User:Baardheere community

Baardheere (also spelt as Bardera Baardhere Bardhere Bardere ): meaning and locationPosted on December 31, 2010 by baardhere

Bardera is situated on the south west of Somalia on the Jubba River about 250-km inland from Barawe. It is located 2-3 latitude North of the equator and 42-43 latitude. It is characterised by a warm weather and high humidity. The climate is suited for crop production for the most part of the year. The name Baardhere also spelled as Bardera, Bardere, Baardhere, Baardheere and bardhere! is composed of two words, baar = palm and dhere = tall, thus Bardere is named after the tall palm trees which were characteristic along the river banks and Occasionally far away from the river. The palm tree has a special use and significance for Barderians. The foundation of the settlement was Jamaa’ mosque, built under several tall palm trees. The rather hard fruit was used as food by scraping from what little tissue available. The hard core is used for decorating livestock. A hole is made through the hard seed and hanged on the neck of the cows with the help of a rope. The truck is used as a support for building houses. It is also made of sablo (several trunks from the palm tree are joined and is employed as a means transporting goods such as building sticks trees downstream the river). The Leaves are used to cover the roof. For the last 3-4 decades palm is also used for the production of Shalabow, palm milk produced by burning the tree and harvesting the dropping secretion. When this “milk” is fermented it has the characteristic of alcoholic beverages. Jubba River also spelled as Juba, also called Ganane , or  Genale , Italian  Giuba  is principal river of Somalia in northeastern Africa. It originates via its headwater streams in the Mendebo Mountains of southern Ethiopia, it flows about 545 miles (875 km) from Doolow on the Ethiopian frontier to the Indian Ocean just north of Kismaayo. The river is fed by rainfall in its source area.

The true history of Somalia and early important settlements and communities has not been investigated and documented properly. This site offers its readers the opportunity to contribuite and to make critical analysis of every aspect of the history of Baardhere inorder to improve the content and the quality of records. We hope therefore that the readers will make advantage of this opportunity to unvail all reliable sources and events related to the history of the Bardera community. That will kindly contribute to the historical preservation efforts of Somalian history. This knowledge site will act as a point of encounter for people interested in the history of Bardera and Somalia in general.

Baardhere is one of the oldest settlements in the interior of Somalia. It is renowned for its community system and its indigenous institutions of learning. This article looks in the emergence and establishment of Baardhere community as a settlement, a religious center and a mini-state in the interior of Somalia.

A religious group led by Sheikh Yabbarow founded Baardhere community in 1776. Their mission was not only to set up an ideal community whose members are ruled in accordance with the Islamic ideals, but also to attain economic development and social justice for the newly established community. It grow in size and influence and helped the spread of Islam in the southern Somali interior, which was characterized at the time by the proliferation of saints and religious settlements that evolved later as territorial confederacy. This has brought confrontation with adversaries. As a result Baardhere fought many wars, the most known of which is the one with the Geledi sultanate, when it was defeated. The town was burned and abandoned for 20 years, when it was re-grouped and reformed. After reformation baardhere community continued to be a conservative Muslim society and the home of religious learning for Somalia. The emergence of foreign powers initiated the most profound disruption of Somali history i.e. the marginalization of indigenous institutions and their slow but sustained diminishing power and influence. The liberation from colonial rule and the forms of state practice that followed didn’t bring any sustainable alternative to the indigenous rule