Leaders and statesmen
Boqor Osman Mahamud (Boqor Cismaan Maxamuud)
Boqor Osman Mahamud (1854–1943) was king (boqor) of the Majeerteen Sultanate in the north-east, with his seat at Alula. He signed a protection treaty with Italy in 1889 but kept his own rule for decades, refusing in 1909 to fly the Italian flag at Alula. His sultanate was brought under direct Italian control only in 1927.
Boqor Osman MahamudBoqor Cismaan · Boqor Osman
- Lived
- 1854 to 1943
- Known as one of
- Leaders and statesmen
- Places
- Boosaaso and Bari
- Era
- 1500 to 1884; Partition and the Dervishes, 1884 to 1920; Toward independence, 1920 to 1960
- Sources
- 2 sources
Who was he?
Boqor Osman Mahamud was the best-known ruler of the Majeerteen Sultanate, a Somali state in the north-east, today's Bari region (Wikipedia, Osman Mahamuud). Castagno's dictionary calls him "a powerful sultan" who "is remembered for his resistance to the Italians" (Castagno, Historical Dictionary of Somalia, 1975, "Bogor Osman Mahmoud").
Boqor is a Somali title for a king. Castagno explains that it means "belt", one who binds the people together (Castagno 1975).
The Majeerteen Sultanate
The sultanate may date back to the 15th or 16th century. Its rulers sat at Alula, on the Gulf of Aden coast, and controlled the sea trade of the area (Castagno 1975, "Mijerteyn"). Ships often ran aground on the rocky coast near Cape Guardafui. In 1866 the British paid the sultan to let them rescue disabled ships and bring them to Aden (same source).
He was the son of Mahmud ibn Yusuf, who ruled from 1844 to 1860 (Wikipedia). He took the throne as a young man.
The split with Hobyo
About 1870 a dispute with his relative and father-in-law, Yusuf Ali Kenadid, led to fighting and split the sultanate. Yusuf Ali left and founded the Sultanate of Hobyo on the Mudug coast (Castagno 1975, "Mijerteyn"). The two states stayed rivals for decades. See the Majeerteen and Hobyo sultanates.
The 1889 treaty and the flag at Alula
In 1889 he signed a treaty of protection with the Italian consul at Zanzibar, Vincenzo Filonardi. Italy paid him a yearly subsidy and promised not to interfere in his rule (Castagno 1975; Wikipedia).
He tried to keep his country independent in practice. In 1909 he refused to let the Italian flag fly at Alula. Italy stopped his subsidy and bombarded coastal villages (Castagno 1975, "Mijerteyn"). In 1910 rivalries inside the sultanate forced him to accept Italian residents in the coastal towns (same source).
The end of the sultanate
After Mussolini came to power, Italy moved to rule the north-east directly. In 1927 the Majeerteen were disarmed and their land brought under Italian administration, after battles with heavy losses on both sides (Castagno 1975, "Mijerteyn"). See fascist rule and the war, 1923 to 1941.
He died in 1943 (Castagno 1975).
In short
King of the Majeerteen Sultanate for over fifty years, until Italian forces took the sultanate in the 1920s.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Osman Mahamuud · en.wikipedia.org
- Castagno, Historical Dictionary of Somalia, 1975, "Bogor Osman Mahmoud" · archive.org
Boqor Osman MahamudBoqor Cismaan · Boqor Osman
- Lived
- 1854 to 1943
- Known as one of
- Leaders and statesmen
- Places
- Boosaaso and Bari
- Era
- 1500 to 1884; Partition and the Dervishes, 1884 to 1920; Toward independence, 1920 to 1960
- Sources
- 2 sources
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