Warsangali Sultanate
The Warsangali Sultanate was an imperial power centered in northeastern and in some parts of southeastern Somalia. It was one of the largest sultanates ever established in the territory, and, at the height of its power, included the Sanaag region and parts of the northeastern Bari region of the country. The sultanate was founded in northern Somalia by a group of Somalis from the Warsangali branch of the Darod clan, and was ruled by the descendants of the Gerad Dhidhin.
The product of a six hundred year-old tradition of regal decorum, Sultan Shire administered his Sultanate from a large two-storey palace in Las Khorey. He also maintained a fortress, which, though now mostly in ruins, still remains an important historical site. Under the Sultan's general command was a council of elders, which he intermittently summoned, as well as a personal corps of guards equipped with rifles.
Martially, Sultan Shire presided over an extensive cavalry, with subsidiary commanders that were likewise under his immediate charge. Very well endowed in terms of animal wealth, he also kept a stable of well over a hundred thoroughbred Arabian horses (faras), the latter of which Italian and British garrisons used to purchase from him.
Sultan Shire additionally maintained close ties with his contemporaries on the Arabian Peninsula, regularly exchanging correspondence with the Sultans of South Arabia. Alongside missives Shire would trade with authorities in Britain, these letters were preserved in private files.
Read more about this topic: Mohamoud Ali Shire