Sultanate of Shewa
Sultanate of Shewa | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 896–1286 | |||||||||||||
The Sultanate of Shewa at its height under Sulṭān Malasmaʿī. | |||||||||||||
| Capital | Walalah (northern Hararghe) | ||||||||||||
| Official languages | Arabic | ||||||||||||
| Common languages | Harla Argobba | ||||||||||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||||||||||
| Government | Absolute monarchy | ||||||||||||
| Sultan | |||||||||||||
• 896–928 (first) | Haboba | ||||||||||||
• 1279 (last) | ʿAbdallah | ||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||
• Established | 896 | ||||||||||||
| 1278–1285 | |||||||||||||
• Sultanate of Shewa annexed by Ifat | 1285 | ||||||||||||
• Disestablished | 1286 | ||||||||||||
| Currency | Dinar | ||||||||||||
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| Today part of | Ethiopia | ||||||||||||
The Sultanate of Shewa (also spelled Sultanate of Shoa), sometimes called the Makhzumi dynasty, was a Muslim kingdom in present-day Ethiopia. Its capital Walale was situated in northern Hararghe in Harla country. Its territory extended possibly to areas west of the Awash River. The port of Zeila may have influenced the kingdom. The rise of the Makhzumi state at the same time resulted in the decline of the Kingdom of Axum. Several engravings dating back to the 13th century showing the presence of the kingdom are found in Chelenqo, Bate, Harla near Dire Dawa and Munesa near Lake Langano.
It has recently been proposed that Shewa was not a unified Sultanate but rather a collection of smaller, autonomous political entities.