The Revisionary Emir of Harar: Muhammad Ali Mayu (1856-1875)

By Jilcha Hamid

When reading the history of Harar the Emir who stood apart from the rest is Muhammad Ali (1856-75). Before his rule it can be said that Harar was no more than an isolated city-state suffering from political instability, and a vulnerable economy. Some of the major changes implemented during the rule of Emir Muhammad were that he strengthened ties between the town and the Raba Dori administration of the Afran Qallo Oromo; symbolized by his adoption and title as 'ilma gosa' (or 'son of the clan'). His relationship with the Afran Qallo Oromo brought the town the much needed stability and gave the Emir the political and diplomatic leverage to transition Harar into a new era, and establish a state with the Oromo clans.

Harar in the 19th century was a town inhabited predominantly by the Gey Usu or 'people of the city', while the territories outside of the walls were inhabited by Oromos. The Afran Qallo Confederation periodically elected a Raba Dori council (or cabinet) to govern the affairs of the clan confederation. Their Confederation's relationship with the town was primarily based on economic interests. They traded in the markets, and levied a tax on goods passing through their territory. By the 19th century the Emirs of Harar had began establishing political alliances with Oromo chiefs, mainly to gain strategic advantages over rival princes contesting for power. This meant that Oromo chiefs and their soldiers enjoyed special privledges in the town, as recorded by the British Explorer Richard Burton in his famour diary 'First Footsteps in East Africa'(1854). However these relations were only short term and forged out of convenience. So what caused Emir Muhammad to break from this tradition? Some historians have pointed to the evidence of Emir Muhammad's ethnic background. Although the Emir claimed direct decendency from the towns nobility, according to oral tradition his father was a man named Ali Mayu, the son of a wealthy Anniya Oromo. (R.A. Caulk) This is supported by both Oromo and Harari traditional accounts. Ali Mayu and his brother grew up in the court of Emir Abdushakur (1783-94), afterwhich he became known as Ali Abdushakur. This was his claim to the Emirate.

When Emir Ahmed ibn Abubakr fell ill in 1854 a period of instability followed, and Muhammad Ali who was possibly being sought for arrest for planning a revolt, fled the town and sought refuge with the Raba Dori assembly in Gara Mullata, south of Harar. Here he re-established his ties to the Oromo, gaining the title of ilma Gosa amongst the Ala clan and marrying into Galmo Boru, a prominent elder of the clan. The Raba Dori administration assisted him in taking power. For the nearly 20 years of his rule leading up to the Egyptian invasion in 1875, he was in a unique position to influence affairs both in the town and the surrounding countryside. He used the opportunity to strengthen social, economic, and political ties with the Raba Dori administration sending religious teachers as well as convincing many pastoral communities around the town to take up farming. Those who took up farming were referred to by the pastoral Oromos as "Qottuu" or "those who till the land". This term was later adopted by non-Oromos afterwhich the meaning and the connotation of the term completely changed. The policies implemented by Emir Muhammad Ali Mayu were not only long term and visionary, but they also put him in the position to form a state with the Confederation. Had these policies been implemented more vigorously this could have become a reality. But in 1875 the Egyptians invaded Harar and succeeded in capturing the town and executing Emir Muhammad Ali. After the 'Ten Year War' (http://www.gulelepost.com/2013/04/18/the-ten-year-war-egypts-attempted-colonization-of-eastern-oromia-1875-1885/) which saw the Egyptian army exhausted and finally expelled in late 1885, the late Emir Muhammad's brother, Abdullah, ascended to power in the town. His rule only lasted a year or so before Minelik's army attacked. However, the fact that the Emir marched to Chelenko alongside the Confederation shows that these ties continued during his brief period in power. Although he did not command the army of the confederation, as is incorrectly narrated by some historians, his participation is undeniable. This explains why the 'Battle of Chelenko' is not only remembered by Oromos, but also by Hararis.

Reformers and revisionary leaders such as Muhammad Ali of Harar, and Abba Bagibo of the Gibe region are just a few examples of rulers who achieved a great deal, but whose potentials far exceeded what they were able to achieve in their time.

Sources:
1. R. Burton, First Footsteps in East Africa. 1855
2. R.A. Caulk, Harar Town and it's Neighbours in the Nineteenth Century. 1977
3. Jafer Ali, Dubbii Miila Bakhar