Early History
before 1889 		1918-1939







Stamps issued for Benadir (Italian Somalia)



Early Colonial History, 1889-1918



Italy (through Italian consul on Zanzibar, VINCENZO FILONARDI) obtained treaties with the Sultans of Obbia (Hobyo, Dec. 1888, renewed 1895) and Caluula (Majerteen or Boqor, April 1889, renewed 1895), in which the latter formally placed their territories under Italian protection - at that time, however, Italians were hardly presented in these areas and the old conditions continued.
In 1889, the Italians declared a protectorate over BENADIR (the Mogadishu coastal region) for which Italy paid an annual tribute to the Sultan of Zanzibar, of 160,000 Rupees, later reduced to 120,000 Rupees (Italian-Zanzibari Convention of 1892).
MOGADISCIO became the capital. The Juba River was established as the borderline between the British and Italian spheres of influence in Anglo-Italian negotiations of 1886, and recognized in an agreement by Britain and Germany in 1890. Agreements regarding the colony's western border were signed with Ethiopia and Britain (1897, 1908) in which the latter recognized Italy's claim over the territory between Cape Gardafui and the Juba river. Benadir was ruled by the V. Filonardi Co. (Filonardi had given up his diplomatic career and founded the company). The company opened her first station at Adala in 1891. In 1893, Italians were attacked at Merca; Italy responded by bombarding the city. In 1896, the Filonardi Co. went out of business; she was succeeded by the Societa Commerciale Italiana del Benadir, with seat in Milano. At that time there were 7 stations, Adala, Giumbo, Washeilata, Brava, Merca, Mogadishu, Lergh. Italian settlers took up residence in the extreme south, where they cultivated bananas and sugar cane. The Benadir Co. returned her charter in 1905; the Italian government took over.
That year, Italy annexed the territories leased from the Sultan of Zanzibar outright.
In 1909 the ITALIAN RUPIA of 100 Bese was introduced as the colony's only legal currency (until 1925); an Italian Rupia had the value of 8 Italian Lira.
Early in the 20th century, the "Mad Mullah" opposed colonial rule in British Somaliland. He used the Nogal valley, nominally part of the domains of the Sultan of Hobyo (Obbia) as his operation base. In 1903 the Italians deposed Sultan Yusyf Ali of Hobyo (Obbia) and exiled him to Assab in Eritrea. Mohamad Abdullah Hasan, the "Mad Mullah" in 1905 at Nogal proclaimed himself the Mahdi; he continued to harass the British in Somaliland. He was in control of Nogal until 1911.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		History of Somalis, from Malik's Homepage
The Majerteen Sultanates, by Faduma
Articles from Infoplease : Somalia
Links on Somali history, from mogadiscio.com (click : historical notes), and from Somalinet and from looksmart
Mogadishu from the Past, by Enrico Cerulli
Library of Congress, Country Studies : Somalia
Article from Catholic Encyclopedia : Benadir
Articles from Catholic Encyclopedia : Somaliland, Zanzibar
History of Somalia, from globalsecurity.org
The Mad Mullah, Hero of Somali Nationalism, by Leo Silberman, detailed
DOCUMENTS Mogadishu - Images from the Past, by Rick Davies
Map of Mogadiscio (Mogadishu), 1915, from Mappe di Citta Italiano ed Altre Mappe Antiche Diverse
REFERENCE L.V. Bertarelli, Guida D'Italia del Touring Club Italiano : Possedimenti e Colonie, Milano 1929, pp.687-808
Ioan Myrddin Lewis, The Modern History of Somaliland, from Nation to State, London : Weidenfeld and Nicolson 1965
Article : Italian Somaliland, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1913 p.1049 on events of 1912) [G]
Article : Italy, Foreign Dependencies, in : Statesman's Year Book 1895 pp.714-715, 1898 pp.712-713, 1901 pp.801-802, 1905 pp.863-864, 1910 pp.970-971 [G]
Article : Somaliland, in : International Year Book 1898 p.716 [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on August 31st 2007

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