The Haroun, administration, () was the government of the Dervish State headed by Faarax Mahmud Sugulle. According to Claude Edward Marjoribanks Dansey, the political officer in the British Somali Coast Protectorate consisted of 400 individuals. The capture of the haroun was regarded as conceivably resulting in the Sayyid's surrender.Official History of the Operations in Somaliland, 1901–04, page 319, year 1907 "The instructions to Kenna were "to endeavour by every means to locate the position of the Haroun, and having done so, to try and surprise it by long-distance marching with his mounted troops ... Though the Mullah himself might escape, the capture of the Haroun meant the destruction of his prestige, and, in all probability, his own final surrender." In the third expedition, major Paul Kenna was tasked "by every means" to find where the haroun is.Official History of the operations in Somaliland 1901–1904 "The instructions to Kenna were " to endeavour by every means to locate the position of the Haroun, and having done so, to try and surprise it by long-distance marching with his mounted troops."
Background The Darawiish haroun was preceded by the Darawiish legal court tariqa () which existed among the Dhulbahante as early as 1895. "He acquired some notoriety by seditious preaching in Berbera in 1895, after which he returned to his tariga in Kob Faradod, in the Dolbahanta," according to the Official History of the operations in Somaliland 1901–1904.
The legal court Darawiish tariqa according to Douglas Jardine, was primarily engaged in settling legal disputes. This early Darawiish court tariqa was also described as friendly to the British government:Mad Mullah of Somaliland, Douglas Jardine, p. 40
In Darawiish nomenclature, a person learned in the rulings, legal codes and stipulations of this early Darawiish court, was referred to as a muqaddim, which roughly translates as arbitrator.
The British newspaper Chester Courant, rehashing British intelligence reports, stated that the early Darawiish community existed as early as 1895 as a court of appeal community:Search for a New Somali Identity – p. 87, Hussein Ali Dualeh, 2002
Leadership
The head of the Haroun presided over the Darawiish government, and oversaw commerce, domestic and foreign affairs, as well as other Darawiish-related oversight. The head of the haroun, i.e. the head of the dervish government has been described in various sources, with Farah Mahamud Sugulle described as the head of the haroun during the 1890s and 1900s decades: 1895 – 1910: Faarax Maxamud Sugulle; was the head of the haroun during the 1890s and 1900s decades. He is described as head of the Haroun in an article by The Times of London in March 1910:
I am strengthening the Darud by the issue of over 200 rifles, and an attack on the Haroun under Omar Doreh, who is to take place of Farah Mahmud, is being organized
As head of the haroun, it was the norm to consult the Head of Haroun, Faarax Maxamuud Sugulle, for any important matter requiring decisions within the Darawiish. For example, upon the first military defeat suffered by Darawiish at the battle of Jidbaale in 1904, despite the presence of qusuusi, Faarax Maxamuud Sugulle was typically singled out to provide deliberation. However out of humility, he would defer to the deputy Head of Haroun, Carab Illaawe:Taariikhdii daraawiishta iyo Sayid Maxamad Cabdille Xasan, Jaamac Cumar Ciise · 2005 – p. 134
Henry Francis Battersby, in his 1914 book on the Darawiish, described Farah Sugulleh as "one of the biggest men" in the Darawiish.Henry Francis Battersby, 1914, p. 123
Successors Carab Illaawe; Illaawe was the person to whom Sugulle would refer to during decision making, as such making him deputy head of haroun. Proposal of March 1910 Omer Doreh; Omer Doreh was in March planned to take the place of Farah Mahamud Sugulle, however, before he could take Sugulle's place as head of the haroun, in that month both Doreh and Sugulle defected from the dervishes in the Anjeel incident described below.
Sugulle family
The son of Faarax Maxamuud Sugulle, Jama, lived through the final decade of Dervish resistance to colonialism, and would continue to be influential in the Dervish realm upon the independence of Somalia in 1960. For example, upon Somalia's independence Jama revived the Darawiish heritage by becoming the founder as well as head executive of the Somali Dervish unit, and he also was the overseer of the widely publicised coronation of Garaad Abdiqani in 1985.The nature of the state in Somalia and Somaliland: The Conversations of the Statebuilding and Peacebuilding Processes
Since the advent of the federal era in Somalia, several police units modelled after the Somali Dervish unit created by Jama Sugulle have surfaced, including Galmudug Dervish, Hirshabelle Dervish, Jubaland Dervish etc.Statement at the High-Level Consultative Meeting on Somalia somalitalkradio.com 2011
According to Claude Edward Marjoribanks Dansey, Barni Maxamuud Sugulle, the sister of Faarax Maxamuud Sugulle and fifth wife of the Sayid, was the commander of Indhabadan (lit. "Many Eyes"), a 600 member Darawiish division with 400 spearmen and 200 riflemen of which half was composed of Naleeye Axmed subclan of Ugaadhyahan Dhulbahante and the other half Qayaad Dhulbahante:
According to Richard Corfield, Sugulle family member Abbane Mohamud Sugulle was likewise a commander in the Darawiish, particularly, the base at Haysimo, which according to British officer Dansey, was a base held by Burcadde-Godwein administrative division. The name of Cabbane Sugulle is misspelled as Abaim Sugulleh; he commanded the Burcadde-Godwein base together with Askar Doreh:The Scramble in the Horn of Africa: History of Somalia, 1827–1977, Mohamed Osman Omar 2001
The following Mullah's headman are reported in the Warsangli “karias” at Haisamo:—Asker Doreh, Mijjertein, and Abaim Mahomed Suggulleh, Dolbahanta Ba Ararsama.
British intelligence reports further state that one of the Taargooye subdivisions was commanded by Badhiidh Sugulle.
History In this meeting several senior members of the Daraawiish called for sedition in one way or another. Individuals who took part in this conspiracy include: Haaji Hasan 'Awl, Darwiish governor Abdalla Qoriyow, who was the Darwiish magistrate in Taleh Ahmad Fiqi, who was a Darwiish theologian Faarah Mahamuud Sugulle, who was head of the haroun and the wealthiest person in the Daraawiish 'Abdalla Shihiri, who was a Darwiish envoy Nur Hashi, who was a khusuusi
Three plans were put forth, including (a) killing the Sayyid and replacing him with a new leader, (b) replacing him without killing him, and (c) deserting the Darwiish en masse. At the end, the third plan was carried out.
Notification The Sayyid was informed about the conspiracy by a man of the Jama Siyaad subclan called Shire Cumbaal, also spelled Shire Umbaal. The exact words spoken by Shire Cumbaal was:
Aftermath
Due to Shire Umbaal's defection from the seditious meeting, and the subsequent notification, the Daraawiish managed to capture many leading conspirators. Haan 'Awl was subsequently killed. Farah Mohamud Sugulle as the leader of Anjeel who sought to usurp the Sayyid's position had his father killed, although his own life was spared. Qoriyow was punished by the decision to have him demoted by stripping him of his previous position. Other figures had fled. The Reer Khalaf, a Majeerteen subclan who had previously been of the Taargooye wing of Darwiish, joined the defectors. As such, they were decimated in retaliation. Confrontations between Darwiish defectors and persistent Darwiish endured for a couple of years, but among the most prominent of these confrontations was the Hadega battle in March 1910 wherein the defectors had been aided by the Issa Majeerteen tribe. Nonetheless, at Hadega, notable casualties occurred on both sides, with Darwiish leader Nur Hidig, permanently debilitated from wounds sustained at this battle, with Nur Dolbas (Dhalbaas) and Adan Egal (Cigaal) dead on the defectors side and Darwiish leaders Shire Umbaal and Adam Maleh were dead on the Darwiish side, with Shire Umbaal later being described by Robert Crewe-Milnes as "a very important leader of the Dervishes".
Setting
The British parliament described the polity over which Mohammed Abdullah held regency as a "strong and stable native state"; and the only one that managed to militarily overcome British military power:
+ Darawiish capitals Capital Time Landform Remark Ali Geri homelands, i.e. Ballishiil 1895–1897 Carro Ciideed, south of Buuhoodle: "Mullah to flee eastwards and rejoin his old allies, the Ali Gheri, south of Bohotele, where he would be difficult to get at, either by the Abyssinians or ourselves"Colonial Postscript: The Diary of a District Officer – Page 130, Patricia Morley, 1992 "This Haji Muhammad Abdullah belongs to the Habr Suleiman Ogaden tribe; he married into the Dolbahanta Ali Gheri, amongst whom he now lives"Parliamentary Papers: 1850–1908 – Volume 48 – p. 1 Buuhoodle 1898–1899 Carro Ciideed "if joint operations with the Abyssinians cannot be arranged, he must move out alone with all available forces and tribal levies from the Ishak tribe to punish the Mullah's allies round Bohotele"Das Staatsarchiv – Volumes 65–66 – p. 41 Buuhoodle & Baran (Las Anod area) 1900 Carro Ciideed & Nugaal Valley "the Mullah retired eastward into British territory to the Bohotle area, where he was assured of a welcome from his own kinsmen, the Dolbahanta." "MULLAH'SFORCES; 12,000 Horsemen \ Near Baran (i.e. the Baran in the south)"Mad Mullah of Somaliland, Douglas Jardine Docmo in Bookh district 1901 Carro Ciideed bulk of the Mullah's force ... 3,000 had been left at Damot; i.e. Docmo Beerdhiga, located between Tuurgasangas and Qoriley 1902 Carro Ciideed Halin / Xalin (Sool) 1903–1904 Nugaal Valley Kheman (Sanaag), Eyl, Bixin, Qawlo / Gaulo & Goriasan 1905–1910 Nugaal Valley Taleh 1910–1920 Nugaal Valley
Military-administrative divisions
Major
In terms of military expertise, Golaweyne was most known for being over-represented during the early battles during the first two expeditions. Miinanle was best known for typically being in close proximity of the pastoral Darawiish supporting communities; as such, Miinanle was also typically at the front line whenever confronted with raiding parties from European colonial armed Somali clans such as Rayid, Koufur, Dhabayaco or Huwan. Since Shiikhyaale were the principal as well as the supreme division, any decisions made within the Shiikhyaale was pivotal, and would directly affect the other Darawiish divisions as well. The close proximity of Miinanle to the pastoral communities of Ciid-Nugaal also meant that Miinanle were probably the second wealthiest administrative division, after Shiikhyaale, due to tax-revenue generated.For references on subdivision characteristics, see Abokor Seed, particularly gabaygii Shiikhyaale, poem number 84, Diiwaanka Gabayadii Sayid Maxamed Cabdulle Xasan. Also see Xaaji Maxamad Cawl annotation from 1955, poem 71