Khedivate's Somali Coast was a short-lived dominion of the

Khedivate of Egypt The Khedivate of Egypt ( or , ; ') was an autonomous tributary state of the Ottoman Empire, established and ruled by the Muhammad Ali Dynasty following the defeat and expulsion of Napoleon Bonaparte's forces which brought an end to the short- ...

over a few ports of the northern Somali coast. It came about when in 1874

Isma'il Pasha Isma'il Pasha ( ; 25 November 1830 or 31 December 1830 – 2 March 1895), also known as Ismail the Magnificent, was the Khedive of Egypt and ruler of Sudan from 1863 to 1879, when he was removed at the behest of Great Britain and France. Shari ...

ordered the dispatch of two warships and three Khedival

ships of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which involved the two column ...

towards the northern Somali coast.

History

In 1870, the Egyptians occupied

Hargeisa Hargeisa ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Somaliland, a ''List of states with limited recognition, de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still considered internationally to be part of Somalia. It is also th ...

after failing to take over Aussa. They continued on to invade

Berbera Berbera (; , ) is the capital of the Sahil, Somaliland, Sahil region of Somaliland and is the main sea port of the country, located approximately 160 km from the national capital, Hargeisa. Berbera is a coastal city and was the former capital of t ...

Zeila Zeila (, ), also known as Zaila or Zayla, is a historical port town in the western Awdal region of Somaliland. In the Middle Ages, the Jewish traveller Benjamin of Tudela identified Zeila with the Biblical location of Havilah. Most modern schola ...

Sagallo Sagallo (; ; ; ) is a village situated on the Gulf of Tadjoura, in the country of Djibouti, famous for having been occupied by a Russian monk and adventurer in 1889. Name Whether a coincidence or not, "Sagallo" (or "Sakaro") is one of the luna ...

, and

Bulhar Bulhar (Bulahar, ) is a historic port town in the Sahil region of Somaliland with routes dating back to antiquity. The port was rejuvenated in the 19th century and was a rival to nearby Berbera. History Antiquity Bulhar is situated near Berber ...

. In 1883 the Egyptians who were being pressured by the British decided to evacuate the Somali, and Oromo cities. During the Egyptian rule the Somalis controlled the Zeila-Harar trade route, and the Oromos shared the Berbera-Harar trade route. British officer Hunters carried a number of surveys in the Somali coast. He described the

Habr Awal The Habr Awal, alternately known as the Zubeyr Awal (, , Full Name: '' Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ash-Ishaaq bin Ahmed, Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad)'' is one of the largest subclans of the wider Isaaq clan family, and is further divided into eight su ...

as a friendly people who lived between Harar, and Berbera, and that they supported the Egyptian capture of many towns. In 1884 the Egyptians, and Habr Awal burnt down a number of

Bursuuk The Bursuuk (Somali: Barsuug) or also written as Barsuk, Barsuq and Barsoub is a clan belonging to Madahweyne sub-clan of the Dir clan family and are not related to the Musa Ali section of the Arap who adopted their name. They largely live in Et ...

villages, in retaliation the Bursuuk attacked Habr Awal caravans on their way to Berbera. During the withdrawal period officer Hunters was more concerned on Berbera as rumour spread about the Mahdiyya of Sudan. He worried about Berbera more than Harar, because the Habr Awal Somalis had murdered the Governor of Berbera Abd- Al Rahman Bey. They did this because Abd Al Rahman had murdered a Somali in an attempt to rob a caravan. He also feared the Issa Somali would invade Berbera so he ordered a British warship be anchored at Berbera so the British could detect any Somali movement in the area. Hunter also writes that the Emir of Zeila, Abu Bakr Pasha was possibly planning an invasion of Berbera. Hinter describes Abu Bakr as a Afar businessmen, and Emir who held great influence over the Afar, and Somalis. He also describes him as a slave master, and that he controlled slave trade in the read sea. Hunter describes the Egpytian Governor of Berbera as a man who was ready to take any command, but like all his friends was thuggish, and rude. In 1884 the British signed a deal with the Habr Awal which allowed British presence in Berbera for a while. Due to an internal rebellion in the Egyptian Khedivate's mainland territories, it was forced to abandon its Somali territories in 1884, and Britain began to take over these ports.

Economy

They helped rebuild a dying economy, and established Berbera as the capital of the Khedive in east Africa. Although they did not control northern Somali littoral for long they did build lighthouses, piers, improved coastal ports and promoted

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. Controversies which existed during Egyptian administration included the payment of port duties by the Khedivate to the Ottomans, the inspection of the status of slave trade, and the demarcation of territory with the French Somali Coast as well as the Abyssinians towards the west.Turton, E. R. "Kirk and the Egyptian Invasion of East Africa in 1875: A Reassessment." The Journal of African History 11.3 (1970): 355-370.

References

{{reflist Egypt under the Muhammad Ali dynasty History of Somaliland States and territories established in 1874 States and territories disestablished in 1884 History of Somalia Ottoman period in Djibouti History of Djibouti

History

Economy

See also

References