Madhiban

Artisanal caste among Somali people
Madhiban
Regions with significant populations
 Somaliland,  Ethiopia,  Kenya,  Somalia  Djibouti
 Ethiopia10,000 (2010)[1]
 Somaliland100,000 (2020)[2]
 Somalia1,800,000 (2020)[3]
Languages
Somali
Religion
Islam
Related ethnic groups
Somali people and other Cushitic people

The Madhiban (Somali, hawiye clan), also known as Mohamed Gorgarte,[4] are an artisanal caste among Somali people.[5][6][7] They have been endogamous, and their traditional hereditary occupation has been as hunters.[8][9]

Distribution and names

Tarakh Ahmed, a 40 year old Madhiban man

The Madhiban are a part of the Somali ethnic group found in East Africa, particularly in Somalia, Ethiopia, northeastern Kenya, and Djibouti.[4][10]

According to a 1960 count, they numbered around 20,000 out of 640,000 Somalis in parts of Somalia that were within the then British Protectorate. Their numbers in other parts of Somalia and other Somali regions were unknown.[11]An article published by the UN's Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) indicates that the Daami district of Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, is home to 8,000 Gabooye families, comprising approximately 48,000 people (UN 2 July 2010).[2]

The terms Madhiban, Midgan or Midgaan for this Somali caste are found in historic literature, but in modern discourse, the term Gaboye is increasingly common. This caste is distinct from the Tumal and Yibir outcast communities because each is accused of things different from each other in Somali society.[7]

Discussion

The Madhiban were historically hunters, but now engage in occupations like leather work (shoemaking). They also are the traditional circumcision performers for both males,[12][13] and females in the Somali society.[14][15] These professions have traditionally been considered dirty, and the Madhiban have been a part of the sab or lower castes as opposed to the aji or upper castes.[16] Aji in the Madhiban language means “dirty water that you cannot drink or perform Islamic ablution with”.

According to Lee Gunderson, Dennis Murphy Odo and Reginald D'Silva, the Midgan have traditionally been treated as a low caste, scorned and reviled.[17] A Midgan-Madiban has been deemed as polluting and therefore avoided as a taboo in the Somali society.[17][18][7]

Under Somalia's military administration, some Madhiban were appointed to positions within the government to promote integration. The Madhiban have since obtained wider political representation. Their general social status has also improved with the expansion of urban centers.[19]

History

Al-Madhibaan

Al Midgan, Al Somali

The first recorded reference to the Madhibaan people dates back to 1435 in Suleiman's translation of Ibn Majid's writings and poems found in Ababn Majid. In this text, Suleiman identifies the Madhibaan as Al-Midgaan, emphasizing their distinction as a separate nation from the Somali people. He briefly mentions the name Al Somali as well.[20]

Pipalo

Pipalo, alternatively known as the Madhiban Sultanate, emerged as a historical kingdom between the 6th and 8th centuries, flourishing until the 14th century in the region between Berbera and Zeila. Over this extensive timeline, the kingdom evolved, encompassing four major cities and numerous towns, and establishing a distinctive presence in the historical narrative.[21]

Renowned for their reliance on camels and sheep, the inhabitants of Pipalo utilized these animals for sustenance and culinary purposes. The kingdom's significance extended beyond its faunal richness, as it became a prominent exporter of valuable commodities like ambergris, large elephant tusks, and rhinoceros horns, some exceeding ten catties in weight.

In addition to its economic prosperity, Pipalo boasted affluence in myrrh, liquid storax gum, and remarkably thick tortoise shells. The kingdom's unique combination of natural resources and distinctive wildlife, including the elusive "camel-crane" and the unique tsu-la, contributed to its cultural identity.[22]

A notable aspect of Pipalo's cultural practices was the inhabitants' hunting expertise. Skilled marksmen, they employed poisoned arrows to capture and hunt the indigenous wildlife. This hunting tradition added a unique dimension to Pipalo's historical significance, making it a notable player in the regional dynamics until the 14th century.[23]

Notable Madhiban

  • Maryam Mursal, Somali female singer
  • Mohamed Sulayman Tubeec Somali singer/songwriter
  • Abdi Tahlil Warsame Somali singer/songwriter
  • Shey Mire Dacar Somali singer/songwriter
  • Professor Ahmed Ashkir Botan, Minister of Education in 1981 and a former Vice-Chancellor of the Somali National University.
  • Bashir Mohamed Jama a Politician and former Somali Armed Forces office

Groups

References

  1. ^ "UN Emergencies Unit for Eastern Ethiopia". Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b Somalia: The Gabooye (Midgan) people, including the location of their traditional homeland, affiliated clans, and risks they face from other clans (Report). Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Retrieved 23 June 2023 – via Refworld.
  3. ^ "Refworld | World Directory of Indigenous Peoples - Somalia". Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b Djibouti: Situation of members of the Madhiban caste, including treatment by society and authorities; state protection and services (2003-October 2013), UNHCR, IRB Canada (2014)
  5. ^ Donald N. Levine (2014). Greater Ethiopia: The Evolution of a Multiethnic Society. University of Chicago Press. pp. 62, 195. ISBN 978-0-226-22967-6.
  6. ^ Е. de Larajasse (1972), Somali-English and Somali-English Dictionary, Trubner, pages 108: Mohamed Gorgarte, 119, 134, 145, 178
  7. ^ a b c Eno, Mohamed A.; Kusow, Abdi M. (1 January 2014). "Racial and caste prejudice in Somalia". Journal of Somali Studies. 1 (2): 91–118. hdl:10520/EJC167583.
  8. ^ David F. Horrobin (2012). The Somali, in "A Guide to Kenya and Northern Tanzania". Springer. pp. 29–30. ISBN 978-94-011-7129-8.; Е. de Larajasse (1972), Somali-English and Somali-English Dictionary, Trubner, page 108
  9. ^ Е. de Larajasse (1972), Somali-English and Somali-English Dictionary, Trubner, pages 108, 119, 134, 145, 178
  10. ^ Lewis, I. M. (1999). A Pastoral Democracy: A Study of Pastoralism and Politics Among the Northern Somali of the Horn of Africa. James Currey Publishers. pp. 7–8, 13–14. ISBN 0852552807. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  11. ^ Lewis, I.M. (1999). A Pastoral Democracy: A Study of Pastoralism and Politics Among the Northern Somali of the Horn of Africa. LIT Verlag Münster. pp. 7, 14 with footnotes. ISBN 3825830845. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  12. ^ David F. Horrobin (2012). The Somali, in "A Guide to Kenya and Northern Tanzania". Springer. pp. 29–30. ISBN 978-94-011-7129-8.
  13. ^ Е. de Larajasse (1972), Somali-English and Somali-English Dictionary, Trubner, page 108
  14. ^ Wright, Jane (1996). "Female genital mutilation: an overview". Journal of Advanced Nursing. 24 (2). Wiley-Blackwell: 251–259. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.1996.01934.x. PMID 8858427.
  15. ^ Gallo, Pia Grassivaro; Tita, Eleanora; Viviani, Franco (2006). "At the Roots of Ethnic Female Genital Modification: Preliminary Report". Bodily Integrity and the Politics of Circumcision. pp. 49–55. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-4916-3_4. ISBN 978-1-4020-4915-6.
  16. ^ Jama, Hassan Ali (2005). Who Cares about Somalia: Hassan's Ordeal; Reflections on a Nation's Future. Verlag Hans Schiler. pp. 97–98. ISBN 3899300750. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  17. ^ a b Lee Gunderson; Dennis Murphy Odo; Reginald D'Silva (2013). ESL Literacy Instruction. Routledge. p. 98. ISBN 978-1-135-05238-6.
  18. ^ Thomas M. Leonard (2013). Encyclopedia of the Developing World. Routledge. p. 255. ISBN 978-1-135-20508-9.
  19. ^ Lewis, I.M. (2008). Understanding Somalia and Somaliland: Culture, History, Society. Columbia University Press. p. 8. ISBN 978-0231700849.
  20. ^ al_mahri_ibn_majid_books (in Arabic).
  21. ^ Hopkins, L. C. (October 1912). Chau Ju-Kua: His Work on the Chinese and Arab Trade in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries, entitled Chu Fan Chï. Translated from the Chinese and Annotated by Friedrich Hirth and W. W. Rockhill. St. Petersburg: Printing Office of the Imperial Academy of Sciences.
  22. ^ Hopkins, L. C. (October 1912). Chau Ju-Kua: His Work on the Chinese and Arab Trade in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries, entitled Chu Fan Chï. Translated from the Chinese and Annotated by Friedrich Hirth and W. W. Rockhill. St. Petersburg: Printing Office of the Imperial Academy of Sciences.
  23. ^ Hopkins, L. C. (October 1912). Chau Ju-Kua: His Work on the Chinese and Arab Trade in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries, entitled Chu Fan Chï. Translated from the Chinese and Annotated by Friedrich Hirth and W. W. Rockhill. St. Petersburg: Printing Office of the Imperial Academy of Sciences.
  24. ^ Rise of Somali Gangs Plagues Minneapolis, Associated Press (July 20, 2009).
  25. ^ Das Staatsarchiv. 1861.[page needed][verification needed]

Bibliography

  • Hassan Ali Jama, Who cares about Somalia, (Verlag Hans Schiler: 2005)
  • I.M. Lewis, A pastoral democracy, (James Currey Publishers: 1999)

External links

  • Andrzejewski, B.W.; Lewis, I.M.; O'Fahey, R.S. (1994). "New Arabic Documents from Somalia". Sudanic Africa. 5: 39–56. JSTOR 25653242.
  • Sanchez, Juan J.; Hallenberg, Charlotte; Børsting, Claus; Hernandez, Alexis; Morling, Niels (July 2005). "High frequencies of Y chromosome lineages characterized by E3b1, DYS19-11, DYS392-12 in Somali males". European Journal of Human Genetics. 13 (7): 856–866. doi:10.1038/sj.ejhg.5201390. PMID 15756297. S2CID 2056193.
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