Preservation of Architectural & Urban Heritage of Harar, Ethiopia
Part 1: Islamization of Africa 2012/lectures/sept_19.pdf · - Muslim leaders -- Emir of Harar,...
Transcript of Part 1: Islamization of Africa 2012/lectures/sept_19.pdf · - Muslim leaders -- Emir of Harar,...
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Part 1: Islamization of Africa
September 19“The Horn”
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Spread of Islam Into Africa:7th-19th C.
Arab and Swahilitraders spreadIslam: 8th-19thcenturies C.E.
7th -15th centuries
Almoravids 11th C.
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Islam in North Africa and Ethiopia
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Islamic expansion not explained or reflected in Arab conquests:
- becoming Muslim is process
- varies with ethnic, cultural, economic, political context
- our vision shaped by available/exploitable sources
- North African/Horn studies dominated by ‘textual’sources, with political/religious bias and focus
Islam in North Africa and Ethiopia
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
Islam had special relationship with Horn and Christian kingdom Aksum:
- prior to hijra, Mohamed’s followers sought refuge with Christian King Aksum
- returned after 622, bearing gifts, support from King
- consolidated relationship that protected Christians from future jihad
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
- important base for future commercial, scholarly, cultural relations
- Mohamed married returning refugee whose husband converted to Christianity in Aksum
– symbolic and ‘real’ interconnectedness
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
Settlements:- based on agricultural, commerce
- facilitated by access to Hijaz, Yemen, Red Sea trade
- spread quickly from coastal regions to interior (Christian kingdom of ‘Abyssinia’)
- By 16th c, small Muslim kingdoms emerging in coastal hinterland
-Muslim families moving into Christian communities,spreading out along shores of Red Sea
– proximity to Mecca supported growth Islam
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
- Clerics trained in law and theology (many at University in Cairo) supported process
– in some instances, proselytized among local Christians (not often the case in Africa)
- Gradually, coastal areas dominated by Muslims
- Christian kingdom ‘cut off’ from direct contact with Red Sea
- Muslim importance, wealth and power increased
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“Warriors of the Faith” (North Africa) – Berbers not Arabs
AncientKingdoms of Christians(EthiopianHighlands) andMuslims (Coastal)
Also notesouthern“Galles”(Oromo)
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
- Muslim communities grew in number in Christian interior - spoke same languages, shared culture with Christian neighbours
- main ‘external’ influence Egypt- relations with Christians (‘Copts’) and Islamic states controlling Cairo (Fatimids, Mamluks, Ottomans…)
- Horn received scholars, clerics both Christian, Muslim
- Process of Islamization [quoting Robinson]: ‘was a local, internal process… by and large a successful one’.
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Learning of the Book:Egypt and Ethiopia
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
Successful … but not uncomplicated:
- by late 14th – early 15th centuries, divisions emerged among Muslims:
- what should relations be with “Christian” Ethiopia?
- attempt to dominate and make region into dar al- islam?- continue to co-exist, acknowledging Christian power?
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
- Emir of Harar often in conflict with larger Islamic ‘state’(Adal)
- early 16th C, became capital
Issues not religious per se but political:
- only to some extent about enduring presence Christianpower- more about rejecting competing power
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
Ethiopia 13th – 16th centuries
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
Modern Map Ethiopia showing Harar and Ancient Axum)
Old Town Harar
Street in Old Harar
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
Involvement Portuguese:
- Early 16th century Ethiopian king requested Portuguese assistance against Muslim principalities- recognizing danger of them as permanent allies, required them to leave
Left open challenge to Islamic polities:- Muslim leaders -- Emir of Harar, Sultan Adal-- took up challenge
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
Involvement Portuguese:
- 1530s Adal Sultanate successfully challenging Abyssinians, much of kingdom under Muslim control
- 1540s, Portuguese recalled to support Christian Ethiopians for last time
- 1543 successfully defeated Adal, Sultan killed in battle
- Both armies weakened ‘retreated’ from conflict
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
Sultan of Adal and Troops (right) battling Christian troops Ethiopia
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
Mid-to-late1500s:
- series battles between Christian Ethiopian state and Harar
- leaders of each were killed on different occasions; capital cities sacked:
- 1550-51 Harar burned by Abyssinians
- 1576 Muslims conquered Abyssina, destroying churches, documents, taking women, children into slavery; many Christians converted
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
- story of woman who convinced Emir of Harar (Nur ibnMujahid) to revenge death of former husband by giving herself to him as wife
- took title ‘Commander of the Faithful’, built wall around city: 4 meters high, 5 gates – still visible
- ultimately defeated but Emperor of Ethiopia also killed in battle
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
Old Town of Harar encircled by Nur’s fortifications
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
Street to market (old wall visible on right)
One of Five Gates leadingto Old City
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
Muslims and Christians faced invasions from southern ‘Oromo’ [Galla] peoples:
- By 1567, taking over Hararilands, limiting power of Emir to city
- Became insignificant principality rather than powerful sultanate
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
“Inside their walls the Hararis maintained their own religion, language and commercial life, but outside they had lost all influence, the Oromo blocking the life-giving trade with Zeila [to the Red Sea and ultimately, Indian Ocean]. The walls built by Emir Nur as a defence against the Ethiopians were now Harar's sole protection against the Oromo.”
- Many Oromo later became Muslim but political conflict continued to dominate region
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
- Successor Emirs worked to attract Oromo-controlled commerce back to city: limited success
- internally constant series coups, counter-coups between different Emirs
- continued occasional attacks on Ethiopia in alliance with other ‘enemies’ of state, usually unsuccessful
- Harar’s Emirs negotiated ‘autonomy’ for region that persisted until mid-to-late 19th C
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
Significance of ‘Gateway through the Horn’:
- role of Indian Ocean/Red Sea Network (also played into East Africa [last day] ) important to economy of Muslim sultanates
- but ‘special relationship’ with Mohamed’s followers and Christian Aksum King key factor in shaping subsequent relations, settlements
- ‘process’ by which region became largely Muslim not principally nor primarily commercial (as it was in East Africa)
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
Significance of ‘Gateway through the Horn’:
- led to different relationship with ‘indigenous’ peoples: Muslims lived among Christians, invited scholars, teachers, judges into community
- attempts to either dominate or ‘collaborate’ with Ethiopian Highlands state shaped internal Muslim politics
-role of central city state Harar -- own interests, ‘radical’Emirs – often at odds with larger Islamic state, interests
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Islam in Ethiopia (‘the Horn’)
Significance of ‘Gateway through the Horn’:
[See also Robinson pp.110-115]