Adal (historical region)

Adal (Harari: አዳል; Somali: Awdal), known as Awdal or Aw Abdal was a historical Muslim region in the Horn of Africa. Located east of Ifat and the Awash river as far as the coast, and including Harar as well as Zeila. The Zeila state often denoted Adal and other Muslim dominions in medieval texts.
Adal was situated east of the province of Ifat and was a general term for a region inhabited by Muslims. According to Portuguese explorer Francisco Alvarez, Adal in 1520 bordered on the Abyssinian frontier province of Fatagar in the west and stretched to Cape Guardafui in the east. He further stated that it was confined by the Kingdom of Dankali in the north west and that the leaders of Adal were considered saints by the locals for their warfare with neighboring Abyssinia.
It was used ambiguously in the medieval era to indicate the Muslim inhabitant low land portion east of the Ethiopian Empire. Including north of the Awash River towards Lake Abbe in modern Djibouti–Ethiopia border as well as the territory between Shewa and Zeila on the coast of Somalia. Districts within Adal included Hubat, Gidaya and Hargaya. It also occasionally included the Hadiya Sultanate.
According to Ewald Wagner, the Adal region was historically the area stretching from Zeila to Harar. In the 1800s Catholic missionary Stanely states Adal is situated west of Zeila. Dr. Duri Mohammed asserts the lowlands outside the city of Harar is known as Aw Abdal where Imams traditionally led prayer. According to Amélie Chekroun, Adal designated the region east of the Awash River, replacing Ifat as the Muslim power which had come under Ethiopian Christian control in the 1300s. The Christian state under Menelik II's invasion during the 1800s for the first time in its history maintained control in Adal therefore incorporating it into modern Ethiopia. The region was mostly located in modern-day Awdal and had Zeila as a capital city but also controlled other interior towns like Abasa or Dakkar extending into the Harar plateau to the south-east and modern day Djibouti in the west.
Eidal (Abdal) becomes Emir of the region succeeding saint Barkhadle in AD 1067 following a victory against a Persian.
Islam was first introduced to the area early on from the Arabian Peninsula, shortly after the Hijrah. Zeila's two-mihrab Masjid al-Qiblatayn dates to the 7th century, and is one of the oldest mosques in the world. The earliest reference to Adal was following the collapse of the Makhzumi dynasty in July 1288 when 'Ali Baziyu led a campaign in Adal and Mora which was concluded by the killing of the lords of Adal and Mora, the victorious Sultan then annexed Adal and Mora to his Kingdom. Adal is also mentioned by Marco Polo in 1295 as a state continuously in conflict with Abyssinia. According to fourteenth century Arab historian Al Umari, Adal was one of the founding regions of the Ifat Sultanate alongside Biqulzar, Shewa, Kwelgora, Shimi, Jamme and Laboo.
In the fourteenth century Emperor Amda Seyon of Ethiopia battled against Adal leader Imam Salih who allied with Jamal ad-Din I of Ifat.
In the late fourteenth century rebel leaders of Ifat Haqq ad-Din II and Sa'ad ad-Din II relocated their base to the Harari plateau in Adal forming a new Sultanate at Dakkar. This new Adal Sultanate encompassed the modern city of Harar. According to Arabic texts Coffee was introduced into Arabia by the Arab brother in-law of Sa'ad ad-Din II, Ali bin Omar al-Shadhili which he became familiar with during his brief stay in Adal. According to Harari tradition numerous Argobba people had fled Ifat and settled around Harar in the Aw Abdal lowlands during their conflict with Abyssinia in the fifteenth century, a gate was thus named after them called the gate of Argobba. In this period the Walasma dynasty of Ifat initiated a series of marriage alliances with the leaders of Adal.
According to Enrico Cerulli, local discontent for the Walasma dynasty of Ifat which occupied Adal region led to the rise of Ahmed ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi in the sixteenth century. Up until the end of the sixteenth century, the rulers of Adal were in a raging conflict with the leaders of neighboring Christian state of Ethiopian Empire. In the ensuing Oromo invasions, Adal split into two states, the Aussa Sultanate of Adal and Harar Emirate of Adal, the latter surviving up until the nineteenth century.
Adal had friendly trade relations with Abyssinia during the reign of Sahle Selassie in early 1840s which led to a delegate from Harar referred to as "Abdal Wanag" (lion of Adal) administrating the Abyssinian town of Aliyu Amba. In 1842 British traveler Charles Johnston described Harar as the last city of Adal. Adal state would be annexed by Ethiopia in the late 1800s during Menelik II's invasion after the Battle of Chelenqo.
In the 1900s the designated emperor of Ethiopia Lij Iyasu is stated to have entered into marriage alliances with the peoples of Adal. Iyasu married the daughter of a Somali noble, the daughter of an Afar descended from the governor of Zeila as well as the daughter of Abdullahi Sadiq, a Harari aristocrat.
The city of Zeila was originally the center of power and commerce in the Adal region. The bustling port city was predominately inhabited by Somalis, as well as Arabs and Afars.
Clans of Adal mentioned in the fourteenth century Emperor Amda Seyon I chronicles during the Ethiopian invasion included; Wargar, Tiqo, Paguma, Labakala and Gabala.
In the fifteenth century Emperor Zara Yaqob chronicle, the Harla people are mentioned as the traders of Adal. Harla are considered to be the main population of Adal. However, according to historian Enrico Cerulli, Harla people who originate from the Harari region were assimilated by Somalis following the decline of the Adal principalities. Harla inhabitants of Adal occupied modern Afar Region in Ethiopia also suffered similar fates by adopting Afar identity in the seventeenth century.
According to Professor Lapiso Delebo, the contemporary Harari people are heirs to the ancient Semitic speaking peoples of the Adal region. Historians state the language spoken by the people of Adal as well as its rulers the Imams and Sultans would closely resemble contemporary Harari language. According to Bahru Zewde and others the Walasma state of Adal in the fourteenth century primarily included the Semitic speaking Harari and Argobba people, however it also began including some portions of Somali and Afar people. The agriculture practicing population of Adal were exclusively Harla and Harari people.
According to Archaeologist Jorge Rodriguez, the Somalis were periphery peoples of the Adal state.