Hawiye clans and subclans lineage distribution

The current clan maps above follow recommendations over the last century of surveys and is supported by several major organisations including the United Nations.¹²

Hawiye was the first born of Irir and the older brother of Aji Irir and the uncle of Dir Aji Irir Samaale.

From the book "Dal Benadir - lettere illustrate alla Società antischiavista d'Italia" by L.Robbecchi Bricchetti in 1904

Hawiye is said to have six sons from two women, Bah Arbera and Bah Girei who were of Arab and Harari descent. From the Bah Arbera descend Karanle, Xaskul and Raranel while the larger contingent descending from Bah Girei are the Gorgarte, Gugundabe and Jambelle. It is said the eldest subclan family are the Karanle.

They are found primarily in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Lineage Tree

• Karanle Hawiye

Kaariye

Saxawle

Gidir

Murursade

• Gorgaarte Hawiye

Maxamad (Qeyb Madhibaan)*

Silcis

Wadalaan

Mareexaan (qabiil yar Sh. Hoose degta)

Xawaadle

Hiraab - (Mudulood, Habargidir, Sheekhaal, Duduble)

• Xaskul Hawiye

Xareed

Sharmaarke

Owsan

Aw Cali

• Jambeelle Hawiye

Hintire

Ajuuraan - Waalamage (Gareen), Saanle, Waaqle, Badbaydaan, Dhaqsoorre

• Gugundhabe Hawiye

Molkaal (Baadicade, Saransoor - [Gaaljecel, Dagoodi, Ciise, Masarre])

Tuuf Garre

Jiidle (Murule)

Jajeele

• Raaranle Hawiye

Xaaji Cubayd

Aw Qalafow

Aw Aadan Mahad

Axmed Kheyr

The importance of Hawiye lineage is central to many events in Somali history. Like the practises of the Kings of Ifat and Abysinnia, the Hawiye chiefs would marry off their daughters to other clans to enshrine them as allied lineage rulers. For example, the religious clan of the Surre Dir Ugaas line is Bah Saleban Madarkicis and live with them. Similarly for the Darod -

The Reer Ugaas of the Marehan is — Bah Darandoole

The Reer Ugaas of the Ogaden is

— Bah Xawaadle

The Reer Garaad of the Geri is

— Bah Karanle

The Reer Boqor of the Majerteyn is

— Bah Dir

Supporting Evidence

Bricchetti's notes in 1890-1899

Molkal Gugundhabe (Badi Adde, Dagoodi, Gaaljecel) tribes revolting against Ajuran

The Gorgaarte clans listed include Xawaadle, Moobleen and Abgaal.

The Ajuuraan, according to General Liiqliiqato (Sheikhal member of the Kacaan) as well as many authors, are direct descendants of the Jambeele Hawiye, though like some subclans like the Isaaq (Dir) and Sheikhal (Hiraab) they recieve association by a minority of authors with Arab genealogy due to their prominence and close Arab ties, particularly with the ancient Yemenite and Arab groups who migrated to East Africa. The Isaaq, a similar story occurs, claimimg a maternal affinity with the Dir while paternally Hashemite despite a traditional paternal lineage linking them to Mahad Dir. All Somalis claim Hashemite so it is a futile endeavour to split major clans into fragmented lineages. The Ajuuraan lineage is also not tenable to be a Hashemite descendant or a newly invented Samaale (non Irir) lineage while intermarrying with a direct grand daughter of Hawiye due to a conflict in lineage-age and era. In the 4.5 political divide, they have joined the Madhibaan (another Hawiye subclan) as part of the 0.5 section, not due to a minority status, but due to their disagreements in power sharing and parliamentary seat numbers among the Hawiye.

The Martiile Hiraab is the father of Cimaateen, Dhxul, Maashiye and Waxariile. The Sheekhaal subclans descend from Fiqi Cumar who descend from Cimaateen. The 3 other sons of Martiile are known as Sheekhaal Adeer since they are uncles of Fiqi Cumar who is the person where the "Sheekhaal" eponym comes from due to his famous travels to Harar and beyond.

The village of Gioghiri is in the valley that stretches between the dune on which we are camped and the large dune that closes the plain of Shebelle, a very deep and very pleasant valley. The huts (from the top of the dune I count only nine, but others must have been hidden among the bushes and under the umbelliferous acacias) are scattered over a large space. The inhabitants of the village and of the region are Sheekhaal, and they extend from El Calafo to Ghescud. The Sheekhaal belong to the Hawiye family, and as I incidentally noticed, they are to be found almost everywhere, along the shores of Banaadir. We met them in Gezira, Horiale, Gonderscia, Gilib; they are to be found towards Juba, and also towards Bardera and Lugh. It is, as I said, a tribe that has a religious character, as perhaps the name also indicates.

The Ajuran ruler of the Shabelle - Olol Dinle's father of the 19th century

The Ajuran ruler Olol, ruler of the Shabelle and the Hawiye of Western Somalia

Fiqi Cumar an ancestor of Sheikhal, was also the son in law of Yusuf Kownayn (as was the families of Sacad and Eidagale Isaaq also Kownayn's in laws) while Sheikhal is also the cousin of Sacad and Abgaal, where Abgaal is buried in North Somalia with Loobage and Qudub.

Genetically proven Sheikhal matching the Hiraab Clade E-FT77328.

Sheikhal Colonial chief elder Moalim Elmi states his geneaology of 30+ generations from Hirab to Gorgarte to Hawiye in Italian 1924 book "The Principles of Customary Law in Southern Somalia" -property with ten demonstrative tables, under the auspices of the government of Italian Somalia

*The Madhibaan Gorgaarte are an artisinal lineage, dedicated to blacksmithing, hunter gathering, metal work etc. The story goes that Mohamed (later called Madhiban) and Mohamud Gorgaarte were travelling and due to extreme hunger had come across a carcass, whose meat they had consumed. Mohamud later vomited out the meat consumption while Mohamed had refused on grounds that eating a carcass in times of difficulty is not prohibited by the Islamic religion. Though the story remains mythical and connected to similar legends from other communities, the Mohamed Gorgarte were banished from the tribe, forced to live away and pick up a menial occupational livelihood thus reducing them to a “low caste”. Although it goes without saying the Madhiban are talented and retain qualities that are highly successful in the modern world (making weapons, transport vehicles, medicine, arts etc) and efforts have been made to integrate & heal historic relations.

Many other groups in the Horn also have a hunter gatherer background, e.g from the Darod include Ugaadhyahan (Dhulbahante), Cowlyahan (Ogaden) and Biciidyahan (Majeerteen), whose subclan names refer to hunting prey, fowls and antelopes respectively. Similarly the Hawraarsame (Mareexaan), after comitting a historic crime against the Darod clan chief, was also reduced to a hunter gatherer lower caste as a

punishment that has still served the test of time till this day. The Tumaal, Yibir and Madhibaan are the major artisinal lineages of the Somali ethnic group collectively nicknamed “Midgaan” which is a derogatory term frowned upon its use, with each of the three groups said to have close ties with all four of the major Somali clans. These three groups form the Gabooye confederation in the Somalia Clan Politics of 4.5 with their seats under the minority 0.5. The defining mark of the “Midgaan” is they typically do not intermarry with major Somali clans (efforts to stop this tradition are growing) but with other minorities (Banaadiri, Jareerwayn, Harari etc) they also share attributes like not being an actively armed clan who pay bloodmoney of slain members with livestock (100 camels for men, 50 camels for women), as owning extensive livestock is a trait of a major clan. This has not always been the case however. The Madhibaan have settlements in typically nomad jockey countrysides like Sool and Mudug, where they are desert warriors who fight fiercely and own livestock. Others live in the town centres making a living through public and private services.

Bibliography

1. UN Somalia Clan Map (PDF). 1998. p. 1

2. ACCORD Somalia Clan Map. 1999. p. 30