Home Region:  East Africa (Africa)

Adal Sultanate

1375 CE 1543 CE
D G SC RG New EA  so_adal_sultanate
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1280 CE 1375 CE Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)    [elite replacement]

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  General Description   The Adal Sultanate was one of the earliest Islamic Sultanates in the Somali region. The Adal, which was part of the Walasma Dynasty, was originally established in the late 9th or early 10th centuries based at the costal port city of Zelia on the Gulf of Aden. [1]
During this time the dynasty was under the confederation of a larger Ifat Sultanate. It was not until the last quarter of the 14th century that the Adal became a powerful Sultanate that controlled vast swaths of territory from the Harar reigion to the Gulf of Aden up through present-day Eritrea. [2]
The Adal Sultanate was frequently in conflict with the Christian kingdoms in Ethiopia, most notably from the 14th through the 16th centuries. The most powerful leader of the Adal Sultanate was Ahmād Ibrāhīm al Ghāzī also known as Ahmad Gurey (1506-1543). Gurey titled himself as imām and declared jihad on Christian Ethiopia. During his rule, he was supplied with military supplies from the Ottoman Empire which helped his army conquer over three-quarters of Ethiopia and even defeat early attacks from the Portuguese. His farthest inland campaign reached south-eastern Sudan. In 1543, imam Ahmad was mortally wounded in battle by Ethiopian and Portuguese forces at Lake Tana whom defeated the imam’s army. After the imam’s death the Adal Sultanate disintegrated and was absorbed into different kingdoms. [3]

[1]: (Mukhtar 2016, Encyclopedia of Empire) Mukhtar, Mohamed H. 2016. ‘Adal Sultanate.’ In J. Mackenzie Encyclopedia of Empire. Wiley. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/FM8D55XW/library

[2]: (Tamrat 2008, 149) Tamrat, Taddesse. 2008. ‘Ethiopia, the Red Sea and the Horn’ In the Cambridge History of Africa: c. 1050 – c.1600 vol. 3. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp 98-182. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/search/Tamrat/titleCreatorYear/items/A68FCWWI/item-list

[3]: (Mukhtar 2016, Encyclopedia of Empire) Mukhtar, Mohamed H. 2016. ‘Adal Sultanate.’ In J. Mackenzie Encyclopedia of Empire. Wiley. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/FM8D55XW/library

General Variables
Identity and Location
Temporal Bounds
Political and Cultural Relations
Language
Religion
Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale
Hierarchical Complexity
Professions
Bureaucracy Characteristics
Law
Specialized Buildings: polity owned
Transport Infrastructure
Special-purpose Sites
Information / Writing System
Information / Kinds of Written Documents
Information / Money
Information / Postal System
Information / Measurement System
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications
Military use of Metals
Projectiles
Handheld weapons
Animals used in warfare
Armor
Naval technology
Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.
Religion Variables Coding in Progress.
Crisis Consequences Coding in Progress.
Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate) was in:
Home NGA: None
General Variables
Identity and Location Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Utm Zone 39 N Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Original Name Adal Sultanate Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Capital Zeila Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Capital Harar Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Capital Aussa Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Alternative Name Awdal Sultanate Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Alternative Name Adel Sultanate Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Alternative Name Adl Sultunate Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Temporal Bounds Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Peak Years [1400 CE ➜ 1543 CE] Confident
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Duration [1375 CE ➜ 1543 CE] Confident
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Political and Cultural Relations Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Suprapolity Relations none Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Succeeding Entity Ajuran Sultanate Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity elite migration Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Preceding Entity
1280 CE 1375 CE
Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)   [elite replacement]  Confident
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Degree of Centralization confederated state Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Language Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Linguistic Family Afro-Asiatic Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Language Arabic Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Language Harari Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Language Argobba Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Religion Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
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Religious Tradition Islam Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Religion Family Sunni Islam Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Hierarchical Complexity Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Military Level [5 to 8] Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Administrative Level [4 to 7] Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Professions Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Soldier Present Inferred 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Professional Military Officer Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Law Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Judge Present Inferred 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Present Inferred 1375 CE  1543 CE
Court Present Inferred 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
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Market Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Communal Building Present Inferred 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Utilitarian Public Building Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
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Road Present Inferred 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Port Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Bridge Present Inferred 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Trading Emporia Present Inferred 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Special Purpose Site Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Ceremonial Site Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Burial Site Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Burial Site Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Information / Writing System Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Written Record Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Script Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Sacred Text Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Religious Literature Present Inferred 1375 CE  1543 CE
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History Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Calendar Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Information / Money Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Token Present Inferred 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Information / Postal System Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Information / Measurement System Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Weight Measurement System Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Volume Measurement System Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Time Measurement System Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Other Measurement System Present Inferred 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Length Measurement System Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Military use of Metals Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Projectiles Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Handheld weapons Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Animals used in warfare Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Armor Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Naval technology Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)
Religion Variables
Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain Present Confident 1375 CE  1543 CE
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Human Sacrifice Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Crisis Cases
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Instability Data
Power Transitions
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