Malassay appears to refer to a military rank or warrior inAfar andHarari languages.[4] According to Dr.Duri Mohammed, Malassay in ancient times referred to Harari soldiers, however in the present day it refers to a brotherhood or member of a fraternity.[5][6][7] According to Harari scholar Abdurrahman Qorram and others, Malassay derives from the root Harari terms"mälä" (idea/solution) and"say" (wealth/prosperity).” German historian Manfred Kropp, suggests that it may be associated with the Harari titleMalak.[8][9][10][11]
EarlyGe'ez andPortuguese texts indicate Muslim soldiers were known as the Malassay.[12] In the thirteenth century the Malassay appear to back theAmhara rebelYekuno Amlak in his conflict with theZagwe dynasty.[13] Historians have identified theGafat regiments of the Malassay played a key role in founding the ChristianSolomonic dynasty.[14]
Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi was originally a Malassay serving under aGarad namedAbun Adashe prior to becoming leader of the Adal Sultanate.[15][16]In the sixteenth century the main troops of Adal Sultanate's leader Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi were the Malassay during the invasion of Abyssinia.[17] A few notable Malassay were Amir Husain bin Abubaker theGaturi and Alus theHegano.[18][19] According to sixteenth century Adal writerArab Faqīh, the Malassay participated in the conquest of Abyssinia at the decisiveBattle of Shimbra Kure.[20] EmperorLebna Dengel chronicles states the Malassay alongsideQecchin were the Muslim enemy that invaded.[21][22]According toMohammed Hassen the Malassay under Ahmed consisted of theHarla andHarari ethnic groups.[23] Ethiopian historianMerid Wolde Aregay associated the Malassay with Semitic speakers.[24]
In the reign of EmperorSarsa Dengel, theHadiya Kingdom was supported by 500 Malassay donningcuirass who had arrived fromHarar territory to battle Ethiopia.[25][26] Sarsa Dengel chronicles mentions Malassay rebels of Elmag (an unidentified group) and theSomali under theirHarari monikerTumur had deserted thus Manfred Kropp argues the Malassay were of diverse ethnic backgrounds.[27]
Under the seventeenth centuryEmirate of Harar, the entire army was commanded by aGarad who had several militias under him labeled the Malassay.[28] In the contemporary era, the term Malassay survives as a subgroup of the Harari people.[29] According to Umar, Malga-Gello the forefather of theSiltʼe people's clan Ulbareg was a captain of the Malassay.[30]
^Mohammed, Duri (4 December 1955).The Mugads of Harar(PDF). University College of Addis Abeba Ethnological Bulletin. p. 1. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 2021-07-10. Retrieved10 July 2021.
Adal Sultanate