# Karanle (Karanle Hawiye) > The Karanle branch of the Hawiye: family tree, the Gidir, Kaariye, Sexawle and Murusade lines, where they live and how sources differ. Source page: https://calankii.com/en/society/karanle/ Last checked: 2026-11-12 Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com) ## Name and family tree The Karanle are a branch of the Hawiye, one of the five large Somali clan families ([EUAA Country Guidance, 2025](https://euaa.europa.eu/country-guidance-somalia/1-general-remarks)). The anthropologist Jan Abbink places the Karanle under *Bah Arbera*, a Hawiye line traced through a mother. *Bah* is the Somali word for such a line ([Abbink, *The Total Somali Clan Genealogy*, 2009, pp. 5 and 29](https://hdl.handle.net/1887/14007)). The other Hawiye line in his chart is *Bah Girei*, which holds the Gurgate clans such as the Abgaal and Habar Gidir (pp. 26-27). | Source | Where it places the Karanle | |---|---| | Abbink 2009 | Hawiye > Bah Arbera > Karanle, beside Rarane, Haskul, Wadare and Murosade ([Abbink 2009, p. 29](https://hdl.handle.net/1887/14007)) | | World Bank 2005, south-central chart | Hawiye > Karanle, with Murusade under it ([World Bank, *Conflict in Somalia*, 2005, Appendix 2](https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/b2109b26-2d10-5ac6-85c2-dbfa820c5f6e)) | | Wikipedia (backup) | "One of the six branches" of the Hawiye ([Wikipedia, Karanle, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karanle)) | Wikipedia says Karanle was the first-born son of Hawiye, by his first wife Arbera. It places Karanle's tomb at Qundhuro in Hararghe, beside that of his father ([Wikipedia, Karanle, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karanle)). It adds that the Karanle are counted as maternal ancestors of the Hiraab, the [Bimaal](/en/society/biyomaal/) and some Ogaden sub-clans (same source). ## Main branches Wikipedia gives four branches: Gidir, Kaariye, Sexawle and Mursal (Murusade). It cites a Somali genealogy for the lines below ([Wikipedia, Karanle, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karanle)): - **Gidir:** Aw Bakr (Ahmed Maqi); Warneif, with Taa'uud and Faasi (and Aw Qariib under Faasi); Abshale. - **Kaariye:** Af Haaj; Laasuge, with Abu Bakr, and under him [Sa'ad](/en/society/sacad-habar-gidir/) ad-Diin and Muhammed (with Sultan Muhammed). - **Mursal (Murusade):** Sabti, with Abu Bakr, Idinle, Abdalla and Ibrahim Sabti; Foorculus, with Muhammed (Hilibi), Ahmed (Daguuro) and Ebakar (Hawar Ceene). See [Murusade](/en/society/murusade/). - **Sexawle:** Balaw, with Iye (and [Reer Garaad](/en/society/warsangali/) Mahiiqe) and Shurbul; Ba'ad; Bur'aal, with Bade Samatar (and Arabi and Haro) and Farah Samatar. Abbink lists three sub-clans under Karanle: Gidir, Kaariye and Sihawiye ([Abbink 2009, p. 29](https://hdl.handle.net/1887/14007)). His Sihawiye matches Wikipedia's Sexawle. Abbink draws Murosade as its own group on the same Bah Arbera line, with the lineages [Mohamed Amal](/en/society/duduble/), Nur 'Abdi, Septi, Gabdi and Foo'ulus (same page). ACLED's 2025 list has no Karanle heading. It codes the Murusade directly under the Hawiye ([ACLED clan actor list, September 2025](https://acleddata.com/system/files/2025-10/Somalia-clan-actor-old-to-new-list_16-September-2025.xlsx)). All these groups are on [the Somali clan tree](/en/society/somali-clan-tree/). ## Where they live No census counts Somalis by clan. The Austrian research centre ACCORD notes that Somalis often claim more members than their groups have, "in order to demonstrate strength" ([ACCORD, *Clans in Somalia*, 2009, p. 11](https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1193130/90_1261130976_accord-report-clans-in-somaliarevised-edition-20091215.pdf)). Wikipedia says most Karanle live in Ethiopia: in Harar and Hararghe, Bale, Babile, the Somali Region and Dire [Dawa](/en/regions/dawa-river/). Some live in Mandera County in Kenya ([Wikipedia, Karanle, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karanle)). In Somalia, the EUAA records the Murusade branch: | Place | What the EUAA records | |---|---| | Mogadishu | "Mogadishu is inhabited largely by Hawiye from the clans Abgaal, Habar Gedir and Murosade" ([EUAA Country Focus 2025, Mogadishu](https://coi.euaa.europa.eu/administration/easo/PLib/2025_05_EUAA_COI_Report_Somalia_Country_Focus.pdf)) | | Galgaduud | Among the main clans, "the Murasade (Hawiye) clan" ([EUAA 2025, Galgaduud](https://euaa.europa.eu/coi/somalia/2025/security-situation/25-galmudug/251-galgaduud)) | | Middle Shabelle | Among the Hawiye sub-clans of the region ([EASO, *Somalia: Security situation*, 2021](https://coi.euaa.europa.eu/administration/easo/PLib/2021_09_EASO_COI_Report_Somalia_Security_situation.pdf)) | | Lower Shabelle | Among Hawiye clans in the east of the region (same source) | ## History on record - **1200s and 1300s.** Wikipedia says the geographers Abu al-Fida and Ibn Sa'id mention the Karanle in eastern Ethiopia, working gold and silver ([Wikipedia, Karanle, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karanle)). - **1500s.** Wikipedia says the Karanle "figured prominently as leaders and soldiers" in the Adal wars. It names Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrahim as a Karanle of the Balaw line (same source). See [Imam Ahmad and Adal](/en/history/imam-ahmad-and-adal-1527-1543/). - **About 1930.** Wikipedia carries a photograph captioned "a Karanle chief in 1930" (same source). For the Murusade branch in Somalia, see [Murusade](/en/society/murusade/). ## Elders and customary law Senior Somali clan leaders carry titles such as *suldaan*, *ugaas* or *issim*. Their role is "mainly judicial and representative" ([UK Home Office, CPIN Somalia: clans, 2019, quoting EASO 2014](https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2002542/Somalia_-_Clans_-_CPIN_V3.0e.pdf)). Wikipedia says the Karanle *garaads* and *ugaas* have often taken part in crowning new traditional leaders of other clans. It says the Karanle are known for mediation ([Wikipedia, Karanle, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karanle)). See [xeer, Somali customary law](/en/society/xeer-customary-law/). ## In recent conflict records The EUAA list of clan conflicts from April 2023 to March 2025 names the Karanle only through the Murusade ([EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 1.5.1](https://coi.euaa.europa.eu/administration/easo/PLib/2025_05_EUAA_COI_Report_Somalia_Country_Focus.pdf)): - Murusade against Cayr (Habar Gidir), a conflict that "started in the middle of 2024". - Murusade against Duduble, in villages near Ceel Buur. See [Murusade](/en/society/murusade/) and [clan conflicts, district by district](/en/society/clan-conflicts/). ## Where sources differ - **Murusade.** The World Bank chart and Wikipedia place the Murusade under the Karanle. Abbink draws them as a separate group on the same Bah Arbera line. ACLED codes them directly under the Hawiye. - **Number of branches.** Abbink gives three Karanle sub-clans and Wikipedia four. Abbink's Sihawiye and Wikipedia's Sexawle appear to be one name in two spellings. - **Imam Ahmad.** Wikipedia calls him a Karanle. The Portuguese sources edited by R. S. Whiteway do not give his origin. Whiteway thought him "probably" Somali, but wrote that the evidence "does not appear decisive" ([Whiteway 1902, p. xxxiii](https://archive.org/details/portugueseexpedi00whitrich)). - **Where most live.** Wikipedia places most Karanle in Ethiopia. The EUAA's Somalia reports name only the Murusade. ## Read more - [Hawiye](/en/society/hawiye/), the family the Karanle belong to - [Murusade](/en/society/murusade/) and [Abgaal](/en/society/abgaal/) - [The Somali clan tree: every clan and sub-clan](/en/society/somali-clan-tree/) - [Somali clans and lineage: how the system works](/en/society/clans-and-lineage/) --- I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.