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'15/4 TRIBES OF BRITISH SOMALILAND' [4v] (7/24)
The record is made up of 1 file (12 folios). It was created in 30 Jan 1941-19 Dec 1941. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
THE HABK TOLJAALA : There are two main divisions of the Habr
Toljaala, the Mohamed Abokor and the Musa Abokor. They have no hereditary
chiefs but each section has a headman, most of whom are recognized and paid by
Government as Akils.
The Musa Abokor are found in the Eastern part of the tribal grazing area
and are generally poorer in stock than their brothers the Mohamed Abokor. Some
of the Musa Abokor own frankincense gum plantations along the costal belt from
Heis and Karin. These plantations are much prized and provide profitable busi
ness to the owners and workers.
The Mohamed Abokor grazing areas are common with the Dolbahanta and
the Habr Yunis.
This tribe is also nomadic and none are engaged in agriculture. They are
less wealthy in stock than the Dolbahanta and the Habr unis.
TH E 11 A BIt Y UNIS : This is the biggest tribe in British Somaliland.
Certain sections of this tribe are found'in four Districts, the Musa Ismail, Gadwein,
the Saad Yunis, and some of the Musa Arreh, in the Erigavo District; the Musa
Abdulla in the Berbeta District, and the Habr Yunis Ishaak in the Hargeisa
District between Hargeisa and Berbera, and the remainder (by far the most impor
tant and numerous) in the Burao District. The grazing grounds of this tribe extend
also far into Italian East Africa. At present they do not recognize any hereditary
chief but they have a number of recognized headmen of whom the most influ
ential are paid by Government as Akils. The wealth of this tribe consists princi
pally of camels and, until very recent years the tribe was continually engaged in
raiding with their traditional enemy the Ogaden.
THE HABR AW AL : This tribe is also divided into two main divisions
the Esa Musa and Saad Musa, and some are found along the coast between Berbera
and Bulbar, whilst others are found in the Hargeisa District with their grazing
grounds extending into Italian territory up to Jigjiga. 1 he Esa Musa section
who graze in the Berbera District are the principal suppliers of burden camels for
trade purposes ; those in the Hargeisa District, principally the Jibril Abokor, own
numbers of cattle in addition to camels and sheep and goats and quite a number
are engaged in agriculture. They have a hereditary Chief who belongs to the
Her Ahmed Abdulla of the Saad Musa section and be is called “Sultan”, the present
bolder of office being Deria Gerad. He has not much influence with the tribe
which relies upon their elders and Government paid Akils.
THE EIDAG ALLA : They are found in the Hargeisa District, hut their
principal grazing areas are in Italian East Africa. I hey recognize a hereditary
chief who is reported to be nearly one hundred years old. I hey have also recog
nized elders and Akils paid by Government.
THE ARAB: A small tribe members of which are found both in the
Burao and Hargeisa Districts. 1 hey have no hereditary chief, but have a number
of elders and Akils recognized by Government. Their grazing grounds are common
with the Habr Yunis and Eid^galla, (together with whom they are called the
Gerhajis).
THE GADABURSI : d he Gadabursi have been for some years a problem
to the British Government. Great numbers of the members of ibis tribe living
just over ibe bot tler are engaged iu agriculture ami ba'e tbetefoie permanent
interest in the land ami naturally look up to the power which rules the land which
they occupy. It can only tie expected therefore that those Gadabursi who are in
Italian territory should prefer the Italian Government. It has been said that this
tribe is treacherous, hut this G due chiefly to our failure to recognize that
a man cannot serve two masters. In the old days, prior to European intervention
in this part of the world, the Gadabursi recognized a single hereditary chief known
as the Ugas. When the boundaries of British Somaliland were fixed with
Abyssinia the best grazing grounds of this tribe came within the Abyssinia sphere
of influence, so that the tribe became more or less split into two and each side
tried to appoint a Ugas, and each intrigued across the border. They have, in
addition, a number of Akils paid by Government.
About this item
- Content
The file consists of two documents:
1. A letter dated 19 December 1941 from the Chief Secretary to the Government, Government of Aden, to the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Bahrain. The letter encloses the pamphlet The Tribes of British Somaliland and advises that 'difficulty is frequently experienced with identifying individual Somalis or in deciding their nationality by passport authorities' and that the pamphlet may assist with this task.
2. The pamphlet entitled The Tribes of British Somaliland by Lieutenant-Colonel R H Smith. The report is dated 30 January 1941, and was printed by the Caxton Press at Aden. The pamphlet consists of a report and geneaological diagrams of the tribes:
The pamphlet commences with a list of the British Protected tribes and their geographical distribution noting that the grazing grounds of the British protected tribes are not all contained in British Somaliland. Furthermore their lands straddle adjacent frontiers of French Somaliland and Ethiopia and far into Italian East Africa. The pamphlet notes (folio 4) that the 'arbitrary boundary which divides the Somali grazing grounds into two, has been the chief cause of our administrative difficulties in the past.' The means of contact between the [British] Government and the tribes is through 'Akils, and where they exist, hereditary chiefs i.e. Sultans or Gerads'.
There follows a description of each British Protected tribes, their tribal sub-divisions, grazing grounds, towns and ports, and chief means of subsistence: the Warsangeli; the Dolbahanta; theHabr Toljaala; the Habr Yunis; the Habr Awal; the Edagalla; the Arab; the Gadabursi; the Esa.
British Somaliland was divided into five administrative districts each with a District Officer. District boundaries are given for Erigavo District; Burao District; Berbara District; Hargeisa District; Buramo District.
The file includes genealogical diagrams showing the lineage and tribal sub-divisions of the Warsangeli; Arab; Habr Yunis; Eida Galla; Habr Awal; Habr Toljala; Dolbahanta; Esa; Gadabursi.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (12 folios)
- Arrangement
The file is arranged as a letter, a pamphlet, a page of file notes (folio 11).
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 1-11; these numbers are also written in pencil, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence, but they are not circled.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/545
- Title
- '15/4 TRIBES OF BRITISH SOMALILAND'
- Pages
- front-i, 2r:11v, back-i, back, front
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence