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59-589: Damot may refer to: Damot (historical region) , a medieval province in western Ethiopia Dʿmt , ancient kingdom in Eritrea and Ethiopia, the Horn of Africa Kingdom of Damot , a medieval kingdom in what is now Ethiopia Damot Sore , woreda in southern Ethiopia Damot Pulasa , woreda in southern Ethiopia Damot Weyde , woreda in southern Ethiopia Damot Gale , woreda in southern Ethiopia Docmo (town) ,

118-628: A collection of autonomous city-states. It also suggests that "the Berbers who live in the place are very unruly," an apparent reference to their independent nature. Islam was 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 the oldest mosque in the city. In the late 9th century, Al-Yaqubi wrote that Muslims were living along

177-438: A contingent of fifty Somali musketeers and two cannons. Arriving outside the city, he instructed his men to fire the cannons close to the walls. Intimidated and not having seen such weapons before, El Barr and his men would flee and leave Zeila for Sharmarke. Sharmarke's governorship had an instant effect on the city, as he maneuvered to monopolize as much of the regional trade as possible, with his sights set as far as Harar and

236-672: A huge multicultural metropolis, with Somalis (Predominantly), Afar, Harari, and even Arabs and Persian inhabitants. The city was also instrumental in bringing Islam to the Oromo and other Ethiopian ethnic groups. In 1332, the Zeila-based King of Adal was slain in a military campaign aimed at halting the Abyssinian Emperor Amda Seyon 's march toward the city. When the last Sultan of Ifat, Sa'ad ad-Din II ,

295-524: A resistance against Sharmarke's troops in 1852. Sharmarke was later succeeded as Governor of Zeila by Abu Bakr Pasha, a local Afar statesman in 1855 but would return and depose Abu Bakr in 1857 before finally being ousted in 1861 after Sharmarke's implication in the death of a French Consul. In 1874–75, the Egyptians obtained a firman from the Ottomans by which they secured claims over the city. At

354-695: A town the Somali region in Ethiopia also translated as Damot Danot (also Damot), woreda in eastern Ethiopia Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Damot . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Damot&oldid=1152233596 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

413-480: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Damot (historical region) Damot was the name given to a territory situated south of the Blue Nile and west of Shewa . The area was originally inhabited by a pagan Omotic -speaking ethnic group related to those of Ennarea and Kafa . The earliest reference to the area was in the medieval Egyptian History of

472-685: Is later mentioned in the chronicles of Amda Seyon as several of his units in his army were called up from the province of Damot. Damot warriors participated in Amda Seyon's crusades against the Muslims of Ifat and Adal in the east. Damot played an important role in the Horn of Africa trade, as the territory was reportedly an important source of gold. Ibn Sa'id al-Maghribi asserts that gold and rare metals from this province were exported as far as Zeila . Portuguese explorer Francisco Álvares who visited

531-408: Is very populous, with good houses of stone and white-wash and good streets; the houses are covered with terraces, the dwellers in them are black. They have many horses and breed many cattle of all sorts, which they use for milk, butter, and meat. There is in this country abundance of wheat, millet, barley, and fruits, which they carry thence to Aden." Beginning in 1630, the city became a dependency of

590-453: The Benadir region to the south. Adal's history from this founding period would be characterized by a succession of battles with neighbouring Abyssinia . By the years (1214–17), Ibn Said referred to both Zeila and Berbera . Zeila, as he tells us, was a wealthy city of considerable size and its inhabitants were completely Muslim. Ibn Said 's description gives the impression that Berbera

649-675: The Djibouti border, the town sits on a sandy spit surrounded by the sea. It is known for its coral reef , mangroves and offshore islands, which include the Sa'ad ad-Din archipelago named after the Somali Sultan Sa'ad ad-Din II of the Sultanate of Ifat . Landward, the terrain is unbroken desert for some fifty miles. Borama lies 151 miles (243 km) southeast of Zeila, Berbera lies 170 miles (270 km) east of Zeila, while

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708-404: The Hijrah . By the 9th century, Zeila was the capital of the early Adal Kingdom and Ifat Sultanate in the 13th century, it would attain its height of prosperity a few centuries later in the 16th century. The city subsequently came under Ottoman and British protection in the 18th century. Up until recently Zeila was surrounded by a large wall with five gates: Bab al Sahil and Bab al-jadd on

767-746: The Middle Ages , the Jewish traveller Benjamin of Tudela identified Zeila with the Biblical location of Havilah . Most modern scholars identify it with the site of Avalites mentioned in the 1st-century Greco-Roman travelogue the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea and in Ptolemy , although this is disputed. The town evolved into an early Islamic center with the arrival of Muslims shortly after

826-519: The Near East ( Phoenicia , Ptolemaic Egypt , Greece , Parthian Persia , Saba , Nabataea , Roman Empire , etc.) and India . Merchants used the ancient Somali maritime vessel known as the beden to transport their cargo. Along with the neighboring Habash of Al-Habash to the west, the Barbaroi who inhabited the area were recorded in the 1st century CE Greek document the Periplus of

885-487: The Ogaden . In 1845, he deployed a few matchlock men to wrest control of neighboring Berbera from that town's then feuding Somali authorities. The Emir of Harar Ahmad III ibn Abu Bakr already been at loggerheads with Sharmarke over fiscal matters. He was concerned about the ramifications that these movements might ultimately have on his own city's commerce. The Emir consequently urged Berbera's leaders to reconcile and mount

944-588: The Abyssinian empire. This campaign is historically known as the Conquest of Abyssinia ( Futuh al Habash ). During the war, Imam Ahmad pioneered the use of cannons supplied by the Ottoman Empire , which he imported through Zeila and deployed against Abyssinian forces and their Portuguese allies led by Cristóvão da Gama . Some scholars argue that this conflict proved, through their use on both sides,

1003-413: The Blue Nile. A consequence of this move was that the term Damot was extended to include the area of southern Gojjam . Although it is unknown when exactly the move and the change of name occurred. Zeila Zeila ( Somali : Saylac , Arabic : زيلع , romanized :  Zayla ), also known as Zaila or Zayla , is a historical port town in the western Awdal region of Somaliland . In

1062-570: The British for control of the strategic Gulf of Aden littoral. On 25 March 1885, the French government claimed that they signed a treaty with Ughaz Nur II of the Gadabuursi placing much of the coast and interior of the Gadabuursi country under the protectorate of France. The treaty titled in French, Traitè de Protectorat sur les Territoires du pays des Gada-Boursis , was signed by both J. Henry,

1121-550: The Consular Agent of France and Dependencies at Harar-Zeila, and Nur Robleh, Ughaz of the Gadabuursi, at Zeila on 9 Djemmad 1302 (March 25, 1885). The treaty states as follows (translated from French): "Between the undersigned J. Henry, Consular Agent of France and Dependencies at Harrar-Zeilah, and Nour Roblé, Ougasse of the Gada-boursis, independent sovereign of the whole country of the Gada-boursis, and to safeguard

1180-426: The Consular Agent of France and Dependencies at Harrar-Zeila to circumvent British jurisdiction over the Gadabuursi country and allow France to lay claim to sections of the Somali coast. There was also suspicion that Ughaz Nur II had attempted to cause a diplomatic row between the British and French governments in order to consolidate his own power in the region. According to I. M. Lewis, this treaty clearly influenced

1239-638: The Erythraean Sea as engaging in extensive commercial exchanges with Egypt and pre-Islamic Arabia . The travelogue mentions the Barbaroi trading frankincense , among various other commodities, through their port cities such as Avalites. Competent seamen, the Periplus' author also indicates that they sailed throughout the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden for trade. The document describes the Barbaroi's governance system as decentralized and essentially consisting of

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1298-617: The Ethiopian interior increased so much so that all the Muslim communities established along the trade routes into central and south-eastern Ethiopia were commonly known in Egypt and Syria by the collective term of "the country of Zeila." Historian Al-Umari in his study in the 1340s about the history of Awdal , the medieval state in western and northern parts of historical Somalia and some related areas, Al-Umari of Cairo states that in

1357-785: The North. Bab Abdulqadir on the East: Bab al-Sahil on the west and Bab Ashurbura on the south. Zeila falls in the traditional territory of the ancient Somali Dir clan. The town of Zeila and the wider Zeila District is inhabited by the Gadabuursi and Issa , both subclans of the Dir clan family. Zeila is situated in the Awdal region in Somaliland . Located on the Gulf of Aden coast near

1416-571: The Patriarchs of Alexandria which states that the country of Bani al-Hamwiyah was led by the warrior queen Gudit and rebelled against the Christians of Ethiopia. Carlo Conti Rossini first proposed that the account of this warrior queen where she was described as Bani al-Hamwiyah , ought to be read as Bani al-Damutah , and argued that she was ruler of the once-powerful Kingdom of Damot . The polity seems to have developed contacts with

1475-604: The Western flank in the armies of Sa'd ad-Din (d. 1415), ruler of Zeila." Legendary Arab explorer Ahmad ibn Mājid wrote of Zeila and other notable landmarks and ports of the northern Somali coast during the Adal Sultanate period, including Berbera , Siyara , the Sa'ad ad-Din islands aka the Zeila Archipelago, El-Sheikh , Alula , Ruguda , Maydh , Heis and El-Darad . Travellers' reports, such as

1534-481: The caravan routes and mainly to protect French trade, throughout the extent of its territory. Art. 7 – The Ougasse of the Gada-boursis undertakes not to make any treaty with any other power, without the assistance and consent of the French government. Art. 8 – A monthly allowance will be paid to the Ougasse of the Gada-boursis by the French government, this allowance will be fixed later, by a special convention, after

1593-579: The city of Harar in Ethiopia is 200 miles (320 km) to the west. The Zeila region named after this port city denoted the entire Muslim inhabited domains in medieval Horn of Africa . Zeila, along with Mogadishu and other Somali coastal cities, was founded upon an indigenous network involving hinterland trade, which happened even before significant Arab migrations or trade with the Somali coast. That goes back approximately four thousand years. According to textual and archeological evidence, Zeila,

1652-416: The coast belonging to the territory of the Gada-boursis. Art. 3 The French government will have the option of establishing customs in the posts open to trade, and on the points of the borders of the territory of the Gada-boursis where it deems it necessary. Customs tariffs will be set by the French government, and the revenues will be applied to public services. Art. 4 – Regulations for the administration of

1711-421: The country will be elaborated later by the French government. In agreement with the Ougasse of the Gada-boursis they will always be revisable at the will of the French government, a French resident may be established on the territory of the Gada-boursis to sanction by his presence the protectorate of France. Art. 5 – The troops and the police of the country will be raised among the natives, and will be placed under

1770-558: The death of Imam in 1543, Emperor Gelawdewos would eventually restore imperial rule over the province. Emperor Sarsa Dengel also visited the province on numerous occasions and many Damot warriors served in his armies and were engaged, for example against the Oromos in Waj in 1572. Damot was profoundly affected by the Oromo migrations . The Oromos reached the area, according to Bahrey under

1829-411: The demarcation of the boundaries between the two protectorates, establishing the coastal town of Djibouti as the future official capital of the French colony: "By the end of 1885 Britain was preparing to resist an expected French landing at Zeila. Instead, however, of a decision by force, both sides now agreed to negotiate. The result was an Anglo-French agreement of 1888 which defined the boundaries of

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1888-511: The following century, the Moroccan historian and traveller Ibn Battuta describes the city being inhabited by Somalis , followers of the Shafi‘i school, who kept large numbers of camels, sheep and goats. His description thus indicates both the ingenious nature of the city, as indicated by the composition of its population, and, by implication through the presence of the livestock, the existence of

1947-479: The governor succeeded in fending off incursions by both the disunited nomads of the interior, who had penetrated the area, as well as brigands in the Gulf of Aden. By the first half of the 19th century, Zeila was a shadow of its former self, having been reduced to "a large village surrounded by a low mud wall, with a population that varied according to the season from 1,000 to 3,000 people." The city continued to serve as

2006-439: The interests of the latter who is asking for the protectorate of France, It was agreed as follows: Art. 1st – The territories belonging to Ougasse Nour-Roblé of the Gada-boursis from "Arawa" to "Hélo" from "Hélô" to Lebah-lé", from "Lebah-lé" to "Coulongarèta" extreme limit by Zeilah, are placed directly under the protection of France. Art. 2 – The French government will have the option of opening one or more commercial ports on

2065-411: The land of Zayla’ ( Awdal ) “they cultivate two times annually by seasonal rains … The rainfall for the winter is called ‘Bil’ and rainfall for the ‘summer’ is called ‘Karam’ in the language of the people of Zayla’ [Awdali Somalis].” The author’s description about seasons generally corresponds to the local seasons in historical Awdal where Karan or Karam is an important rainy season at the beginning of

2124-440: The late 19th century continued the neglect of Zeila. At the beginning of the next century, the city was described in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica as having a "good sheltered anchorage much frequented by Arab sailing craft. However, heavy draught steamers are obliged to anchor a mile and a half from the shore. Small coasting boats lie off the pier and there is no difficulty in loading or discharging cargo. The water supply of

2183-511: The lubaship of Birmaje (1578–1586). Bahrey states that the Boran clan surrounded the province "enslaved the men and carried off the livestock". The Oromo advance was also mentioned in the chronicles of Sarsa Dengel, which reports that the region of Damot was under the occupation of the Macha Oromos . According to Manuel de Almeida , many people from Damot fled the province and settled north of

2242-601: The memoirs of the Italian Ludovico di Varthema , indicate that Zeila continued to be an important marketplace during the 16th century, despite being sacked by the Portuguese in 1517 and 1528. Later that century, separate raids by nomads from the interior eventually prompted the port's then ruler, Garad Lado, to enlist the services of 'Atlya ibn Muhammad to construct a sturdy wall around the city. Zeila, however, ultimately began to decline in importance following

2301-602: The nomads in its vicinity. He also describes Zeila as a big metropolis city and many great markets filled with many wealthy merchants. Zeila has also been known to be home to a number of Hanafis, but no research has been conducted as to how large the Hanafi population was in premodern Zeila. Through extensive trade with Abyssinia and Arabia, Adal attained its height of prosperity during the 14th century. It sold incense , myrrh , slaves, gold , silver and camels , among many other commodities. Zeila had by then started to grow into

2360-544: The northern Zagwe dynasty in early medieval times as according to a 15th-century religious text, a Zagwe ruler sent out an expedition to Damot. Around the same time the Ethiopian Orthodox Church began to attempt to proselytize the region, sending missionaries such as Tekle Haymanot who according to traditions, converted the ruler of Damot to Christianity. The region was then incorporated into Ethiopia after its conquest by Amda Seyon I in 1316–17. Damot

2419-465: The northern Somali seaboard. He also mentioned that the Adal kingdom had its capital in the city, suggesting that the Adal Sultanate with Zeila as its headquarters dates back to at least the 9th or 10th centuries. According to I.M. Lewis, the polity was governed by local dynasties consisting of Somalized Arabs or Arabized Somalis, who also ruled over the similarly-established Sultanate of Mogadishu in

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2478-640: The principal maritime outlet for Harar and beyond it in Shewa . However, the opening of a new sea route between Tadjoura and Shewa cut further into Zeila's historical position as the main regional port. Sharifs of Mocha exercised nominal rule on behalf of the Ottoman Empire over Zeila. Hajji Sharmarke Ali Saleh came to govern Zeila after the Turkish governor of Mocha and Hodeida handed governorship from Mohamed El Barr to him. Mohamed El Barr would not leave peacefully and Sharmarke departed for Zeila with

2537-582: The province in the early 16th century describes it being "very big" and that the area produced "plenty supply of provisions" such as ginger, grapes and peaches as well as "many fat sheep and cows of great sizes". The province was likewise renowned for its slaves who were much esteemed "by the Arabs" according to Alvares, who would "not let them go at any price". Arabia, Persia, India, Egypt and Greece were full of slaves from Damot who, upon converting to Islam , made "very good Moors and great warriors". In 1531, Damot

2596-424: The ratification of this treaty by the French government. Art. 9 – This treaty was made voluntarily and signed by the Ougasse of the Gada-boursis, which undertakes to execute it faithfully and to adopt the French flag as its flag. In witness whereof the undersigned have affixed their stamps and signatures. J.Henry Signature of Ougasse Done at Zeilah on 9 Djemmad 1302 (March 25, 1885)." The French claimed that

2655-481: The ruler of Mocha , who, for a small sum, leased the port to one of the office-holders of Mocha. The latter, in return, collected a toll on its trade. Zeila was subsequently ruled by an Emir, whom Mordechai Abir suggested had "some vague claim to authority over all of the Sahil , but whose real authority did not extend very far beyond the walls of the town." Assisted by cannons and a few mercenaries armed with matchlocks ,

2714-591: The same time, the Egyptians received British recognition of their nominal jurisdiction as far east as Cape Guardafui . In actuality, however, Egypt had little authority over the interior. Their period of rule on the coast was brief, lasting only a few years (1870–84). When the Egyptian garrison in Harar was evacuated in 1885, Zeila became caught up in the competition between the Tadjoura-based French and

2773-629: The short-lived conquest of Abyssinia. 16th-century Zeila, along with several other settlements on the East African coast, had been visited by the Portuguese explorer and writer Duarte Barbosa , describing the city as such: "Having passed this town of Berbara, and going on, entering the Red Sea, there is another town of the Moors, which is named Zeyla, which is a good place of trade, whither many ships navigate and sell their clothes and merchandise. It

2832-399: The superior command of an officer designated by the French government. Arms and ammunition for the native troops may be provided by the French government and their balance taken from the public revenues, but, in case of insufficiency, the French government may provide for them. Art. 6 – The Ougasse of the Gada-boursis, to recognize the good practices of France towards it, undertakes to protect

2891-480: The town is drawn from the wells of Takosha, about three miles distant; every morning camels, in charge of old Somali women and bearing goatskins filled with water, come into the town in picturesque procession. ... [Zeila's] imports, which reach Zaila chiefly via Aden, are mainly cotton goods, rice , jowaree, dates and silk ; the exports, 90% of which are from Abyssinia, are principally coffee , skins, ivory , cattle , ghee and mother-of-pearl ". Buralle Robleh

2950-573: The treaty with the Ughaz of the Gadabuursi gave them jurisdiction over the entirety of the Zeila coast and the Gadabuursi country. However, the British attempted to deny this agreement between the French and the Gadabuursi citing that that Ughaz had a representative at Zeila when the Gadabuursi signed their treaty with the British in December of 1884. The British suspected that this treaty was designed by

3009-424: The two protectorates as between Zeila and Jibuti: four years later the latter port became the official capital of the French colony." On 9 February 1888, France and Britain concluded an agreement defining the boundary between their respective protectorates . As a result, Zeila and its eastern neighbor Berbera came to be part of British Somaliland . The construction of a railway from Djibouti to Addis Ababa in

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3068-497: The value of firearms like the matchlock musket , cannons and the arquebus over traditional weapons. I. M. Lewis gives an invaluable reference to an Arabic manuscript on the history of the Gadabuursi Somali. ‘This Chronicle opens’, Lewis tells us, ‘with an account of the wars of Imam ‘Ali Si’id (d. 1392) from whom the Gadabuursi today trace their descent, and who is described as the only Muslim leader fighting on

3127-536: The western flank in the armies of Se’ad ad-Din, ruler of Zeila. I. M. Lewis (1959) states: "Further light on the Dir advance and Galla withdrawal seems to be afforded by an Arabic manuscript describing the history of the Gadabursi clan. This chronicle opens with an account of the wars of Imam ‘Ali Si’id (d. 1392), from whom the Gadabursi today trace their descent and who is described as the only Muslim leader fighting on

3186-483: The year. The second half of the year is called ‘Bilo Dirir’ (Bil = month; Bilo = months). It appears that the historian was referring, in one way or another, to these still used terms, Karan and Bil. This indicates that the ancient Somali solar calendar citizens of Zeila were using was very similar to the one they use today. This also gives further credence that the medieval inhabitants of Zeila were predominantly Somali, spoke Somali, and had Somali farming practices. In

3245-551: Was also killed by Dawit I of Ethiopia in Zeila in 1410, his children escaped to Yemen , before later returning in 1415. In the early 15th century, Adal's capital was moved further inland to the town of Dakkar , where Sabr ad-Din II , the eldest son of Sa'ad ad-Din II, established a new base after his return from Yemen. Adal's headquarters were again relocated the following century, this time to Harar . From this new capital, Adal organised an effective army led by Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi (Ahmad "Gurey" or "Gran") that invaded

3304-462: Was conquered by Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrahim of Adal who then appointed Gasa Umar as its governor. Damot warriors participated in the early battles against Adal but one of the Adalite generals sneeringly dismissed the participation of Damot soldiers, declaring them to be no more than slaves capable of tilting the land, cutting the trees and carrying wood, but were entirely ignorant of warfare. Following

3363-475: Was divided into five residential districts; Khoor-doobi, Hafat al-Furda, Asho Bara, Hafat al-Suda and Sarrey. Zeila is an ancient city and has been identified with the trade post referred to in classical antiquity as Avalites (Greek: Αβαλίτες ), situated in the region of Barbara in Northeast Africa . During antiquity, it was one of many city-states that engaged in the lucrative trade between

3422-527: Was founded by Sh. Saylici was one of many small towns developed by the Somali pastoral and trading communities which flourished through the trade that gave birth to other coastal and hinterland towns such as Heis , Maydh , and Abasa , Awbare , Awbube , Amud in the Borama area, Derbiga Cad Cad, Qoorgaab, Fardowsa, Maduna , Aw-Barkhadle in the Hargeisa region and Fardowsa , near Sheikh. Ancient Zeila

3481-418: Was of much more localized importance, mainly serving the immediate Somali hinterland while Zeila was clearly serving more extensive areas. But there is no doubt that Zeila was also predominantly Somali , and Al-Dimashqi, another thirteen-century Arab writer, gives the city name its Somali name Awdal (Adal), still known among the local Somali . By the fourteen century, the significance of this Somali port for

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