Moobleen

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 North Eastern Province in Kenya. They are also the majority in the capital city, Mogadishu.

Origins

Like the great majority of Somali clans, the Hawiye trace their ancestry to Aqil ibn Abi Talib (),. a cousin of the prophet Muhammad () and an older brother of Ali ibn Abi Talib () and Ja'far ibn Abi Talib ().. They trace their lineage to Aqil through Samaale (the source of the name 'Somali'), the purported forefather of the northern Pastoralism, pastoralist clans such as the Hawiye, the Dir (clan), Dir, and –Matrilineality, matrilineally through the Dir– the Isaq and the Darod. Although these genealogical claims are historically untenable, they do reflect the longstanding cultural contacts between Somalia (especially, though not exclusively, its most northern part Somaliland) and Southern Arabia.

Distribution

With the arrival of Samaale in the areas of Somaliland, the Hawiye further crossed into Ethiopia, said to be the traditional homeland, before descending along the Shabelle Valley.

In Somalia, the Hawiye clans in Somalia can today be found inhabiting areas of fertile lands in the Shabelle River of Beledweyne in the Hiran, Somalia, Hiran region and Jowhar in the Middle Shabelle region and stretching from the coast immediately south of Mogadishu to the north of the ancient port town of Hobyo in the desert central Mudug region. Outside of their traditional territory, they can be found in the regions of South West State of Somalia, Southwest state and Jubbaland. The Fiqishini subclan of the Habar Gidir inhabit the Sool, Somalia, Sool region of Somaliland. They are also found in Ethiopia and Kenya.

Role and Influence in Somalia

The Hawiye have historically played an important role in Somalia. The majority of Somalia's founding fathers hailed from the Hawiye. The first President, Prime Minister and the father of the Somali Military were all Hawiye. Aden Adde the first President was Udeejeen. The first Prime Minister Abdullahi Issa was Habar Gidir. The father of the Somali Military Daud Abdulle Hirsi was Abgaal. Since then the Hawiye have produced five more Presidents and four more Prime Ministers.

The Hawiye figure prominently in many important fields of Somali society, including the Business and Media sector. For example, Abdirahman Yabarow, the editor-in-chief of VOA Somali is kin. Yusuf Garaad Omar who was the Chairman of BBC Somali for over a decade and helped pioneer its rise during his tenure, is also a member. As are the Heads of major national Corporations - Jubba Airways and Hormuud Telecom.

Currently the Hawiye play a leading role in the regions of Galmudug, Hirshabelle and Benadir (Mogadishu), but also Somalia as a whole.

History

According to the 12th-century author Muhammad al-Idrisi, Al-Idrisi, the Hawiye clan occupied the coastal areas between Ras Hafun and Merca, as well as the lower basin of the lower Shebelle River, Shabelle river. Al-Idrisi's mention of the Hawiye is the first documentary reference to a specific Somali group in the Horn of Africa. Later Arab writers also make references to the Hawiye clan in connection with both Merca and the lower Shabelle valley. Ibn Sa'id al-Maghribi, Ibn Sa'id (1214–74), for instance, considered Merca to be the capital of the Hawiye, who lived in fifty villages on the bank of a river which he called "the nile of Mogadishu, a clear reference to the Shabelle river.

Along with Rahanweyn, the Hawiye clan also came under the Ajuran Empire control in the 13th century that governed much of southern Somalia and eastern Ethiopia, with its domain extending from Hobyo in the north, to Kelafo, Qelafo in the west, to Kismayo in the south.Lee V. Cassanelli, ''The shaping of Somali society: reconstructing the history of a pastoral people, 1600-1900'', (University of Pennsylvania Press: 1982), p.102.

In this period, Harold Marcus credits the Hawiye as instrumental in Islamizing the communities of what is now southeast Ethiopia and southern Somalia during the 15th and 16th centuries.

Since sections of the Hawiyya were migrating southward before and during Gragn's jihad, it is not inconceivable that they brought certain theocratic notions with them. Indeed, the Ajuran maintained a wakil (governor) in the region around Qallafo. This area was not only the traditional Hawiyya homeland, but also stood midway geographically between the emirates of Harar and the Benaadir, an ideal link for the transmission of political and religious ideas.

Enrico Cerulli, an Author on key Somali social development and early history, mentions the following passage on the growth and succession of the Ajuran Sultanate.Enrico Cerulli, ''Come viveva una tribù Hawiyya'', ( A Cura dell'Amministrazione Fiduciaria Italiana della Somalia ; Instituto poligrafico dello Stato P.V 1959)

The oral sources also provide us with recurrent themes that point to certain structural features of Ajuran rule. The descendants of the Ajuraan (among which are the Gareen imams) can therefore be understood to have inherited the spiritual (Islamic) and the secular (numerical) power provided by the alliance of the first three Hawiyya “brothers”. Ajuran power reposed on the twin pillars of spiritual preeminence and Hawiyya kinship solidarity, a potent combination in the Somali cultural context. In historical terms, a theocratic ideology superimposed on an extensive network of Hawiyya-affiliated clans helped uphold Ajuran dominance over a wide region. The Darandoolle, it should be noted, were part of the Gurqaate, a clan section collateral to the Jambelle Hawiyya from whom Ajuran (and Gareen) is said to have been descended. Intermarriage among the descedants of these uterine brothers on the one hand helped reinforce the solidarity of the Hawiyya. On the other hand, competition between collateral lines was very common in Somalia, particularly where the titular leadership of a larger clan-confederation was at stake. Such a struggle for the dominant place within the Hawiyya-dominated Ajuran confederation may also be reflected in the rise of the Silcis and El Amir in the later years of Ajuran rule. Both are said to have been descedants of Gurqaate Hawiyya, as were the Abgaal Darandoolle. Thus it can be argued that the dominant groups which appeared toward the end of the Ajuran era—the Darandoolle near Muqdisho, the Silcis near Afgooye, and the El Amir in Marka—represent the partition of the Ajuran imamate among collateral Hawiyya sections. Or perhaps one branch of the Hawiyya—namely the Gurqaate—forcibly replaced another (the Jambelle) as leaders of the clan.

The Hiraab Imamate was the main successor state of Ajuran Sultanate. The reason for their rebellion was the Ajuran rulers, in the end, became extremely prideful, neglected the sharia law, and imposed a heavy tax on their subjects which was the main reason for the rebellion. Other groups would follow in the rebellion which would eventually bring down Ajuran rule in the inter-riverine region and Benadir coast.

Lee Cassanelli in his book, ''The Shaping of Somali society'', provides a historical picture of the Hiraab Imamate. He writes:

"According to local oral tradition, the Hiraab imamate was a powerful alliance of closely related groups who shared a common lineage under the Gorgaarte clan divisions. It successfully revolted against the Ajuran Empire and established an independent rule for at least two centuries from the seventeen hundreds and onwards.

The alliance involved the army leaders and advisors of the Habar Gidir and Duduble, a Fiqhi/Qadi of Sheekhaal, and the Imam was reserved for the Mudulood branch who is believed to have been the first born. Once established, the Imamate ruled the territories from the Shabeelle valley, the Benaadir provinces, the Mareeg areas all the way to the arid lands of Mudug, whilst the ancient port of Hobyo emerged as the commercial center and Mogadishu being its capital for the newly established Hiraab Imamate in the late 17th century.

Hobyo served as a prosperous commercial centre for the Imamate. The agricultural centres of El Dher District, El Dher and Harardhere included the production of sorghum and beans, supplementing with herds of camels, cattle, goats and sheep. Livestock, hides and skin, whilst the aromatic woods and raisins were the primary exports as rice, other foodstuffs and clothes were imported. Merchants looking for exotic goods came to Hobyo to buy textiles, precious metals and pearls. The commercial goods harvested along the Shabelle river were brought to Hobyo for trade. Also, the increasing importance and rapid settlement of more southerly cities such as Mogadishu further boosted the prosperity of Hobyo, as more and more ships made their way down the Somali coast and stopped in Hobyo to trade and replenish their supplies.

The economy of the Hawiye in the interior includes the predominant nomadic pastoralism, and to some extent, cultivation within agricultural settlements in the riverine area, as well as mercantile commerce along the urban coast. At various points throughout history, trade of modern and ancient commodities by the Hawiye through maritime routes included leather, cattle skin, slaves, ivory and ambergris.

Soon afterwards, the entire region was snapped up by the fascists Italians and it led to the birth of a Modern Somalia. However, the Hiraab hereditary leadership has remained intact up to this day and enjoys a dominant influence in national Somali affairs."

Clan tree

There is no clear agreement on the clan and sub-clan structures and many lineages are omitted. Ali Jimale Ahmed outlines his genealogical clan tree of the Hawiye in ''The Invention of Somalia''.

*Samaale
**Irir
***Hawiye
****Karanle
*****Kaariye Karanle
*****Gidir Karanle
*****Seexawle Karanle
*****Murursade Karanle
******Sabti
******Foorculus
****Gugundhabe
*****Baadicadde
*****Jidle alias Murule]

*****Jajeele
****Gorgaarte
*****Hiraab
******Mudulood
*******Wacdaan
*******Moobleen
*******Udeejeen
*******Abgaal
********Harti
*********Agoonyar
*********Warsangeli
*********Awbakar
********Wacbuudhan
*********Daa'uud
*********Reer Mataan
*********Maxamed Muuse
********Waceysle
*********Cabdiraxmaan
*********Macalin Dhiblaawe
******Duduble
******Habar Gidir
*******Sacad
********Reer Ayaanle
********Reer Hilowle
********Reer Jalaf
*******Saleebaan
*******Cayr
*******Saruur
*****Wadalaan
*****Silcis
****Jambeelle
*****Hintire
****Xaskul
****Raarane

NOTE The Xawaadle, Saransoor (Gaaljecel, Dagoodi, Ciise, Masarre, Tuuf Garre) and Ajuuraan are historically counted as Hawiye lineages under Gorgaarte, Gugundhabe and Jambeelle, respectively. The Sheekhaal are similarly said to be descendants of Hiraab.

Notable Hawiye figures

Rulers

* Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi, Somali Imam and General of the Adal Sultanate, Ruler of Harar and Conqueror of Ethiopia
* Sheikh Hassan Barsane, Religious and National Anti Colonial leader
* Olol Dinle, Last Sultan of the Ajuran Sultanate

Politicians

* Abdullahi Issa, Prime Minister of Somalia, 1956–1960
* Aden Abdullah Osman Daar, President of Somalia, 1960–1967
* Haji Farah Ali Omar, Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia, 1967–1969
* Hussein Kulmiye Afrah, Vice President of Somalia, 1969–1991
* Mohamed Ibrahim Liqliiqato, President of the National Assembly, 1969–1991
* Ali Mahdi Muhammad, President of Somalia, 1991–2000
* Abdiqasim Salad Hassan, President of Somalia, 2000–2004
* Ali Mohammed Ghedi, Prime Minister of Somalia, 2004–2007
* Nur Hassan Hussein, Prime Minister of Somalia, 2007–2009
* Sharif Ahmed, President of Somalia, 2009–2012
* Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of Somalia, 2012–2017, 2022–Current
* Hassan Ali Khaire, Prime Minister of Somalia, 2017–2020
* Mohamed Hussein Roble, Prime Minister of Somalia, 2020–2021
* Abdullahi Ahmed Addow, Somali Ambassador to the United States 1970–1980
* Abdi Mude Ibrahim, Current Lafey Constituency Kenyan Member of National Assembly/Parliament, 2017–2022
* Abdirahman Janaqow, Executive Chairman of the Islamic Courts Union of Somalia (ICU), Minister of Justice
* Abukar Umar Adani, Islamist, Tycoon, Owner of the El-Ma`an Port which served as Mogadishu's temporary Port since its closure in 1995
* Bashir Raghe Shiiraar, Leader of the US-backed Alliance for Peace and the Fight Against International Terrorism
* Shaaban Ali Issack , Former Kenyan Member of National Assembly/Parliament, Assistant Minister for Urban Development, 1995–2007
* Hassan Mohamed Hussein Mungab, Mayor of Mogadishu, Chief of the Somali Supreme Court, 2012–2016
* Mohamed Abdi Hassan, Entrepreneur, Chief Architect who captured the MV Sirius Star Ship, 2008
* Mohamed Afrah Qanyare, Politician, Businessman, Former Presidential Candidate in the 2004 elections
* Mohamed Nur, Popular Mayor of Mogadishu, 2009–2012, famously nicknamed ''Tarzan''
* Mohamed Moallim Hassan, Politician who served as Minister of Fishery and Marine Resources of Somalia, 2010-2011
* Mohamed Hussein Ali, Former Kenyan Member of National Assembly/Parliament, 2007-2013
* Omar Maalim, Current Mandera Town Constituency Kenyan Member of National Assembly/Parliament, 2017-2022

Military personnel

*Haji Firhad, Dervish Commander, Diplomat to Abyssinia, mentioned in the Geoffrey Archer's 1916 important members of Darawiish haroun list
* Daud Abdulle Hirsi, First Commander-In-Chief of the Somali National Forces in 1960, Commanding Officer of the 1964 Ethiopian–Somali Border War
*Mohamud Barre Faytaan, First Chief of the Somali Air Defence Corps and later Somali Airlines
*Mohamed Abdulle Halane, Martyr of the 1964 Ethiopian–Somali Border War and commemorated in the landmarks Daljirka Dahsoon and Halane Training Camp (formely Forte Bottego)
*Mohamed Ali "Dhagaxtuur", SYL Horseed Militia leader, Martyr of the 1948 riots in Mogadishu following the visit of the Four-Power Commission dubbed Dagaalkii Hanoolaato, commemorated in Dhagaxtuur Monument
*Osman Sheikh Mao, First Commander of the Somali Navy
* Salaad Gabeyre Kediye, Brigadier General, Father of the 1969 ''Kacaan'' Revolution
* Mohamed Farrah Aidid, Chairman of the United Somali Congress that toppled Dictator Siad Barre, battled US Delta forces and UNOSOM during Operation Restore Hope and a self declared President of Somalia before his Death, 1987–1996
* Ahmed Maxamed Xasan, Lieutenant Colonel who famously refused government orders to bomb Hargeisa in the lead up to the Civil War, 1988–1991
* Abdi Hasan Awale Qeybdiid, Longest reigning Police Commissioner, dubbed ''Tiger Abdi'' in the infamous Battle of Mogadishu (1993), Black Hawk Down
* Hassan Dahir Aweys, Decorated Colonel of the Ogaden War, Founder of the Islamic Courts Union

Leading intellectuals

* Hussein Sheikh Ahmed Kaddare, Linguist, Author of the Kaddariya script, 1952
* Ismail Jim'ale Osoble, Lawyer, Minister of Information 1967–1969, Author of the Somali Manifesto of 1990
* Abdi Mohamed Ulusso, Writer, 2004 Presidential Candidate
* Abdirahman Yabarow, Editor-in-Chief of the VOA Somali Service
* Abdulkadir Yahya Ali, Peace Activist, Founder of the Center for Research and Dialogue
* Ali Jimale, Educator at the City University of New York
* Ali Sheikh Ahmed, Dual President of Mogadishu University and Al-Islaah
* Elman Ali Ahmed, Entrepreneur and Social Activist
* Hilowle Imam Omar, Chairman of the Somali Civil War Reconciliation Program
* Hussein Ali Shido, Founding member of the United Somali Congress
* Ibrahim Hassan Addou, Former Professor of Washington University, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Courts Union in 2006
* Sheikh Omar Iman Abubakar, Professor and Researcher in Hadith Studies, Chairman of Hizbul Islam

Music and literature

* Abdi Bashiir Indhobuur, Poet and Composer
* Abdulle Geedannaar, Poet
* Hasan Adan Samatar, Famous Musician in the 1970s and 1980s
* K'naan, Somali-Canadian Poet, Rapper and Musician
* Magool (Halima Khalif Omar), Musician

Political factions and organizations

* Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism (ARPCT) a Somali alliance created by various faction leaders and entrepreneurs
* Hizbul Shabaab, the Youth Movement wing of the ICU before ceding the organisation to Aden Hashi Farah "Eyrow"
* Islamic Courts Union (ICU), a rival administration to the Transitional Federal Government.
* Juba Valley Alliance (JVA), primary opponent of the Somali Patriotic Movement
* Somali National Alliance (SNA), formed by Mohamed Farrah Aidid
* Somali Salvation Army (SSA), the Ali Mahdi Muhammad branch of the United Somali Congress
* United Somali Congress (USC), formed in 1987, played a leading role in the ouster of the dictatorship

See also

* Somali aristocratic and court titles

References

Sources

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{{Somali clans

Hawiye clan,
Somali clans in Ethiopia