Hawiye

The Hawiye (Somali: Hawiye, Arabic: بنو هوية‎) is a Somali clan. Members of the clan traditionally inhabit central and southern Somalia, Ogaden and the North Eastern Province (currently administered by Ethiopia and Kenya, respectively). Like many Somalis, Hawiye members trace their paternal ancestry to Irir, one of the sons of Samaale.

Hawiye is one of the major Somali clans, with a wide traditional territory.^[1] It is the dominant clan in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.^[2]

Overview

According to an official military survey conducted during the colonial period, Hawiye clan members are by tradition believed to be descended from a forefather named Hawiya Irrir. He is held to be the brother of Dir. I.M. Lewis and many sources maintain that the Dir together with the Hawiye trace ancestry through Irir, son of Samaale.^{[3][4][5][6][7]}

Distribution

Due to ancient pastoralist migrations and population movements across the Somali peninsula in search of water wells and grazing land over a period of thousand years, Hawiye clans today can be found inhabiting an area stretching from the fertile lands of southern Somalia between Barawa and Kismayo, to the regions surrounding Merka, Mogadishu and Warsheikh in the hinterland, west to the modern city of Beledweyne in the Hiran region, and north to the ancient port town of Hobyo in the arid central Mudug region.^[8]

History

Hawiye along with some Samaale sub-clans migrated to central and southern Somalia in the 1st century AD to populate the Horn of Africa. They established farmlands in the fertile plain lands of southern Somalia and also established flourishing harbor ports in south and central Somalia.^[9]

The first written reference to the Hawiye dates back to a 12th-century document by the Arab geographer, Ibn Sa'id, who described Merca at the time as the "capital of Hawiye country". The 12th century cartographer Muhammad al-Idrisi may have referred to the Hawiye as well, as he called Merca the region of the "Hadiye", which Herbert S. Lewis believes is a scribal error for "Hawiye", as do Guilliani, Schleicher and Cerulli.^[10]

Along with Rahanweyn, Hawiye clan also came under the Ajuran Empire control in the 13th century that governed much of southern Somalia and eastern Ethiopia, with its domain extending from Hobyo in the north, to Qelafo in the west, to Kismayo in the south.^[11][12]:102

At the end of the 17th century, the Ajuran Empire was on its decline due to high taxation on none-Ajuran clans and the practice of primae noctis which was the prime reason why the Hawiye clan revolted against the Ajuran rulers and ever since this first revolt against the Ajuran other groups would follow in the rebellion which would eventually bring down Ajuran rule of the inter-riverine region.^[13]

Lee Cassanelli in his book, The Shaping of Somali society, provides a historical picture of the Hiraab Immate. He writes:

"According to local oral tradition, the Hiraab imamate was a powerful alliance of closely related groups who shared a common lineage under the Gorgaarte clan divisions. It successfully revolted against the Ajuran Empire and established an independent rule for at least two centuries from the seventeen hundreds and onwards.^[12]

The alliance involved the army leaders and advisors of the Habar Gidir and Duduble, a Fiqhi/Qadi of Sheekhaal, and the Imam was reserved for the Mudulood branch who is believed to have been the first born. Once established, the Imamate ruled the territories from the Shabeelle valley, the Benaadir provinces, the Mareeg areas all the way to the arid lands of Mudug, whilst the ancient port of Hobyo emerged as the commercial center and Mogadishu being its capital for the newly established Hiraab Imamate in the late 17th century.^[12]

Hobyo served as a prosperous commercial centre for the Imamate. The agricultural centres of Eldher and Harardhere included the production of sorghum and beans, supplementing with herds of camels, cattle, goats and sheep. Livestock, hides and skin, whilst the aromatic woods and raisins were the primary exports as rice, other foodstuffs and clothes were imported. Merchants looking for exotic goods came to Hobyo to buy textiles, precious metals and pearls. The commercial goods harvested along the Shabelle river were brought to Hobyo for trade. Also, the increasing importance and rapid settlement of more southernly cities such as Mogadishu further boosted the prosperity of Hobyo, as more and more ships made their way down the Somali coast and stopped in Hobyo to trade and replenish their supplies.^[12]

The economy of the Hawiye in the interior includes the predominant nomadic pastoralism, and to some extent, cultivation within agricultural settlements in the riverine area, as well as mercantile commerce along the urban coast. At various points throughout history, trade of modern and ancient commodities by the Hawiye through maritime routes included cattle skin, slaves, ivory and ambergris.^[14][12]

Soon afterwards, the entire region was snapped up by the fascists Italians and it led to the birth of a Modern Somalia. However, the Hiraab hereditary leadership has remained intact up to this day and enjoys a dominant influence in national Somali affairs."^[12]

Clan tree

Ali Jimale Ahmed outlines the Hawiye clan genealogical tree in The Invention of Somalia:^[15]

• Samaale
  • Irir
    • Hawiye
      • Karanle
        • Kaariye Karanle
        • Gidir Karanle
        • Sixaawle Karanale
        • Murusade Karanle
      • Hilibi
      • Daguuro
      • Habar ceyno
      • Habar idinle
      • Cabdalle sabdi
      • Ibraahim Sabdi
      • Abakar
      • Gugundhabe
        • Baadicade
        • Jiidle
        • Murulle
        • Jijeele
      • Gorgate
        • Hiraab
          • Mudulood
            • Abgaal
              • Harti
                • Angonyar
                • Warsangeli
                • Abokor
              • Wabudhan
                • Da'oud
                • Reer Mattan
                • Mohamed Muse
              • Wa'esli
            • Wacdaan
            • Moobleen
            • Ujajeen
          • Duduble
          • Habar Gidir
            • Sacad
            • Saleebaan
            • Cayr
            • Saruur
        • Silcis
        • Wadalaan
      • Haskul
      • Rarane

A few clans in the borders of Somalia do not belong to the Hawiye clan, but came to be associated with them politically and socially:

• Gaalje'el in Hiran and elsewhere in central Somalia traces its paternal descent to Gardheere Samaale;^[16][17]
• Degoodi in the Somali Region of Ehiopia and North Eastern Province is related to Gaaje'el as Saransoor and traces its patrilineage to Gardheere Samaale;^[16][17]
• Hawaadle in Hiran belongs to the Meyle Samaale;,^[16][17]
• Ajuraan in the North Eastern Province claim descent from Maqaarre Samaale^[18]
• Sheekhaal acknowledges descent from Sheikh Abadir Umar Ar-Rida, also known as Fiqi Umar.^[19]

Thus the Gaalje'el, Degoodi Ajuraan and Hawaadle are said to have patrilateral ties with the Dir and Hawiye through Samaale to Aqeel Abu Talib, whereas the Sheekhaal traces descent to a different forefather than the Samaale progeny, but also traces to Aqeel Abu Talib.

DNA analysis of a Hawiye clan member inhabiting Djibouti found that the individual belonged to the Y-DNA T1 paternal haplogroup.^[20]

Notable Hawiye figures

Political factions and organizations

• Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism, (ARPCT) a Somali alliance created by various faction leaders and entrepreneurs
• Hizbul Shabaab, the Youth Movement wing of the ICU before ceding the organisation to Aden Hashi Farah "Eyrow"
• Islamic Courts Union (ICU), a rival administration to the Transitional Federal Government.
• Juba Valley Alliance (JVA), primary opponent of the Somali Patriotic Movement
• Somali National Alliance (SNA) formed by Mohamed Farrah Aidid
• Somali Salvation Army (SSA), the Ali Mahdi Muhammad branch of the United Somali Congress
• United Somali Congress (USC), formed in 1987, played a key role in the ouster of the dictatorship

See also

• Somali aristocratic and court titles

References