Does the name of the Adal Sultanate have any relation to the Awdal region?

[Hamzza]

Source? Many sources connect Awdal and adal. If you make such a claim you should quote something. I know some sources connect the name adal with the Amharic name for an Afar word but how is this any better than the Adal-Awdal connection? It's speculation.
Example from Historical Dictionary of Djibouti - Page 19
AWDAL . The Somali word for Adal . This name was officially given to the northernmost region of Somalia bordering Djibouti

Both hypotheses are speculation as you said. I demonstrated the reason why I think the latter theory is more plausible

Adal was already part of the greater Yifat Sultanate which was based in the Shewan highlands of Ethiopia, both Ethiopian and Arabic sources mention Adal as being the Eastern province of Yifat.

Let's remember the principle enunciated by Herodotus:


that is for Ancient and Medieval geographers a country took its name from its inhabitants, not the other way around.

So my theory is that Adal took its name from the Afar clan 'Adali'.

 

[Som]

Both hypotheses are speculation as you said. I demonstrated the reason why I think the latter theory is more plausible

Well we have a few sources that suggest the somali Identity of Zeila way before the birth of the Adal sultanate. We know that Zeila was an important city of Adal and also the capital so the fact medieval sources linked it to somalis may support the Adal -Awdal connection
Quote from the 1340s : , Al-Umari of Cairo states that in 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].” Bil is a somali word meaning month
.Also Ibn battuta calls zeyla inhabitants Barbar which is the same he calls inhabitants of Mogadishu. We know for a fact that barbar was a term associated with somalis as Arab geographers used it to define the Hawiye living in merca. If you pay attention to later maps (1600s-1700s-1800s ) the are called Adel is mostly located in modern day North western Somalia and somali inhabited areas of Ethiopia. The afar Homeland isn't included that much. Even berbera is included in geographical term Adel.

 

[Som]

Both hypotheses are speculation as you said. I demonstrated the reason why I think the latter theory is more plausible

As for the Herodotus thing that is a general principle that isn't always correct. First of all the naming convention was used mainly by Europeans. Secondly if adel took the name of the adali afar clans why aren't they never mentioned in sources as inhabiting zeila? I know afars lived in Zeila too but there's no sources clearly saying adali clan or anything close. All the sources describe the inhabitants as barbar, there's even one source ( I'll try to look for it) that says Adal and Mogadishu were the same people, unless you believe afars lived in Xamar this is a clear indication of the somali nature of Adal

 

[Som]

Both hypotheses are speculation as you said. I demonstrated the reason why I think the latter theory is more plausible

And also the famous first mention of the word Somali (tumur or semur as xabashis called us) is from a victory hymn by Ethiopian emperor Yeshaq. He composed the hymn to celebrate the Victoria against Ifat which was the ancestor of the Adali Kingdom, i could be wrong but i believe Somalis and hararis are the only people mentioned as being members of Ifat defeated by Yeshaq.

 

[Hamzza]

Well we have a few sources that suggest the somali Identity of Zeila way before the birth of the Adal sultanate. We know that Zeila was an important city of Adal and also the capital so the fact medieval sources linked it to somalis may support the Adal -Awdal connection
Quote from the 1340s : , Al-Umari of Cairo states that in 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].” Bil is a somali word meaning month
.Also Ibn battuta calls zeyla inhabitants Barbar which is the same he calls inhabitants of Mogadishu. We know for a fact that barbar was a term associated with somalis as Arab geographers used it to define the Hawiye living in merca. If you pay attention to later maps (1600s-1700s-1800s ) the are called Adel is mostly located in modern day North western Somalia and somali inhabited areas of Ethiopia. The afar Homeland isn't included that much. Even berbera is included in geographical term Adel.

As for the Herodotus thing that is a general principle that isn't always correct. First of all the naming convention was used mainly by Europeans. Secondly if adel took the name of the adali afar clans why aren't they never mentioned in sources as inhabiting zeila? I know afars lived in Zeila too but there's no sources clearly saying adali clan or anything close. All the sources describe the inhabitants as barbar, there's even one source ( I'll try to look for it) that says Adal and Mogadishu were the same people, unless you believe afars lived in Xamar this is a clear indication of the somali nature of Adal

Sxb, firstly horta Awdal is the Somali name for the ancient city of Zeyla, it may or may have not connection to the latter Sultanate of Adal(Zeyla predates Adal), secondly in the language of the Afar "Bill" is also a word meaning months, we know Afar were present in the town albeit in a smaller number from the sources I shared in that other thread.

As for the Adali clan not inhabiting the areas of Adal Sultanate today, my theory was that the land was called Adal before the Sultanate of Adal emerged in late medieval times, and the Adali clan probably migrated from the area they are named after before the Sultanate was born.

To be clear here I was not suggesting that Adal Sultanate was ruled or inhabited by the Adali clan or Afar in general.

Who said they founded or ruled Adal bro?
We are talking about the origin of the name "Adal".
Btw, the land was called Adal before the Sultanate of Adal was established in the 15th century.

Adal Sultanate adopted its name from Adal country/region which took its name from the Adali clan

 

[killerxsmoke]

Sxb, firstly horta Awdal is the Somali name for the ancient city of Zeyla, it may or may have not connection to the latter Sultanate of Adal(Zeyla predates Adal), secondly in the language of the Afar "Bill" is also a word meaning months, we know Afar were present in the town albeit in a smaller number from the sources I shared in that other thread.

As for the Adali clan not inhabiting the areas of Adal Sultanate today, my theory was that the land was called Adal before the Sultanate of Adal emerged in late medieval times, and the Adali clan probably migrated from the area they are named after before the Sultanate was born.

To be clear here I was not suggesting that Adal Sultanate was ruled or inhabited by the Adali clan or Afar in general.

As for the Herodotus thing that is a general principle that isn't always correct. First of all the naming convention was used mainly by Europeans. Secondly if adel took the name of the adali afar clans why aren't they never mentioned in sources as inhabiting zeila? I know afars lived in Zeila too but there's no sources clearly saying adali clan or anything close. All the sources describe the inhabitants as barbar, there's even one source ( I'll try to look for it) that says Adal and Mogadishu were the same people, unless you believe afars lived in Xamar this is a clear indication of the somali nature of Adal

Leo Africanus

"native inhabitants of the Mogadishu polity were of the same origins as the denizens of the northern people of Zeila the capital of Adal Sultanate".

 

[Som]

Leo Africanus

"native inhabitants of the Mogadishu polity were of the same origins as the denizens of the northern people of Zeila the capital of Adal Sultanate".

Thanks this is exactly the quote i was looking for

 

[Som]

Sxb, firstly horta Awdal is the Somali name for the ancient city of Zeyla, it may or may have not connection to the latter Sultanate of Adal(Zeyla predates Adal), secondly in the language of the Afar "Bill" is also a word meaning months, we know Afar were present in the town albeit in a smaller number from the sources I shared in that other thread.

As for the Adali clan not inhabiting the areas of Adal Sultanate today, my theory was that the land was called Adal before the Sultanate of Adal emerged in late medieval times, and the Adali clan probably migrated from the area they are named after before the Sultanate was born.

To be clear here I was not suggesting that Adal Sultanate was ruled or inhabited by the Adali clan or Afar in general.

Arab geographers used the word Awdal for Zeyla centuries before the Adal sultanate was established. I think your adal-adali theory is possible but not likely. My Awdal - Adal connection is also a theory but much more likely. Just thinking about this:
My theory: Adal comes from Awdal ancient name of Zeila.
Possible evidence:
1)Zeila the capital city of Adal is also called Awdal. 2)Arab geographers call the entire region Awdal. 3)Portuguese and other Europeans use the name Adel for Somali inhabited areas of north western Somalia. 4 ) modern day Awdal region is exactly the Zeila region and part of former Adal sultanate 5) scholars from the past say Zeila was inhabited by the same people as Mogadishu (somalis).
Your theory: Adal comes from the Adali clan.
Possibile evidence: the name resembles the name of the Adali clan, Herodotus said countries take the name from their people (but still isn't a universal rule) , Afars live close to Zeyla and used to live in the city.
Your evidence has several problems, first it's speculation with little text based evidence except some scholars who i admit connect Adal to afar words. Your theory about Adali afar migrating from present day Awdal is weak, Afar Homeland is northern Djibouti, southern Eritrea and North Eastern Ethiopia, Afars who lived in Awdal-somalia likely migrated from those regions and not the other way around

 

[angelplan]

Adal Kingdom is and was 100% somali Kingdom run by Somalis and definitely Awdalites. But it was an islamic empire in the horn of africa that included others african ethinicities like afars and ethiopian muslims. Diversity was our strength back when we were fighting under the islamic banners. Now everyone is for himself. Statehood has taken roots in the last centuries. Now everyone represent a state of their choices.