  | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 Somalia | |
| Languages | |
| Somali (Tunni) | |
| Religion | |
| Islam (Sunni) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Geledi, Garre, other Rahanweyn groups |
The Tunni (Somali: Tunni) are a Somali clan that make up part of the wider Digil-Rahanweyn branch. It is one of the major clans that inhabit the South West State of Somalia and can also be found in Jubbaland. [1] [2]
The Tunni clan are split into 5 different sub-clans which are: Daffarat, Werile, Hajuuwa, Daqtiira and Goygaal. [3] [4]
The Tunni speak Af-Tunni (a dialect of Somali). [5] Some Tunni people, particularly those who are ancestrally from Barawa speak Chimwini, a variety of Swahili. [6]
The Tunni clan are believed to be one of the oldest Somali clans and one of the early herding communities in the Horn. They are believed to have occupied the lower Shabelle valley since 2000 B.C.E and occupied the Jubba valley along with their cousin Garre since 1000 B.C.E. [7]
The Tunni, composed of five sub-clans (Warile, Da'farad, Hajuwa, Dakhtira, and Goygali), they established their own Sultanate called Tunni Sultanate. The Tunni made a treaty with the Jiddu so that Tunni settled on the west bank of the Shabelle and the Jiddu settled on the east bank. Both also agreed to resist foreign penetration, to allow only Seddah Saamood (the three foot-prints, which are the Tuni, the Jiddu, and the wild beasts). [8] However, they did accept the first Muslim migrants, the Hatimi from Yemen and the Amawi from Syria, around the 10th century, for both religious and commercial reasons. Barawa founded by a Tunni saint called Aw-Ali and became the new capital for the Tunni Sultanate. The town prospered and became one of the major Islamic centers in the Horn, the Barawaani Ulama, attracting students from all over the region. Muslim scholars of that time, such as Ibn Sa'id, wrote about Barawa as "an Islamic island on the Somali coast." Al-Idrisi also described the construction of the coral houses and noted that Barawa was full of both domestic and foreign commodities. [9]
Eventually, the Tunni people abandoned the pastoral lifestyle and established themselves largely as farmers on the rich arable land, were they grew a variety of fruits and vegetables but they still continued to practice livestock grazing. They established a number of concentrated settlements on the interior such as Buulo, Golweyn, and Xaramka, Jilib, Jamaame, and their center Qoryooley. [10] The Tunni Somali clan inhabiting the cultivated Shebelle valley behind the coast produced foodstuffs for the coastal towns as well as acting as brokers for other Somali traders further inland. [11]
After the end of the Ajuran Sultanate the Tunni would form part of the Geledi Sultanate and prospered as Barawa was a prominent hub in both states. They would be the first to join the Benadir revolt with Sheikh Uways al-Barawi a hero of Barawa.
The Tunni clan can be split into 2 groups: agro-pastoralists who herd cattle, goats and sheep which can be found in towns and villages in Baraawe, Jilib and Dinsoor districts. The second group, are urbanites, which can be found in Baraawe city and other urban centres in southern Somalia. [12] In Piazza, 1905, the Tunni population was approximately 15,000 (both agro-pastarolists and urbanites), where the majority of Tunni's were found outside of Baraawe (approximately 13,000 outside the city and 2,100 inside the city). [13]
According to Abdalla Omar Mansur's "The Nature of the Somali Clan System", the Tunni clan are split into 5 groups which are further then split up into 4 clans from varying clans.
Baidoa is the largest city of the South West State of Somalia.
Merca is the capital city of the Lower Shebelle province of Somalia, a historic port city in the region. It is located approximately 109 km (68 mi) to the southwest of the nation's capital Mogadishu. Merca is the traditional home territory of the Bimal clan and was the center of the Bimal revolt.
Barawa, also known as Barawe and Brava, is the capital of the South West State of Somalia. It functions as a port town in the southwestern Lower Shebelle region of Somalia. Facing the Indian Ocean, Barawa serves as the main port of the South West State.
The Rahanweyn, also known as the Digil and Mirifle is a major Somali clan. It is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa, with a large territory in the densely populated fertile valleys of the Jubba and Shebelle rivers and the areas inbetween, which are mainly inhabited by settlers from the Digil and Mirifle lineages.
The Silcis are a Somali subclan. They are part of the Gorgaarte subclan of the Hawiye clan, which is one of the major clans of
The Murusade, also contemporarily known as Mursal, are a Somali subclan, part of the Karanle branch of the larger Hawiye Clan. They primarily reside in the central regions of Somalia, with a particular focus on the Galgaduud, Mudug, Middle Shabelle, Lower Shabelle and Banadir regions, among others.
Sheikh Uways Al-Barawi was a Somali scholar credited with reviving Islam in 19th century East Africa.
The Banaadiri people are a people group in Somalia. Banaadiris largely inhabit Somalia's southern coastline.
Afgooye is a town in the southeastern Somalia Lower Shebelle region of Somalia. It is the center of the Afgooye District. Afgooye is the third largest city of Southwest State. Afgooye is one of the oldest towns on the lower Shebelle valley, 30 kilometers north of Mogadishu. Afgooye is the site of Lafoole college, the first college of education in Somalia, built on the site of the battle of Lafoole of 1896. Afgooye is also known for the Istunka, the annual "stick fight" carnival commemorating the New Year in the riverine region. It was a trade center for the Silcis Dynasty in the medieval period then fell under Ajuran rule. Around the late 17th century, Afgooye became the capital of Geledi Sultanate.
The Bimaal or Bimal, are a sub-clan of the major Dir clan family. This clan is widely known for leading a resistance against the colonials in southern Somalia for decades which can be compared to the war of the Sayyid in Somaliland. The Biimaal mainly lives in southern Somalia, the Somali region of Ethiopia, which their Gaadsen sub-clan mainly inhabits and in the NEP region of Kenya.
The Bravanese people, also known as the Barawani, are a minority ethnic group inhabiting the city of Barawe of Somalia and Kenya.
Yusuf Mahamud Ibrahim was a Somali ruler. He was the third and most powerful Sultan of the Geledi sultanate, reigning from 1798 to 1848. Under the reign of Sultan Yusuf, his kingdom entered its apex, he managed to modernize his economy and his kingdom quickly became one of the wealthiest states in East Africa. Yusuf frequently toured the sultanate and built rapport with his many clients and allies. He successfully consolidated Geledi power during conquest of Bardera and expelling extremist ideology from his region. It was under his rule he manage to establish many trading partners and allies such as the Sultanate of Witu. He also exacted tribute from Sultan Said of the Omani Empire starting from 1843.
Ahmed Yusuf Mahamud was a Somali Sultan of the Geledi sultanate, reigning from 1848 to 1878 and succeeded his father Yusuf Mahamud after his demise at the battle of Adaddey Suleyman. Ahmed was crowned as the fourth Sultan, and his rule marked a period of great prosperity in the Sultanate. The Sultan is credited as having brought over 20,000 Somali troops to free the slaves of Zanzibar.
The Sultanate of the Geledi also known as the Gobroon dynasty, was a Somali kingdom that ruled parts of the Horn of Africa during the late-17th century to the early 20th century. The Sultanate was governed by the Gobroon dynasty. It was established by the Geledi soldier Ibrahim Adeer, who had defeated various vassals of the Ajuran Sultanate and elevated the Gobroon to wield significant political power. Following Mahamud Ibrahim's consolidation, the dynasty reached its apex under Yusuf Mahamud Ibrahim, who successfully modernized the Geledi economy and eliminated regional threats with the Conquest of Bardera in 1843, and would go on to receive tribute from Said bin Sultan, the ruler of the Omani Empire. Geledi Sultans had strong regional ties and built alliances with the Pate and Witu Sultanates on the Swahili coast. Trade and Geledi power would continue to remain strong until the death of the well known Sultan Ahmed Yusuf in 1878. The sultanate was eventually incorporated into Italian Somaliland in 1911.
Osman Ahmed was a Somali ruler. He was the fifth and final Sultan of the Geledi Sultanate. Osman Ahmed is considered less illustrious than his predecessors and Gobroon power weakened considerably under his rule. He was the son of Sultan Ahmed Yusuf and succeeded his father after his death. Although, considerably weaker than his forebears he was still the most powerful ruler in the region and was credited for defending the Rahanweyn territory by repulsing an invasion from the Ethiopian Empire and Dervish State.
This is a list of Somali aristocratic and court titles that were historically used by the Somali people's various sultanates, kingdoms and empires. Also included are the honorifics reserved for Islamic notables as well as traditional leaders and officials within Somali customary law (xeer), in addition to the nobiliary particles set aside for distinguished individuals.
The Geledi are a Somali clan that live predominantly in the environs of Afgooye city. They are a sub-clan of the Rahanweyn and led the Geledi Sultanate during the late 17th to early 20th century. They are divided into two main lineage groups: the Tolweyne and the Yabadhaale.
Bida or Bido are a clan confederacy based in Baraawe, South West State of Somalia and make up one of the groups part of the "todobo Tol" also known as Bravanese people. Member clans of this clan umbrella can also be found in other confederacies further up the coast in Marka and Mogadishu.
The Tunni Sultanate was a Somali Muslim Sultanate located in southwestern Somalia, south of the Shabelle river. It was ruled by the Tunni people, who spoke the Af-Tunni. The historical Tunni area corresponds to the modern-day Lower Shabelle region.
Wa'daan is a sub-clan of the Hawiye and the even larger Samaale clan. They are part of the Gorgaarte subclan of the Hawiye clan the old and largest district of wa'daan is afgooye. Called afgooye wa'daan.