Barbary city-states

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barbary city states
Common Era epoch year (roughly)–8th century or 9th century
Capital	Zeila (economic)
Common languages	Proto-Somali
Government	Tribal Confederation
Historical era	Classical antiquity
• Established	Common Era epoch year (roughly)
• Disestablished	8th century or 9th century
Preceded by Succeeded by Lowland East Cushite Proto-Somali Macrobians Adal Kingdom
Today part of	Somaliland Djibouti and Somalia

barbary city states (sometimes referred to as barbara or sesea) was the name of a geographic region along the southwestern coast of the Gulf of Aden, as well as a proto-Somali tribal confederation . It was bordered to the north and west by Axum.

Geography

The geographical makeup of Barbaria would incorporate the barbary city-states of Opone Avalites, Malao, Mossylum Sarapion, and Mundus, Barbaria would include Djibouti and Somalia.

The barbary cities of Opone, Essina, Sarapion, Nikon, Malao, Damo, and Mosylon thrived along the Indian Ocean of the Somali coast in antiquity, the names of these urban areas and their areas were accounted for in the periplus of the Erythraean ocean a travelog of a Greek merchant..

The northern shorelines of Somalia were for the most part level and desolate and past the waterfront fields, there were bone-dry mountains and an enormous inland level. Many different types of colorful fragrant trees developed wild in the good country zone, including some old types of wiped out cinnamon.

Politics

The peripulus states that barbaria was not governed by an individual ruler however each Somali port was administrated by a chief or Tyrannida". The vast majority of the settlements were found inshore, each port city had its own unmistakable character some were unwelcoming to the Romans others welcoming and often depended on the conditions and perspectives of the locals.

The periplus described Barbarias method of governance as decentralized and consisting of a number of autonomous city-states, these city-states would be governed by their respective local chief or tyrannida. It also suggests that "the Berbers who live in the place are very unruly".

Military

As indicated by Cosmas Indicopleustes, an old engraving known as Monumentum Adulitanum from the 3d century recorded of by an unknown King of Adulis, bragging about his triumphs. The engraving relates that the king had battled the Seseans (a reference to Barbaria )and defeated them after having after clashing with them on a high ground. The inscription also recounts that the king of adulis also subjugated the peoples of Rauso who live in the midst of incense-gathering barbarians between great waterless plains..>

According to historian Glen Bowersock, the five districts of Annene Metine, Sesea Rauso and Solate referenced in the engraving of Monumentum Adulitanum is absolutely a reference to Barbaria covering the areas of modern-day Djibouti and Somalia..

The portrayals of the mediating landscape permit inside sensible hypothesis that Sesea incorporated a distant mountain and Rauso may indicate individuals who lived in the incense gathering barbarians between the incredible waterless fields. Solate may have been near the seacoast and the high mountains can only lie southeast of the rocky Simen mountains where the king had just battled, and the reference to waterless fields may indicate he moved further towards the southeast of what is currently Djibouti or Somalia.

The inscription recounts that the king had fought the Seseans and conquered the Sesea nation, which is also a reference to the nations of Barbaria. and subdued them after engaging them on high ground, the inscription also details the King boasting about bringing world peace by way of conquest and afterward returning to Barbaria, which had become a tributary. Although the various barbary cities were independent of one another, we know that they sometimes acted as a cohesive unit when faced by a major external adversary due to descriptions by the anonymously unnamed Axumite king who claimed he fought the various Barbaros tribes simultaneously.>

Market Towns

The ports in the Northern Somali coast specifically Mosylon, Mundus, Opone, Malao, and avalites were trading commodities, for instance, incenses frankincense myrrh and cassia which would all be conveyed to The Roman domain explicitly Roman Egypt, the Somali ports would also likewise trade with the ports in southern Arabia. The Somali coast formed a section of the greater incense trade alongside Southeast Asia, South Asia, and southern Arabia on the Red Sea. Incense was mainstream in the Mediterranean region and in Europe, where the products would be consistently used in strict religious purposes and for other everyday uses, this has made incense a noteworthy commodity in the Indian Ocean trade.

The Somalis would manufacture the city-states of Opone, Sarapion, Mundus Mosylon, these urban areas gave a market to products rolling in from the ancient world. They would utilize a boat called Beden as their main vessel exchange vessel, the boat was dependable for its speed and solidness and was held together by coconut strands. While the Nabateans of northern Arabia were kept from exchanging with India the Somalis from headquartered in their city-states proceeded with their exchange with India for a considerable length of time to come.

The port of avalites would export out items, such as spices, ivory, and small amounts of myrrh, the myrrh in Avalites was supposed to be of acceptable quality then those discovered elsewhere in the ancient world at that point. the method used in sending out these commodities would come in the form of rafts navigated by the people of Avalites which would then be sold to the Roman World.

The port of Malao was centered in the modern-day city of Berbera, Malao was known to have traded items, such as, Myrrh frankincense and spices which were sent out to Arabia and the Roman world.

The port town of Opone in present-day Hafun situated on the Hafun peninsula would be a focal point of trade for traders rolling in from Phoenicia Egypt Greece Persia, Yemen, Nabatia as well as the Roman realm. Among the commodities exchanged in Opone included spices silks and different goods, Opone was likewise at the core of the ancient cinnamon exchange.

Barbaria and Rome

According to historian Lionel Casson the place Barbaria would reach out to only north of Ptolemais Theron and the region was supposed to be populated by uncivilized peoples, it had no authority but it was however managed by local chieftains. Barbaria would include the African side of the Bab el Mandeb the northern bank of Somalia directly towards Cape Guardafui and a short stretch south of the cape towards Ras Hafun.

According to the Periplus, the voyages to the farside market-towns were made from Egypt during the month of July, The ships from the Roman Empire brought to the far-side market-towns products of their own such as wheat, rice, clarified butter, sesame oil, cotton cloth, (the monache and the sagmatogene), and girdles, and honey from the reed called sacchari. Some made their voyages directly to the market-towns, while others exchanged their cargoes while sailing along the coast. The country was not subject to a King, but each market-town was ruled by its separate chief. According to the Periplus, The first market town the Roman ships reached was Avalites; voyages to avalites were shorter when made from Arabia". The market town was small and had to be reached by boats and rafts. Avalites contained flint glass, assorted; juice of sour grapes from Diospolis; dressed cloth, assorted, made for the locals; wheat, wine, and a little tin. There were exported from the same place, and sometimes by the locals themselves crossing on rafts to Ocelis and Muza on the opposite shore, spices, a little ivory, tortoise-shell, and a very little myrrh, but better than the rest. The locals who from Avalites were known to be quite unruly.

According to the Periplus After Avalites the Roman ships made their way to Malao, which was a distant sail of about eight hundred stadia. The anchorage was an open road-stead, sheltered by a spit running out from the east. the natives were known to be peaceful. The locals imported many tunics, cloaks from Arsinoe, dressed and dyed; drinking-cups, sheets of soft copper in small quantity, iron, and gold and silver coin, not much. The locals, in turn, exported myrrh, a little frankincense, the harder cinnamon, duaca, Indian copal and macir, which were sold into Arabia.

According to the Periplus after Two or three days the Roman ships would arrive in the market-town of Mundus, where the ships would lay at anchor safely behind a projecting island close to the shore". "The locals exported the incense called mocrotu. And the traders living in the city were known to be quarrelsome".

According to the Periplus after a three-day sail, the Romans would reach Mosyllum, the locals from the City imported silver plates, and very little iron, and glass. The locals also shipped of a great quantity of cinnamon, and fragrant gums, spices, a little tortoiseshell, and mocrotu, (poorer than those of Mundus), frankincense, ivory and myrrh in small quantities.

According to the Periplus, the Roman ships would eventually arrive in the market-town of Opone, the locals imported the same commodities as the other towns along the Somali coast, however, the city was known to produce the greatest quantity of cinnamon, (the arebo and moto) and a great number of tortoise-shells, better than those found elsewhere.

References

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• Haji Saeed Samadodot Bambaras

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