The Ajuran ( Somali: Ajuuraan, Beesha Ajuuraan, Morshe,

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

: أجران) is a

Somali clan The Somalis ( so, Soomaalida 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒆𐒖, ar, صوماليون) are an ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic Somali language is the shared mo ...

, part of the Jambelle clan which itself belongs to the largest Somali clan-family — 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 Nort ...

. Ajuran members largely inhabit

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

as well as southern east

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

; considerable numbers are also found in southern

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 ...

. Some Ajuran members settled in Mogadishu.

Overview

The Ajuran clan's origins are found in the

Ajuran Sultanate The Ajuran Sultanate ( so, Saldanadda Ajuuraan, ar, سلطنة الأجورانية), also natively referred-to as Ajuuraan, and often simply Ajuran, was a Somali Empire in the Middle Ages in the Horn of Africa that dominated the trade in th ...

, a Somali Muslim

sultanate This article includes a list of successive Islamic states and Muslim dynasties beginning with the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (570–632 CE) and the early Muslim conquests that spread Islam outside of the Arabian Peninsula, and continuin ...

that ruled over large parts of the Horn of Africa in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. Today they largely live in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

, the North Eastern Province and the

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 stat ...

of Ethiopia, but also in

. The Ajuran primarily speak the Somali language. The Ajuran are said to be part of the Jambelle

but became displaced from modern Hawiye territories in the late 17th to early 18th centuries due to historical conflict particularly in South Central Somalia. Lee Cassanelli in his 1982 book "''The Shaping of Somali Society: Reconstructing the History of a Pastoral People, 1600-1900''" often refers to the Ajuran as former leaders of a Hawiye clan dynasty. According to a later opinion, the Ajuran are said to be descendants of Alama who in turn was a son of Bal'ad who traces descent from an "Arab immigrant" called Harmalle Samale, who traces his descent through Aqil bin Abu Talib. The contradiction of Harmalle Samale labelled as an Arab immigrant instead of a

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 ...

clan descent that mixed with uterine

lineages forming similar diya payment systems shows that although this particular genealogical claim is historically untenable, it does reflect the longstanding cultural contacts between

and

Southern Arabia South Arabia () is a historical region that consists of the southern region of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia, mainly centered in what is now the Republic of Yemen, yet it has also historically included Najran, Jizan, Al-Bahah, and 'A ...

History

Antiquity Many traditions link the Ajuran with a people known to the Somalis as Madanle (Maantiiinle. Madinle, etc.) who were celebrated well-diggers in southern Somalia and northeastern Kenya. Ajuran Empire The Ajuran clan established the Garen Dynasty that ruled both Mogadishu Sultanate and

during the Middle Ages. Early Modern Period During the early modern period, the Garen Dynasty survived the collapse of the

and in the 19th century under Sultan Olol Dinle he established and revived the

once again. He had carved a new sultanate out of the upper reaches of the Webi Shabelle, centered at Kelafo, the traditional capital at the turn of the 20th century.

Language

The Ajuran in Somalia normally speak standard Somali while those in the riverside communities of Hirshabelle speak

Maay Maay Mai-Mai, commonly spelled Maay Maay (also known as ''Af-Maay'', ''Af-Maymay'', or simply ''Maay''; the ''Mai-Mai'' spelling is rarely used but it is most often spoken), is a dialect of the Somali language of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiat ...

. For the Ajuran of Kenya, the linguistic case is more complex. The Wallemugge section are very often bilingual in Somali and Borana to an extent which makes it difficult to assess, without very elaborate investigation, which is their dominant language. Islam and Ethnicity in Northern Kenya and Southern Ethiopia, Pax Boranica G.H.Schlee However most sources state that Somali is the overwhelmingly dominant language in the North Eastern Province, so Borana knowledge is more numerous among Ajuran who live in Moyale where the language is prevalent.

Clan Tree

This Clan Tree is based on "Identities on the Move: Clanship and Pastoralism in Northern Kenya" by ''Gunther Schlee''. -Samaale *Irir **Hawiye ***Jambeelle ****Harmaale *****Balcad ******Al'ama *******Hintire *******Wayteen *******Quran Jecle *******Sibir *******Ajuuraan ******** Wallemugge *********Kunle **********Gareen ***********Dayle ************Cabdalle *************Yarow *************Arab ************Seerjeele *************Galiisle ************* Abgaal (maternal) ************Dabuurow ************Awrtable ************Tukun *********Geelbaariis **********Mudina **********Anjabreele **********Garjeele ***********Moodin ***********Gedi² *********Gasho¹ *********Dhulxada **********Habar Carrare **********Reer Yusuf *********Riiba ********Sanle *********Faqa Shini ********Saremugge ********Tore ********Daqsore ********Baydan *********Madale **********Waaqle ***********Nuun ***********Uurmidig ***********Gidir ***********Beexaw ***********Daguro *********Bayle *********Kumatte *********Madinle ********Badbaydan *********Hoydan

References

Sources

* * {{Somali clans Somali clans