# Ughaz Nur II (Ugaas Nuur Ugaas Rooble)

> Ughaz Nur II (c.1835-1898): Gadabuursi Ughaz from 1848 and a poet still taught in Somali classes.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/ughaz-nur-ii/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who was he?

Ughaz Nur II (Ugaas Nuur Ugaas Rooble) was a Somali ruler and poet, the eleventh Ughaz of the Gadabuursi, who lived from about 1835 to 1898 ([Wikipedia, Ughaz Nur II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ughaz_Nur_II)). *Ughaz* is a Somali title for the paramount leader, comparable to sultan (same source). He was from the Reer Ugaas of the Makayl-Dheere (same source).

Somali Wikipedia gives his reign as 1848 to 1898 and says he was born in the [Awdal](/en/regions/awdal/) region ([Wikipedia (Somali), Ugaas Nuur Ugaas Rooble](https://so.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugaas_Nuur_Ugaas_Rooble)). English Wikipedia says he was born in Zeila and crowned at Bagi in 1848 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ughaz_Nur_II)).

## Egypt, Harar and Menelik

In 1876 Egypt signed a treaty with Ughaz Nur and occupied the northern Somali coast, including Zeila, as well as Harar and the Harar–Zeila–Berbera caravan route ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ughaz_Nur_II)). He travelled to Egypt to meet the Khedive Ismail Pasha, who gave him medals and gifts (same source).

He had close ties with the Emir of Harar, Abdallah II ibn Ali (same source). When Menelik II of Ethiopia took Harar in 1887, Ughaz Nur sent Gadabuursi fighters to support the Emir (same source). Somali Wikipedia puts the force at 3,000 men ([Wikipedia (Somali)](https://so.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugaas_Nuur_Ugaas_Rooble)). Menelik later offered him protection in return for cooperation, which he refused; he died in 1898 and was buried at [Dirri](/en/history/aw-bare-aiyanle-medieval-border-towns/) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ughaz_Nur_II)). 

## Poet and lawgiver

He knew the Gadabuursi *heer* (customary law) by heart and amended it during his reign (same source). His poems and sayings are still quoted and are taught in Somali poetry classes ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ughaz_Nur_II)). One of his poems was first recorded by I. M. Lewis in 1958 in the "Gadabuursi Somali script", and was later published in full in *War and Peace: An Anthology of Somali Literature* (same source). Somali Wikipedia names his poem "Kabaal nagi" ([Wikipedia (Somali)](https://so.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugaas_Nuur_Ugaas_Rooble)).

## In short

Gadabuursi Ughaz for fifty years, poet, and an ally of Harar against Menelik in 1887.

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