In the 16th century, the first great Somali nationalist leader Ahmed Ibn Ibrahim, also called Ahmed Gurey or Ahmed Gran (the Left-handed) emerged on the scene to defend the country from foreign invaders like the Portuguese and the Ethiopians between A.D. 1528 and 1542.

The origin and early history of Ahmed Gran is not clearly known. I.M. Lewis mentions:

"According to one legend popular in Ethiopia, Ahmed Gran was the issue of a Coptic priest and a Muslim harlot. A recent writer has more seriously suggested that the Imam may have belonged to a section of the Bija tribe."1

However, Somali folklore suggests that he was in fact a Darod - son of a Somali woman and an Abyssinian Christian priest. The Somali nation, which considers him to be a great Somali hero, today believes this as a fact.

Since he could use his left hand in writing and in fighting with a sword and spear, he became known as Ahmed Gran (the left handed). It appears that his mother might have infused in him the love for the Somali country and Islam, and developed bravery and strength of character in him. He grew up to be an inspired and learned muslim zealot, an extrovert and a dominating type of young man having great leadership qualities and adept in warfare. Impressed by this promising nationalist young man. Imam Mahfuz of Zeila (Northern Somalia), who was a prominent leader in the campaigns against Ethiopia at that time (early A.D. 16th Century), gave his daughter in marriage to him. With his own forces, as well as perhaps with the support of his father-in-law, he rose to become the ruler of a Muslim state, Adel, which had recently shifted its capital from Djibouti on the Red Sea to Harar. He called himself Imam.

Angered by the mercenary activities of the Christian King of Ethiopia, Lebna Dengel, who was trying to expand his territory into Somalia, Ahmed Gran started a jihad (religious war) and raided the Christian kingdom of Central Ethiopia in 1527. Two years later he gave a major defeat to the Ethiopian emperor, but was unable to follow it up because his armies began to disintegrate.2

Between 1528 and 1535 Ahmed Gran succeeded in over-running considerable portions of the Ethiopian empire and penetrated far north, reaching Kassala in 1535. He captured main Ethiopian cities like Wallo and Habsinia (the old name of Addis Ababa (which is made up of Somali words; which in Somali language means "place which deceives people" since it has deceptive weather). He ruled the whole of Ethiopia for about twelve years. "Ethiopian power appeared to be completely broken, and the Emperor Lebna Dengal had to take refuge in the mountains. Many of the people were converted to Islam, and according to an Ethiopian chronicler, "hardly one in ten retained his religion."3

According to researches made by the British social anthropologist I.M. Lewis, Ahmed Gran was mainly supported by his mother's Darod Clan and also some members of Dir groups and one branch of the Isaq Somalis.4 "The effective participation of these pastoral Somali nomads, renowned "cutters of roads" in the words of Muslim chronicles, indicated the greatness of the powers of leadership -- spiritual as well as temporal -- of the Imam."5

Chapter 8: Somali Hero - Ahmad Gurey (1506-43)

Bump. Bty it's because of Ahmed grand that the Ethiopians are reffered to as "raw meat eaters".

He was definitely Somali, probably of the Dir tribe who inhabit the region of awdal.