Adal Sultanate was in Somalia. It was a multi-ethnic society. The kingdom started in the 13th and lasted until 1559. That's over 300 years!!!!! It was an empire composed of 7 states. It was ruled by the Walashma dynasty. The kingdom was composed of 4 types of people. They are as follows: Somali, Afar, Harari, and Arab. The people spoke Arabic and Somali. Adal had a strong economy and military. It was always @ war with Abyssinia.
In the beginning, Adal wasn't Islamic. It followed an African Traditional Religion. Centuries later it became Islamic. The 7 states that made up Adal Sultanate were Ifaad, Dawaaro, Araabiini, Hadaya, Sharqa, Baali, and Daara. They all had their own government & military. Ifaad was the strongest state and led the empire. The capital of Ifaad was Zeyla. It was known as the City of Light. There were many Mosques there. These Mosques housed a lot of books. They were great places of learning. Many different subjects were taught in them.
Walashma Dynasty
13 Sultans from this dynasty ruled Adal. They ruled 4 several decades. These sultans originated in Yemen. Some of the sultans fought Abysinnia. Others were assassinated. The last sultan was killed defending Adal from Abysinnia. Some sultans moved the capital of Adal. This dynasty was Islamic.
Somali: Their ancestor is Irir Soamaal that's why they are called Somali. There are 5 major clans. They are as follows: Darod, Dir, Hawiye, Isaaq, and Rahanweyn. They make up 85% of the population of Somalia. They speak their own language and Arabic. Most of them are Sunni Muslims.
Somali: The Somali language is a Cushite language. It is closely related to Oromo, Afar, and Soho. There are 3 main dialects of Somali. Northern Somali is the most popular. Coastal Somali as more phonemes than Northern Somali. The Maay dialect is spoken in Southern Somalia. Somali sounds like Arabic or visa versa.
Economy & Military
Adal had a robust economy because it traded with a lot of nations. It traded with African, Asian, Middle Eastern, and European nations. It was close to the Ottoman Empire because they both were Islamic. Adal even traded with Abyssinia. They imported colored glass and bracelets from China.
Adal had archers, swordsmen, and lancers in the army. They later acquired cannons and guns from the Ottoman Empire. Soldiers wore suits of armor and helmets. The Darod clan was the greatest clan in the art of war.
Wars
Adal had a 14-year war with Abyssinia. It was from 1529-1543. Adal won the first battle even though it had less troops. Then they won 2 more battles. They entered Abyssinia and burned churches. They were Jihading. They wanted to convert the kingdom to Islam. They captured the prince and attacked the capital. Portuguese gunmen saved the day by defeating Adal forces. Medri Bahri allowed the Portuguese to use their port.
Downfall
The last sultan of the Walashma was killed by Abyssinian forces. Adal Sultanate didn't last much longer after that. Abyssinia was able to defeat Adal because it had help from Portugal. Abyssinia regained the territory it lost to Adal Sultanate.
Conclusion
This empire had a long history, a great economy & military, and sweet society. They spoke Cushite and Semitic languages. They practiced Sunni Islam and were composed of 4 major tribes. It was ruled by the Walashma dynasty. I assume they were good sultans. I give this civilization an A+ because it was great.
References
wikipedia.org
https://saylicipress.com/2007/02/11/the-adal-empire-by-yarta-history-channel/
https://www.revolvy.com/
http://www.lisapoyakama.org/en/the-spirituality-of-the-oromos-and-the-somalis/
Adal Sultanate
https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Adal_Sultanate
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