Leaders and statesmen

Sultan Jamal ad-Din II of Adal

Jamal ad-Din II (died about 1432 or 1433) was Sultan of Adal from 1424, the youngest son of Sa'ad ad-Din II. According to the Egyptian historian al-Maqrizi, as summarised on Wikipedia, he won several battles against the Ethiopian emperor Yeshaq, including at Yedaya, Jazja and Harjah, and was known for strict justice. He was killed by his cousins and succeeded by his brother Badlay.

Last checked 2026-11-12 1 source Reading time: 1 min

Sultan Jamal ad-Din II of AdalJamal ad-Din Muhammad · Jamaal ad-Diin II

Lived
? to 1433
Known as one of
Leaders and statesmen
Era
Before 1500: Adal, Ajuran and the coast
Sources
1 sources

Who was he?

Jamal ad-Din II was a Sultan of the Adal Sultanate and the youngest son of Sa'ad ad-Din II (Wikipedia, Jamal ad-Din II). He succeeded his brother Mansur in 1424 (same source). He belonged to the Walashma dynasty (same source). See Dakar, lost capital of Adal and Awfat and the Walashma tombs.

Wars with Emperor Yeshaq

He reorganised the army with the help of Harb Jaush, a commander who had come over from the Ethiopian side (Wikipedia). He sent Harb Jaush as an envoy to Emperor Yeshaq to seek peace, and when talks failed his forces defeated the emperor's army (same source). Wikipedia, drawing on al-Maqrizi, records further Adal victories at the second Battle of Yedaya and at Jazja, and raids into Bali that took many captives (same source).

When Yeshaq's forces attacked Adal's heartland, Jamal ad-Din returned in three days over a distance of twenty days' march and defeated them at Harjah (Wikipedia). Al-Maqrizi wrote that Yeshaq was killed in this battle (same source).

Justice

Al-Maqrizi tells that when one of the sultan's sons broke a smaller child's hand, Jamal ad-Din broke his own son's hand in public as punishment, despite pleas for mercy from his court and from the injured child's family (Wikipedia). Al-Maqrizi remarks that his subjects followed the law strictly as a result (same source).

Death

Weakened by constant fighting, he was attacked and killed by his cousins around 1432, and was succeeded by his brother Badlay ibn Sa'ad ad-Din (Wikipedia).

In short

An Adal sultan of the 1420s known from al-Maqrizi for his wars with Ethiopia and his strict justice.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, Jamal ad-Din II · en.wikipedia.org

Sultan Jamal ad-Din II of AdalJamal ad-Din Muhammad · Jamaal ad-Diin II

Lived
? to 1433
Known as one of
Leaders and statesmen
Era
Before 1500: Adal, Ajuran and the coast
Sources
1 sources

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