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The Hawiye (Somali: Hawiiye, Arabic: بنو هوية‎) is a Somali clan. Members of the clan primarily live in central and southern Somalia, in the Ogaden and theNorth Eastern Province (currently administered by Ethiopia and Kenya, respectively), and in smaller numbers in other countries. Like many Somalis, Hawiye members trace their ancestry to Irir Samaale. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Human Rights Watch indicate that Hawiye is the largest Somali clan.[1][2] Hawiye is the dominant clan in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.[5]

Contents[]

[hide]*1 History 

History[]

The first reference to the Hawiye dates back to the 13th century writings of the Arab geographer, Ibn Sa'id, who describes Merca as the "capital of Hawiye country". The 12th century cartographerMuhammad al-Idrisi may have referred to the Hawiye as well, as he called Merca the region of the "Hadiye", which Herbert S. Lewis believes is a scribal error for "Hawiye", as do Guilliani, Schleicher and Cerulli.[6]

Settlement and commerce[]

Due to ancient pastoralist migrations and population movements across Africa, it may not be lost that the Hawiye like most pastoralist practiced nomadic pastoralism, keeping camels, cattle and sheep. It is important to note that from West Africa, where the Fulani also known as Fulfulde or Ambororo formed caravans in a transafrica search of pasture. This brought the Somalis in contact with Maasai, Kalenjin, Nyongatoms, Turkanas, Murles, Nuer, Dinka, Berentu, Gallas and Oromo communities. The word Somali could be a Somali adulteration of the word Shamal-which means North in Arabic. Therefore as this conglomeration of nations merged in cattle camps, it was important to keep family identity and therefore the seperation of these different people that further fragmented into clans. The Hawiye movement into South Central Somalia is due to periodic droughts that have characterised the horn of Africa. The people of Ethiopia and North Eastern Kenya exchanged bitter conflict as they defined themselves. The Southern Somalia was occupied by Bantu Communities that had made Southern Somalia a hither land from hence they transited running away from tropical disease. It is the Bantu (read John Read and Ibin Battuta) who came with iron ore smelting technology. But because they were not war like and were quite accommodating because they believed land was sufficient to live on and provide for every body. The Azania land which they named after the collapse of the Shungwaya empire, they needed land to this war like hostile community. When the Somali arrived in Southern Somalia and in the Somali peninsula in search of water wells and grazing land over a period of thousand years, they were known as Moro maskin, people who sat around cattle fire, hungry and dirty. They (Bantus fed them) welcomed them to live among them. Hawiye clans today can be found inhabiting an area stretching from the fertile lands of southern Somalia between Barawa and Kismayo, to the regions surrounding Merka, Mogadishu and Warsheikh in the hinterland, west to the modern city of Beledweyne in the Hiiraan region, and north to the ancient port town of Hobyo in the arid central Mudug region.[7]

Sub-clans of the Hawiye include the Degodia, about 40 percent of whom live in Ethiopia. When Arthur Donaldson Smith traveled through what is now Bare woreda in 1895, he found that the Degodia were neighbors of the Afgab clan, their territory stretching east to the Weyib and Dawa Rivers.[8]

The economy of the Hawiye in the interior includes the predominant nomadic pastoralism, and to some extent, cultivation within agricultural settlements in the riverine area, as well as mercantile commerce along the urban coast. At various points throughout history, trade of modern and ancient commodities by the Hawiye through maritime routes included cattle skin, slaves, ivory andambergris.[9][10]

Clan tree[]

There is no clear agreement on the clan and sub-clan structures and many lineages are omitted. The following listing is taken from the World Bank's Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics from 2005 and the United Kingdom's Home Office publication, Somalia Assessment 2001.[11][12]

  • Hawiye
    • Baadicade
    • Gaalje'el
    • Hawadle
    • Abgaal (Abgal)
      • Harti
      • Wabudhan
        • Da'oud
        • Rer Mattan
        • Mohamed Muse
      • Wa'esli
    • Murosade
    • Sheekhaal (Sheikal)(sheekhaal people says that they are not hawiye)
    • Habar Gidir (Haber Gedir)
      • Sa'ad
      • Suleiman
      • Ayr
      • Sarur
    • Waadan


In the south central part of Somalia the World Bank shows the following clan tree:[13]

  • Hawiye
  • Karanle
  • Murusade
  • Sexowle
  • Kaariye
  • Gidir
  • Fatima
    • Gorgate
      • Abgal
      • Habargidir
      • Sheikhal
      • Duduble
      • Ujeien
    • Gugun-Dhabe
    • Rarane
    • Haskul
    • Jambeele
      • Hawadle
      • Galje'el
      • Ajuran
      • Dagodi


In Puntland the World Bank shows the following:[14]

  • Hawiye
    • Habar Gidir
    • Abgall
    • Biyamaal
    • Hawaadle
    • Murursade
    • Ujuuran

Notable Hawiye figures[]

Heads of State[]

Politicians[]

Military personnel[]

Leading intellectuals[]

Traditional elders and religious leaders[]

Music and literature[]

Political factions and organizations[]

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