Sharkha (also transliterated as Sharka, Sharha, Xarha, Xerha, Xarkhah) was a province of the Ethiopian Empire in the southern part of its realm. Its inhabitants were predominantly Muslim, and similar in customs, economic conditions, and ethnic affiliations to its neighboring provinces of Hadiya and Arababni. [1]
According to the research of Ulrich Braukämper, the written sources allow one to determine only "that it was bordered by Hadiya, Dawaro, and Bale." Interviews with local Oromo and Hadiya, however, revealed they identified Sharka with "Širk in eastern Arsiland, to which the traditions of many Alaba and East Gurage refer to as their former dwelling areas." [2]
This earliest mention of this province is in the Royal Chronicle of Emperor Amda Seyon. During his reign, the governor of this province, Yusuf, was accused of cooperating with the Muslims of Dawaro against the Ethiopian army. As his army passed through Dawaro, Amda Seyon led a punitive expedition against Sharka, plundering its land, which was rich in livestock, and capturing Yusuf. The historians Chihab al-Umari and al-Maqrizi simply mention the length of Sharka was three days and its breadth four, and its army could muster 3,000 cavalrymen and twice that many foot soldiers. [1] Along with Dawaro and Arababni, Sharka made use of small pieces of iron called hakuna, which served as primitive money. [3]
The next time Sharka is mentioned is in the Futuh al-Habasa, the history of the conquests of Imam Ahmad Gragn. At that time Sharka was administered by an Ethiopian governor named Limu. [4] In 1531, the Imam sent the vizir 'Addoli to raid Ganbah, which is described as "above Sharka". Ten of his horsemen continued on to Sharka, where they encountered Fit Betuadad Badlai, who had 50 cavalry and 500 footmen with him, blocking their advance. Despite being outnumbered, the ten horsemen charged the forces of the Fit Betuadad and scattered them, taking two Ethiopians prisoner and much booty. When the Muslim horsemen returned to Imam Ahmad, he sent vizir 'Addoli to take the vizir Nur with him and raid Sharka a second time. which led to the capture of the wives and children of the Ethiopians who had been with Fit Betuadad Badlai and much booty. [5] Sharkha was then governed by Siddiq b. Ali of Adal. [6]
The last reference to Sharka is in the Royal Chronicle of Emperor Sarsa Dengel, who marched through Wag and Sharka in 1577 on his way to attack the army of Harar. The Portuguese travellers of the 16th and 17th centuries are not familiar with Sharka, which leads to the assumption that it had vanished as a political unit by the 17th century. [2]
Amda Seyon I, also known as Amda Tsiyon I, throne name Gebre Mesqel, was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1314 to 1344 and a member of the Solomonic dynasty.
Newaya Krestos was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1344 to 1372, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty. He was the eldest son of Amda Seyon I.
The Sultanate of Ifat, known as Wafāt or Awfāt in Arabic texts, or the Kingdom of Zeila was a medieval Sunni Muslim state in the eastern regions of the Horn of Africa between the late 13th century and early 15th century. It was formed in present-day Ethiopia around eastern Shewa in Ifat. Led by the Walashma dynasty, the polity stretched from Zequalla to the port city of Zeila. The kingdom ruled over parts of what are now Ethiopia, Ogaden, Djibouti, Somaliland or Somalia.
Muhammad ibn Azhar ad-Din was a Sultan of the Sultanate of Adal. Sihab ad-Din Ahmad states in his Futuh al-Habasha that he was the son of Azhar, the second son of Abu Bakr, one of the ten sons of Sa'ad ad-Din II, and ruled for 30 years.
Hadiya also known as Adea or Hadia was a medieval Muslim state in the southern part of its realm located south of Shewa and west of Sharkha. The Hadiya Muslim state mainly composed of Cushitic Hadiyya proper, Halaba, Kebena people as well as Semitic Sil'te and other tongues related to Harari language. Hadiya was historically a vassal state of the Adal federation and then became an autonomous province of Abyssinia in the fourteenth century while still remaining a member of the Zeila union. In the 1600s Hadiya regained its independence and was led by a Garad. By 1850, Hadiya is placed north-west of lakes Zway and Langano but still between these areas.
The Battle of Shimbra Kure was fought on 9 March 1529 between the forces of Adal led by Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi, and the Abyssinian army, under Dawit II. It was the first major battle of the Ethiopian–Adal War.
Hadiya, also spelled as Hadiyya, is an ethnic group native to Ethiopia in Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region who speak the Hadiyyisa language. According to a popular etymology, the name 'Hadiyya," means gift of god". it is mainly known for its Islamic influences in southern part of south shewa and west sharka A historical definition of the Hadiya people based on the old Hadiyya Sultanate included a number of Ethiopian ethnic groups currently known by other names. Currently, this historic entity is subdivided into a number of ethnonyms, partly with different languages and cultural affiliations. In his book "A History of the Hadiyya in Southern Ethiopia," Ulrich Braukämper reported that Leemo, Weexo-giira, Sooro, Shaashoogo, Baadawwaachcho, and Libido (Maraqo) Hadiyya, Endegang subgroups remain a language entity and preserved identity of oneness, the Hadiyya proper. The term Hadiya specifically designates the Qabeena people. Other ethnic groups such as Siltʼe, Wulbareg, Azarnat, Barbare, Wuriro, Wolane and Gadabano profess that they're the seven Hadiya clans. Hadiya people were fully Muslims until invasion of menilik II in 19th century that caused massive forced conversion to Christianity and increasing Protestant missionaries in late 19s. Clans of Hadiya origin in Oromia, Sidama, Wolayta, Gurage, Tigray, and Afar were completely absorbed by these nations. They were initially all inhabitants of a single political entity, a sultanate, which in the four centuries following its break-up in the mid-16th century fragmented into separate ethnic groups.
The Harla, also known as Harala, Haralla are an ethnic group that once inhabited Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti. They spoke the now-extinct Harla language, which belonged to either the Cushitic or Semitic branches of the Afroasiatic family.
The Jaarso, Giarso or Jaarsoo is a northern Somali clan, a sub-division of the Dir clan family They largely live in Ethiopia, in the Oromo Region and the Somali Region, especially in and around the ancient cities of Chinaksen, Harar and Jigjiga
Dawaro or Doaro was a Muslim principality which laid near Hadiya. The state was originally independent until becoming a vassal and later a province due its subjugation by Emperor Amda Seyon I in the early 14th century. The region was situated east of Hadiya and north of Bali which covered much of Ethiopia's Arsi Province. The capital of Dawaro was called Sabboch
The Sultanate of Bale was a Somali Muslim Sultanate founded in the Bale Mountains of the southern Ethiopian Highlands and Horn of Africa. It corresponds roughly to the modern Bale Zone of the Oromia Region in Ethiopia.
Fatagar was a historical province that separated Muslim and Christian dominions in the medieval Horn of Africa. In the eleventh century it was part of the Muslim states, then was invaded by the Christian kingdom led by Emperor Amda Seyon I, after which it would serve as central district in, and home of multiple rulers of, the Ethiopian Empire in the 15th century.
Hubat, also known as Hobat, or Kubat was a historical Muslim state located in present-day eastern Ethiopia. Historically part of the Adal region alongside Gidaya and Hargaya states on the Harar plateau. Hubat is today within a district known as Adare Qadima which includes Garamuelta and its surroundings in Oromia region. The area is 30 km north west of Harar city at Hubeta, according to historian George Huntingford. Trimingham locates it as the region between Harar and Jaldessa. Archaeologist Timothy Insoll considers Harla town to be Hubat the capital of the now defunct Harla Kingdom.
Gidaya, also known as Gedaya or Jidaya was a historical Muslim state located around present-day eastern Ethiopia. The state was positioned on the Harar plateau and a district of Adal region alongside Hargaya and Hubat polities. It neighbored other states in the medieval era including Ifat, Mora, Hadiya, Fatagar, Biqulzar, Fedis and Kwelgora.
Salih was the leader of Adal in the fourteenth century. He was commonly known as Qadi or Imam of the Harar territory.
The Battle of Das was fought in 1332 between the Ethiopian Empire under the command of Emperor Amda Seyon and a large Muslim coalition led by Salih. The Ethiopian army was victorious, and Salih was slain.
Robēl was a general and governor in the Ethiopian Empire under Lebna Dengel. He was killed in The Battle of Shimbra Kure.
The Battle of Bali was fought in 1532 between Adal Sultanate forces under Vizier Addoli and the Abyssinian army under Addalih, Governor of Bali.
Abbas ibn Abogn ibn Ibrahim also known as Wazir Abbas was an Adalite General who became Grand Vizier of the Adal Sultanate in 1535. The nephew of Ahmed Gurey, he led the Adalite conquest of Medri Bahri and was briefly the Bahr Negash. He was also the father of the Sultan Talha ibn Abbas.
Bale, also known as Bali, was a historical Muslim region located in the southeastern part of modern Ethiopia. It bordered the Dawaro to the north, Hadiya in the west, and Adal in the east and its core areas were located around the Shebelle River. However, the borders of Bale during the medieval period are unclear - it is usually placed around the Wabe Shebelle river, another river that shaped its borders was the Wabe River. Overall, borders of historical Bale corresponded to the modern districts of Goba, Sinana-Dinsho, Agarfa, Gasera and Goro. In the 14th century it was located between Ifat and Solomonic tributary state of Hadiya. Taddesse Tamrat locates Bale south of the Shebelle River, which separated the kingdom from Dawaro to the north and Adal to the northeast; Richard Pankhurst adds that its southern boundary was the Ganale Dorya River. Ulrich Braukämper, after discussing the evidence, states that this former dependency "occupied an area in the northeast of the province which later was named after it, between the mountain range of Urgoma and the eastern Wabi Bend."