Haroun (administration)
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. In the third expedition, major Paul Kenna was tasked "by every means" to find where the haroun is.
The Darawiish haroun was preceded by the Darawiish legal court tariqa (Somali: Maxkamadaha Darawiish) 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: he ... was regarded by the local Government as being on the side of law and order. From time to time he corresponded with the Vice-Consul at Berbera about tribal matters, and occasionally he would send down as prisoners to the Vice-Consular Court Somalis who had been guilty of criminal offences in the interior. Thus, he acquired very considerable influence over the tribesmen...
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: 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:
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. 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.
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: 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: Rag caawuu geedkii Canjeel ku shirey, waxayna ku tashadeen inay xarunta ka guuraan This evening, a few men held a meeting at the Tree of Canjeel. They decided to abandon the haroun (government)
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".
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: (...) but will they remember that he is the only potentate alive to-day who has four times defeated the British Army, and who has for fifteen years maintained himself against the might of the British Empire. He is one of the great men whom Africa has produced: a great military leader, a great statesman. (...) He quickly obtained through his marriage connections great influence over the Dolbahanta tribe, and he established a native power in the interior. He settled disputes among the tribes, and kept them from raiding each other, thus maintaining law and order. What happened was that this native chief, a man of genius, a military leader of ability, a man who not only had military gifts but gifts of statesmanship, tried to exercise something of the great power of religion, which is always powerful everywhere, in setting up a strong and stable native State in the interior.
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.
Medium
The Taargooye subdivision was disbanded in 1910 upon the Anjeel incident after its constituent Majeerteen became mutinous, and was also known for its mechanical expertise. The Dharbash division was the westernmost Darawiish division and was regarded as among the most pious. The Indhabadan administrative division of Darawiish was regarded as having the most scouts. The servicemen of the Burcadde-godwein division was primarily tasked with coercion against neighbouring tribes.
Subdivisions of divisions
The 12 May 1907 intelligence report from the British Aden Colony describing Nur Hedik as commander of the Darawiish cavalry is as follows: Rumours of the desertions of Nur Hedik (leader of the Dervish horse) and his following are still current. In the post-Dervish period, Nur Hedik was the leader of DHulbahante in Erigabo. A 1910 intelligence report from the British Aden colony documenting a battle between Darawiish and native auxiliaries who were signatories to the Italians, Nur Hedik was described as one of three Darawiish commanders, alongside Adam Maleh and Shire Cumbaal: The Dervishes loss was undoubtedly severe, and included the following leaders: Adam Maleh, also Shireh Ambaleh, killed. Nur Hedig[sic], shot through both legs.
