umar Al Rida the immediate ancestor of the Sheekhaal Clan.Richard Burton, First Footsteps in East Africa, 1856; edited with an introduction and additional chapters by Gordon Waterfield (New York: Praeger, 1966), p. 165

Geographical Dispersions of the Qallu

Richard Burton describes that Qallu (Sheekhaash) is dispersed among its brothers (other clans) and they can be found from Ifat up to

Ogaden Ogaden (pronounced and often spelled ''Ogadēn''; so, Ogaadeen, am, ውጋዴ/ውጋዴን) is one of the historical names given to the modern Somali Region, the territory comprising the eastern portion of Ethiopia formerly part of the Harargh ...

. This is an exact description of the highly reverend clan of Qallu. Today, as Burton witnessed 150 years ago the Qallu inhabit a vast area. However, the highly concentrated communities of the Qallu can be found in the following areas. * in Babille,

Deder Dader (Amharic: ደደር) is a town located in the East Hararghe Zone of the Oromia, Ethiopia with an altitude of above sea level. It is the administrative center of the Dader District. Between 1954 and 1967 Deder received telephone service. ...

, Jarso and Gursum in East Hararghe; * in the Walled City of

Harar Harar ( amh, ሐረር; Harari: ሀረር; om, Adare Biyyo; so, Herer; ar, هرر) known historically by the indigenous as Gey (Harari: ጌይ ''Gēy'', ) is a walled city in eastern Ethiopia. It is also known in Arabic as the City of Saint ...

; * in

Shinile Shinile ( so, Shiniile) is a town in eastern Ethiopia. Located in the Shinile Zone of the Somali Region, it is 9km northeast of Dire Dawa, the first station of the Ethio-Djibouti Railways east of Dire Dawa is at Shinile. Demographics The to ...

Zone

; * in Dire Dawa

chartered city In the United States, a charter city is a city in which the governance, governing system is defined by the city's own charter document rather than solely by general-law municipality, general law. In states where city charters are allowed by law, ...

; * in

Jijiga Jijiga (, am, ጅጅጋ, ''Jijiga'') is the capital city of Somali Region, Ethiopia. It became the capital of the Somali Region in 1995 after it was moved from Gode. Located in the Fafan Zone with 70 km (37 mi) west of the bord ...

woreda of the

; * in

Habro Habro is one of the Aanaas in the Oromia of Ethiopia. It is named after the former ''Aanaa'' of the same name. Part of the West Hararghe Zone, the district is bordered on the south by Darolebu, on the west and north by Guba Koricha, on the northe ...

, Gubba Qoricha, Qunni, Chiro, Boke and

Mieso Mieso ( om, Mi'eesso) is a town in eastern Ethiopia. Located in the West Hararghe Zone of the Oromia Region, it has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 1394 meters above sea level. Overview A road was constructed connecting the t ...

woredas of West Hararghe, Zone.

References

{{authority control Muslim communities in Africa Oromo groups Ethnic groups in Somalia Ethnic groups in Djibouti Islamic culture Surnames

Etymology

Variations in the Descriptions of Qallu

Geographical Dispersions of the Qallu

See also

References