Mahfuz
Encyclopedia
Mahfuz (died July 1517) was Imam
of Zeila
, and a general of Sultan
Muhammad ibn Azhar ad-Din
of the Adal Sultanate
. However, James Bruce
, drawing on Ethiopian sources, writes that Mahfuz was the chief of Arar
.
for a number of years, selecting the season of Lent
for his attacks, when the defenders were weakened by their fast
s, until his final raid when he was slain in battle, randomly targeting Amhara
, Shewa
, and Fatagar south of the Awash River
.
Sources differ over the number of years he raided Ethiopia: Francisco Álvares
states that his raids began in the reign of Eskender
, and lasted 25 years; however, Beckingham and Huntingford note that the Ethiopian Paris Chronicle, which draws on contemporary Ethiopian records, dates the beginning of these raids to the ascension of Lebna Dengel in 1508.
Upon reaching majority, Emperor Lebna Dengel decided to forgo his observance of Lent and oppose the Imam in battle, despite the advice and wishes of his councilors and people. He sent spies out to determine Imam Mahfuz's plans for that year, and learning the Imam was in Fatagar led his army there. He found Imam Mahfuz with the sultan of Adal encamped on a plain that was surrounded by mountains; after first sending soldiers out to secure the passes, the Ethiopian Emperor closed upon Imam Mahfuz.
Although Imam Mahfuz managed to enable Sultan Muhammed to escape with but four horsemen, according to Alvarez, Imam Mafhuz knew he was trapped and sought to die with honor. He called to the Ethiopians a challenge to fight in single combat, and Gabra Endreyas, who had been a follower of Emperor Lebna Dengel's father, accepted and killed the Imam. Mahfuz's head was cut from his body and displayed publicly in the Emperor's court.
Alvarez states that this battle occurred the same year the Portuguese fleet attacked and burned Zeila, undefended because its garrison was with Imam Mahfuz in Fatagar, which Alvarez states happened in July 1517. Beckingham and Huntingford note that a later Ethiopian historical manuscript (MS Bruce 88) states that this battle occurred when Emperor Lebna Dengel reached the age of 20, which indicates the battle happened in 1516 instead.
, who 10 years after Mahfuz' death invaded Ethiopia, and wreaked extensive destruction upon the land in a jihad
to make it a Muslim
province.
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
of Zeila
Zeila
Zeila, also known as Zaila , is a port city on the Gulf of Aden coast, situated in the northwestern Awdal region of Somalia.Located near the Djibouti border, the town sits on a sandy spit surrounded by the sea. It is known for its offshore islands, coral reef and mangroves. Landward, the terrain is...
, and a general of Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Muhammad ibn Azhar ad-Din
Muhammad ibn Azhar ad-Din
Muhammad ibn Azhar ad-Din was a Sultan of the Sultanate of Adal. Sihab ad-Din Ahmad states in his Futuh al-Habasa that he was the son of Azhar, the second son of Abu Bakr, one of the ten sons of Sa'ad ad-Din II, and ruled for 30 years....
of the Adal Sultanate
Adal Sultanate
The Adal Sultanate or the Kingdom of Adal was a medieval multi-ethnic Muslim state located in the Horn of Africa.-Overview:...
. However, James Bruce
James Bruce
James Bruce was a Scottish traveller and travel writer who spent more than a dozen years in North Africa and Ethiopia, where he traced the origins of the Blue Nile.-Youth:...
, drawing on Ethiopian sources, writes that Mahfuz was the chief of Arar
Harar
Harar is an eastern city in Ethiopia, and the capital of the modern Harari ethno-political division of Ethiopia...
.
Biography
Mahfuz led raids into the eastern provinces of EthiopiaEthiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
for a number of years, selecting the season of Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
for his attacks, when the defenders were weakened by their fast
FAST
-Primary meanings:Fast may refer to:* Fast as in high speed or velocity, may be used with anything that has a speed.* Fasting, abstaining from foodSlang:* Fast, a slang term for someone who is sexually promiscuous-Sports:...
s, until his final raid when he was slain in battle, randomly targeting Amhara
Amhara province
Amhara was the name of a medieval province of Ethiopia, located in present day Amhara Region, and the pre-1996 province of Wollo...
, Shewa
Shewa
Shewa is a historical region of Ethiopia, formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire...
, and Fatagar south of the Awash River
Awash River
The Awash is a major river of Ethiopia. Its course is entirely contained within the boundaries of Ethiopia, and empties into a chain of interconnected lakes that begin with Lake Gargori and end with Lake Abbe on the border with Djibouti, some 100 kilometers from the head of the Gulf of Tadjoura...
.
Sources differ over the number of years he raided Ethiopia: Francisco Álvares
Francisco Álvares
Francisco Álvares was a Portuguese missionary and explorer. In 1515 he traveled to Ethiopia as part of the Portuguese embassy to emperor Lebna Dengel accompanied by returning Ethiopian ambassador Matheus. The embassy arrived only in 1520 to Ethiopia where he joined long sought Portuguese envoy...
states that his raids began in the reign of Eskender
Eskender
Eskender was of Ethiopia , and a member of the Solomonic dynasty...
, and lasted 25 years; however, Beckingham and Huntingford note that the Ethiopian Paris Chronicle, which draws on contemporary Ethiopian records, dates the beginning of these raids to the ascension of Lebna Dengel in 1508.
Upon reaching majority, Emperor Lebna Dengel decided to forgo his observance of Lent and oppose the Imam in battle, despite the advice and wishes of his councilors and people. He sent spies out to determine Imam Mahfuz's plans for that year, and learning the Imam was in Fatagar led his army there. He found Imam Mahfuz with the sultan of Adal encamped on a plain that was surrounded by mountains; after first sending soldiers out to secure the passes, the Ethiopian Emperor closed upon Imam Mahfuz.
Although Imam Mahfuz managed to enable Sultan Muhammed to escape with but four horsemen, according to Alvarez, Imam Mafhuz knew he was trapped and sought to die with honor. He called to the Ethiopians a challenge to fight in single combat, and Gabra Endreyas, who had been a follower of Emperor Lebna Dengel's father, accepted and killed the Imam. Mahfuz's head was cut from his body and displayed publicly in the Emperor's court.
Alvarez states that this battle occurred the same year the Portuguese fleet attacked and burned Zeila, undefended because its garrison was with Imam Mahfuz in Fatagar, which Alvarez states happened in July 1517. Beckingham and Huntingford note that a later Ethiopian historical manuscript (MS Bruce 88) states that this battle occurred when Emperor Lebna Dengel reached the age of 20, which indicates the battle happened in 1516 instead.
Legacy
Mahfuz' daughter, Bati del Wambara, married Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-GhaziAhmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi
Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi "the Conqueror" was an Imam and General of Adal who invaded Ethiopia and defeated several Ethiopian emperors, wreaking much damage on that kingdom...
, who 10 years after Mahfuz' death invaded Ethiopia, and wreaked extensive destruction upon the land in a jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
to make it a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
province.