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Sharmarke Ali Saleh

Saleh (Somali: ''Sharma'arke Cali saalax) (1775–1861), was a 19th century Somali tribal chief, politician, and business magnate. He was known as the African Rothschild due to his immense wealth. He was the governor of Zeila, Berbera and Tadjoura between 1833 and 1861. His descendants are the hereditary Chiefs of the Musa Arreh sub-clan.''

Biography

19th century Martello forts in Berbera constructed by Haji Sharmarke.

Little is known about Sharmarke's childhood and early adulthood, except that he was born in the coastal town of Maydh in 1775 to a Musa Arreh Habar Yunis family.[3]

The Famous explorer and orientalist Sir Richard Francis Burton visited the Horn of Africa in year 1855 and was under the protection of Haji Sharmarke and stayed with him as a guest in Zeila.

Burton's description of Sharmarke:

The Hajj Sharmarkay in his youth was a man of valour : he could not read or write ; but he carried in battle four spears, and his sword-cut was recognisable. He is now a man about sixty years old, at least six feet two inches in stature, large-limbed, and raw-boned : his leanness is hidden by long wide robes. He shaves his head and upper lip Shafei-fashion, and his beard is represented by a ragged tuft of red- stained hair on each side of his chin. A visit to Aden and a doctor cost him one eye, and the other is now white with age. His dress is that of an Arab, and he always carries with him a broad-bladed, silver-hilted sword. Despite his years, he is a strong, active, and energetic man, ever looking to the " main chance." With one foot in the grave, he meditates nothing but the conquest of Harar and Berberah, which, making him master of the seaboard, would soon extend his power as in days of old even to Abyssinia.[4]

In his early career of sea faring and commerce, Sharmarke was a Nakhuda(Captain) for a Somali vessel. In 1825 the British Brig the Mary Anne on its way from Mauritius had been attacked and plundered by pirates at Berbera in which several British crewman were killed. Sharmarke intervened and repulsed the attack and saved the lives of the remaining crew. This incident helped him forge a good relationship with the British government and would later enable him to sign a treaty of commerce with the British East India Company in the 1840s.

In 1841 Sharmarke with 50 Matchlock men, 2 cannons and an army of mounted spearmen managed to invade Zeila and depose its Arab Governor, Mohammed Al Barr. Sharmarke used the canons to fire at the city walls which frightened Al Barr's followers and caused them to flee. Sharmarke succeeded Al Barr as the ruler of Zeila and its dependencies.[5][6] Sharmarke's governorship had an instant effect on the city, as he maneuvered to monopolize as much of the regional trade as possible, with his sights set as far as Harar and the Ogaden.[7] Having secured Zeila, in 1845 Sharmarke moved on to Berbera which at the time was experiencing instability as a result of a war between The Habr Awal Ail Yunus and Ail Ahmed clans over the Abban-ship. Sharmarke took advantage of this rivalry and supported the Ail Ahmed who had since been expelled from Berbera. Sharmarke took over Berbera and built four Martello towers in the vicinity of the town and garrisoned them with 30 Matchlock men. A war ensued with in the city as the Ail Yunus tried gain a foothold within Berbera, the Ail Yunus were no match for Sharmarke and his modern weapons and thus failed. The Ail Yunus were expelled and moved to Bulhar [8]

Sharmarke's influence was not limited to the coast as he had many allies in the interior of the Somali country and even further in Abbyssinia. Among his allies were the Sultans of Shewa. When there was tension between the Amir of Harar Abu Bakr II ibn `Abd al-Munan and Sharmarke, as a result of the Amir arresting one of his agents in Harar, Sharmarke persuaded the son of Sahle Selassie, ruler of Shewa, to imprison on his behalf about 300 citizens of Harar then resident in Shewa, for a length of two years.[9]

DeathIn 1861 Sharmarke was implicated in the death of French consul Henry Lambert in Tadjoura. He was subsequently arrested and taken aboard a French Navy boat and died shortly afterwards, whether he was killed or died of natural causes, is not known.[3]

LineageIn 1855 Burton interviewed Sharmarke and recorded his patrilineal tree (Abtiris) as shown below.[4]


 * Ishak Ibn Ahmed
 * Garhajis (Ismail)
 * Said
 * Arrah
 * Musa
 * Ibrahim
 * Fikih
 * Adan
 * Moahmed
 * Hamid
 * Jibril
 * Ali
 * Awad
 * Saleh
 * Ali
 * Sharmarke