# Sultan Osman Ahmed of Geledi (Cismaan Axmed)

> Sultan Osman Ahmed (d. early 1920s): last Sultan of Geledi, ruled from the 1880s to 1911.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/osman-ahmed-geledi/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who was he?

Osman Ahmed was a Somali ruler, the fifth and last Sultan of the Geledi Sultanate, who died in the early 1920s ([Wikipedia (Somali), Cismaan Axmed](https://so.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cismaan_Axmed)). He was the son of Sultan Ahmed Yusuf and succeeded him in the 1880s ([Wikipedia, Osman Ahmed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osman_Ahmed)). Wikipedia, citing the historians Lee Cassanelli and Virginia Luling, says Gobroon power weakened under his rule as former allies claimed independence (same source). See [The Geledi Sultanate](/en/history/geledi-sultanate/).

## Peace with the Bimaal

Unlike his father and grandfather, he made peace with the Bimaal clan, lifting sanctions on [Merca](/en/regions/lower-shabelle/) and letting the town trade with the hinterland ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osman_Ahmed)). In the mid-1890s his forces defeated the Hintire clan downriver (same source).

## Ethiopia and the Dervishes

Wikipedia credits him with repelling an Ethiopian invasion of the Rahanweyn lands ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osman_Ahmed)). Talks with the Dervish movement of [Sayid Mohamed Abdullah Hassan](/en/people/sayid-maxamed-cabdulle-xasan/) broke down, partly over the killing of [Sheikh](/en/regions/sheikh/) [Uways al-Barawi](/en/people/uways-al-barawi/), which Wikipedia attributes to the Dervishes (same source). Wikipedia says more than 30,000 men from almost all the Maay-speaking clans, led by Sultan Osman, defeated the Dervishes at the Battle of [Hudur](/en/regions/bakool/) and pushed them out of Geledi lands (same source). See [The Dervish movement](/en/history/dervish-movement-1899-1920/).

## Italy

After the Lafoole incident of 1896, an Italian inquiry gave conflicting evidence about Geledi involvement ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osman_Ahmed)). Osman signed protectorate treaties with Italy in 1902 (same source). By 1911 the Geledi state had formally ended and was placed under direct Italian administration, though he remained the leading traditional figure in Afgooye until his death (same source).

## In short

The last [Sultan of Geledi](/en/people/yusuf-mahamud-ibrahim/), who fought the Dervishes at Hudur and saw his state absorbed by Italy in 1911.

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