Home Region: East Africa (Africa)

Ifat Sultanate

1280 CE 1375 CE

D G SC R

New EA so_ifat_sultanate

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

[cultural assimilation; Sultanate of Shoa] [absorption] Update here

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

1375 CE 1543 CE Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate) [elite replacement]

General Description

The Ifat Sultanate was one of the earliest Sultanates to be established in the Shoan region of present-day Ethiopia. The Sultanate was founded by Umar Walasma in 1280. The subsequent leaders of this sultanate were thus part of the Walasma Dynasty ^[1] The Ifat Sultanate became one of the most powerful kingdoms in the region as it took control over the Shoa Sultanate in 1285. ^[2] The capital of the Ifat Sultanate was also called Ifat which was located in the Shoan plateau situated to the Awadi River (a tributary of the larger Awash River). ^[3] The Ifat Sultanate was prosperous due to extensive caravan routes and the important port city of Zeila on the Gulf of Aden.
By the early fourteenth century, the Ethiopian Christian king Amda Siyon launched attackts into Muslim territory coming into conflict with the Ifat Sultanate. By 1329, Ifat was defeated by Amda Siyon’s army and was controlled by the Christian King. The Ifat Sultanate was still maintained for a period under the suzerainty of the Ethiopian Christian kingdom with the Walasma rulers continuing to lead the sultanate.
In the late fourteenth century, the Ifat leader Haqadin II lead a revolt again the Christian Ethiopian Kingdom and declared Ifat’s independence. Haqadin moved his capital to the Adal region in 1374/5. While the Walasma Dynasty carried on, the Ifat Sultanate became eclipsed by the new Adal Sultanate. ^[1]

[1]: (Hassen 2016, Encyclopedia of Empire) Hassen, Mohammed, 2016. ‘Ifat Sultanate.’ In J. Mackenzie Encyclopedia of Empire. Wiley. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/FXDQBFFT/library

[2]: (Tamrat 2008, 140) 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]: (Fauvelle et al. 2017, 239-295) Fauvelle, François-Xavier et al. 2007. “The Sultanate of Awfāt, its Capital and the Necropolis of the Walasma”, Annales Islamologiques. Vol. 51. Pp 239-295. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/HJCMAMX7/library

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

2 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

2 Polity Succession

Language

1 Linguistic Family

3 Language

Religion

1 Religious Tradition

1 Religion Family

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

Professions

Bureaucracy Characteristics

Law

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Drinking Water Supply System

1 Communal Building

1 Utilitarian Public Building

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

Special-purpose Sites

1 Trading Emporia

1 Special Purpose Site

1 Ceremonial Site

1 Burial Site

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 History

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

Information / Measurement System

1 Weight Measurement System

1 Volume Measurement System

1 Time Measurement System

1 Other Measurement System

1 Length 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 Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions

12 Power Transition

Instability Events

7 Instability Event

General Variables

Identity and Location Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	39 N	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Original Name	Ifat Sultanate	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Capital	Ifat	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Alternative Name	Wafat Sultanate	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Alternative Name	Awfāt Sultanate	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Temporal Bounds Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Duration	[1280 CE ➜ 1375 CE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	none	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Succeeding Entity	Adal Sultanate	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	cultural assimilation	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Preceding Entity	cultural assimilation; Sultanate of Shoa [absorption] Update here
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Succeeding Entity 1375 CE 1543 CE	Adal Sultanate (so_adal_sultanate) [elite replacement]
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Language Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Afro-Asiatic	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Language	Argobba	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Language	Arabic	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Language	Harari	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Religion Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religious Tradition	Islam	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Religion Family	Sunni Islam	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Hierarchical Complexity Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	[3 to 4]	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Professions Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Bureaucracy Characteristics Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Law Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Judge	Present Inferred	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Present Inferred	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Court	Present Inferred	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present Inferred	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Present Inferred	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Communal Building	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Utilitarian Public Building	Present Inferred	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present Inferred	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Port	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Trading Emporia	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Special Purpose Site	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Ceremonial Site	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Burial Site	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Information / Writing System Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Script	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Sacred Text	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Religious Literature	Present Inferred	1280 CE 1375 CE
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History	Present Inferred	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Calendar	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Information / Money Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present Inferred	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Foreign Coin	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Article	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Information / Postal System Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Information / Measurement System Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Weight Measurement System	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Volume Measurement System	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Time Measurement System	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Other Measurement System	Present Inferred	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Length Measurement System	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Military use of Metals Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Projectiles Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Handheld weapons Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Animals used in warfare Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Armor Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Naval technology Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Present	1280 CE 1375 CE
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Human Sacrifice Ifat Sultanate (so_ifat_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More