Ifat Sultanate: Map & History
The Sultanate of Ifat, known as Wafāt or Awfāt in Arabic texts, or the Kingdom of Zeila was a medieval Sunni Muslim state in the eastern regions of the Horn of Africa between the late 13th century and early 15th century.
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The Sultanate of Ifat, known as Wafāt or Awfāt in Arabic texts, or the Kingdom of Zeila was a medieval Sunni Muslim state in the eastern regions of the Horn of Africa between the late 13th century and early 15th century. It was formed in present-day Ethiopia around eastern Shewa in Ifat. Led by the Walashma dynasty, the polity stretched from Zequalla to the port city of Zeila. The kingdom ruled over parts of what are now Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somaliland, Somalia.
Modern Countries Once Part of Ifat Sultanate
At its mapped extent, Ifat Sultanate covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Ifat Sultanate's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Ifat Sultanate in Depth
History
According to the Arab historian Maqrizi, known for his pro-Islamic version of history written around 1435, Sultan Umar Walasma was the first ruler of Ifat. Umar died around 1275, stated Maqrizi, and was succeeded by "four or five sons" with each ruling a short period. Finally, Sabr ad-Din I came to power and he ruled Ifat till the turn of the century. He was succeeded by Sultan Ali, according to Maqrizi, who was the first ruler to engage with a warfare against the Abyssinia. Sultan Ali, however soon submitted back to Ethiopian rule, because according to Maqrizi he lacked popular support. This allowed Emperor Yagbe'u Seyon to mount a campaign further west along the coast, near the vicinity of Zeila.
Military
According to Mohammed Hassen Ifat's infantry consisted of the Argobba people.
The first mention of the ethnonym "Somali" dates to the reign of Emperor Yishaq who had one of his court officials compose a hymn celebrating a military victory over the Sultan of Ifat's and his eponymous troops.
Location
The earliest account of Ifat Sultanate comes from Ibn Sa'id al-Maghribi. He says that the region is called Jabarta and its capital is called Wafāt. Its population, who are Muslim, are ethnically mixed. The city sat upon an elevated place in a valley next to a river and the inhabitants cultivate banana and sugar cane. He calculates the astronomical position of the city being 8 latitude and 57 longitude according to Arab computation, which is located on the eastern edge of Shewa. Ifat Sultanate was also alternatively known as the state of Zeila.
According to Ibn Fadlallah al-Umari, Ifat was a state close to the Red Sea coast, 15 days by 20 days "normal traveling time". The state had a river (Awash River), was well peopled and had an army of 20,000 soldiers and 15,000 horsemen.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Sultanate of Ifat (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Ifat Sultanate: Key Facts
| Capital | Zeila |
|---|---|
| Form of government | monarchy |
| Founded | 1285 |
| Dissolved | 1415 |
Facts from Wikidata Q157727 (CC0).
Ifat Sultanate Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Ifat Sultanate appears, with the other states of the time.
Ifat Sultanate Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 121,451 km² in 1308 CE.
Ifat Sultanate: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Ifat Sultanate exist?
The Ifat Sultanate is dated to 1285 CE – 1414 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Ifat Sultanate?
The capital of the Ifat Sultanate was Wafāt (1275–1387), Zeila (1387–1403).
How large was the Ifat Sultanate at its peak?
At its peak in 1308 AD the Ifat Sultanate covered about 121,451 km².
How did the map of the Ifat Sultanate change over time?
The Ifat Sultanate appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1300 CE to 1400 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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