Madhiban

Regions with significant populations
Ethiopia,  Kenya,  Somalia  Djibouti
Ethiopia	5,000 (1994)[1]
Somalia	1,548,000 (2010)[2][3]
Languages
Somali
Religion
Islam
Related ethnic groups
Somalis and other Cushitic peoples

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The Madhiban (Somali: Madhibaan), also known as Gaboye,^[4] are an artisanal caste among Somali people.^[5][6][7] They have been endogamous, and their traditional hereditary occupation has been as hunters.^[8][9]

The Madhiban have been one of the low status castes among the Somalis, along with Tumal and others.^[5][10][11]

The Madhiban are a part of the Somali ethnic group found in East Africa, particularly in Somalia, Ethiopia, northeastern Kenya, and Djibouti.^[4][12]

According to a 1960 count, they numbered around 20,000 out of 640,000 Somalis in parts of Somalia that were within the then British Protectorate. Their numbers in other parts of Somalia and other Somali regions were unknown.^[13]An article published by the UN's Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) indicates that the Daami district of Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, is home to 8,000 Gabooye families, comprising approximately 48,000 people (UN 2 July 2010).^[3]

The terms Madhiban, Midgan or Midgaan for this Somali caste are found in historic literature, but in modern discourse, the term Gaboye is increasingly common. This caste is distinct from the Tumal and Yibir outcast communities because each is accused of things different from each other in Somali society.^[7]

The Madhiban were historically hunters, but now engage in occupations like technology work (skils people). They also are the traditional circumcision performers for both males,^[14][15] and females in the Somali society.^[16][17] These professions have traditionally been considered dirty, and the Madhiban have been a part of the sab or lower castes as opposed to the aji or upper castes.^[18] Aji in the Madhiban language means “dirty water that you cannot drink or perform Islamic ablution with”.^{[clarification needed][citation needed]}

According to Lee Gunderson, Dennis Murphy Odo and Reginald D'Silva, the Midgan have traditionally been treated as a low caste, scorned and reviled.^[19] A Midgan-Madiban has been deemed as polluting and therefore avoided as a taboo in the Somali society.^[19][20][7]

In 1890 Élisée Reclus, in his encyclopedic work "The Earth and its Inhabitants: AFRICA" (Vol. IV, South and East Africa) described the Madhiban (Midgan) as follows: In still greater contempt are held the Midgans, called also Rami, that is to say "Archers," who are universally regarded as the lowest of the low. They worship trees and snakes, and eat all the prohibited food, such as fish, fowl, eggs, hares, and gazelles. They are also daring hunters, fearlessly attacking the lion and the elephant, whom they pierce with their poisoned arrows. Like the Yebirs, the Midgans also practise medicine, and have the reputation of being extremely clever charlatans. According to the Somali legends, the lower castes are the issue of crossings between Abyssinian women and maleficent genii, while the Midgans are of still more degraded origin, their ancestors having been the slaves of these Abyssinian women.^[21]

Under Somalia's military administration, some Madhiban were appointed to positions within the government to promote integration. The Madhiban have since obtained wider political representation. Their general social status has also improved with the expansion of urban centers.^[22]

The first recorded reference to the Madhibaan people dates back to 1435 in Suleiman's translation of Ibn Majid's writings and poems found in Ababn Majid. In this text, Suleiman identifies the Madhibaan as Al-Midgaan, emphasizing their distinction as a separate nation from the Somali people. He briefly mentions the name Al Somali as well.^[23]

Pipalo, alternatively known as the Madhiban Sultanate, emerged as a historical kingdom between the 6th and 8th centuries, flourishing until the 14th century in the region between Berbera and Zeila. Over this extensive timeline, the kingdom evolved, encompassing four major cities and numerous towns, and establishing a distinctive presence in the historical narrative.^[24]

Renowned for their reliance on camels and sheep, the inhabitants of Pipalo utilized these animals for sustenance and culinary purposes. The kingdom's significance extended beyond its faunal richness, as it became a prominent exporter of valuable commodities like ambergris, large elephant tusks, and rhinoceros horns, some exceeding ten catties in weight.

In addition to its economic prosperity, Pipalo boasted affluence in myrrh, liquid storax gum, and remarkably thick tortoise shells. The kingdom's unique combination of natural resources and distinctive wildlife, including the elusive "camel-crane" and the unique tsu-la, contributed to its cultural identity.^[25]

A notable aspect of Pipalo's cultural practices was the inhabitants' hunting expertise. Skilled marksmen, they employed poisoned arrows to capture and hunt the indigenous wildlife. This hunting tradition added a unique dimension to Pipalo's historical significance, making it a notable player in the regional dynamics until the 14th century.^[26]

In the year 629 AH (1231 AD), a significant battle occurred between the Madhibaan and the Makhzumi dynasty on a Friday in the month of 'Ashura'. Sultan 'Abdallah was captured in Gidaya after nearly two years. He died in the year 632 AH (1234 AD) on the twentieth night of Ramadan, marking the end of the Makhzumi dynasty^[27]

The Madhibaan have been integral to Somali society's healthcare practices for centuries. Their medical knowledge, passed down through generations, combines rational, magical, and religious approaches. This blend of practices is common in Somali culture, where both traditional healers and lay practitioners from the Madhibaan tribe, known as wadads, provide medical care^[28][29]

Traditional Medical Roles The wadad or "doctor" may be a traditional healer with acquired medical knowledge or a layman from the Madhibaan tribe. Surgery, gynaecology, obstetrics, and treatment of infant diseases are primarily in the hands of Madhibaan practitioners. Their womenfolk, in particular, play a crucial role in these fields.^[30]

The medical lore of the Madhibaan is traditionally passed from father to son or mother to daughter. This knowledge is not confined to a closed circle; it can also be taught to strangers for a fee. For instance, in 1947, a woman named Nuria gained fame for her herbal treatments after receiving instructions in a vision, attracting patients from as far as Aden and Djibouti.^[31]

Madhibaan surgeons have developed significant expertise in various surgical fields. Their instruments, made of iron with wooden handles, include knives, forceps, gimlets, and scissors. Despite the lack of modern anesthesia, their surgical techniques are advanced. They practice haemostasis with pressure dressings, use myrrh on incisions, and employ thorns as needles with vegetable fibers for stitching.^[32]

Wounds are treated by removing foreign bodies, using acacia roots for haemostasis, and dressing with bark. For snake bites, a ligature is applied proximally, the wound is incised and packed with salt. Burns are treated with sugar and oil, while trepanning is performed for skull fractures.^[33]

Madhibaan women excel in gynaecology, obstetrics, and infant care. They use various herbal treatments and manual techniques for menstrual disturbances, venereal diseases, and other reproductive health issues. For instance, excessive menstrual periods are treated with the gum habab agagi and hot compresses.^[34]

The Madhibaan are well-versed in the use of poisonous plants. They use arrow poisons made from plants like Acocanthera schimperi and Adenium somalense for hunting. This knowledge extends to recognizing and treating poisonings in humans and animals.^[35]

The Madhibaan people, like the Yibir, have a distinct dialect that sets them apart from the mainstream Somali language. Early 20th-century Western linguists classified this dialect as a unique form of Somali. Notably, the Madhibaan and Yibir dialects share a significant number of words, reflecting a close linguistic relationship between these two groups.^[36]

Enrico Cerulli documented the language of the Harla community, known as af Harlaad, which bore a resemblance to the dialects spoken by the Madhibaan and Yibir. This linguistic similarity underscores the deep historical connections and cultural exchanges among these marginalized communities.^[37]

J.W.C. Kirk, a British infantry officer stationed in British Somaliland, provided a detailed account of the Madhibaan dialect in his 1905 grammar of Somali. Kirk noted that the Madhibaan and Yibir dialects differ significantly from the dominant Somali language, a distinction that serves to maintain secrecy and protect the autonomy of these groups. According to Kirk, the secrecy of their dialects was crucial in preventing the ruling class from exerting total dominance over the subservient clans.^[38]

Kirk repeatedly emphasized the importance of this secrecy, urging readers not to disclose the details of the Madhibaan dialect to any Somali not of Yibir or Madhibaan descent. This sentiment was echoed by the German linguist Adolf Walter Schleicher in his 1892 grammar of the Somali language, highlighting the ongoing need to preserve the confidentiality of these unique linguistic forms.^[39]

In more recent times, linguist Roger Blench, referencing Kirk, noted that the dialects of the Madhibaan and Yibir differ substantially in lexicon from standard Somali. However, it remains unclear whether this divergence is due to a distinct linguistic code or if it represents entirely separate languages.^[40]

The Madhiban caste is not an exception limited to the Somali ethnic group, and equivalent cognate caste is found in numerous ethnic groups in East Africa.^[41][42] According to Donald Levine – a professor of Sociology specializing in Ethiopian and Horn of Africa studies, similar caste groups in different languages and ethnic groups have been integral part of societies of this region.^[41] These strata have featured all the defining characteristics of caste, states Levine, characteristics such as "endogamy, hierarchy, status, concepts of pollution, restraints on commensality, a traditional occupation and membership by birth".^[43] In eastern Ethiopia ethnic groups, such as the Oromo people, cognates to Somali castes have been recorded in 16th century texts, states Cornelius Jaenen.^[44] The table below illustrate some alternate terms for castes mirroring the Madhiban in other ethnic groups that share this region with the Somali people.^[45]

• Maryam Mursal, Somali female singer
• Mohamed Sulayman Tubeec deceased, Somali singer/songwriter
• Abdi Tahlil Warsame deceased, Somali singer/songwriter
• Shey Mire Dacar deceased, Somali singer/songwriter

• Professor Ahmed Ashkir Botan Minister of Education in 1981 and a former Vice-Chancellor of the Somali National University.

• In 2009, the Minneapolis Police Department of Minneapolis, Minnesota, reported that "Madhibaan with Attitude" was one of several Somali gangs active in the city.^[47]
• Gaarhaye, was the ninth-largest of the eleven constitutive Darawiish administrative division; it was exclusively Madhiban.^[48]

• Hassan Ali Jama, Who cares about Somalia, (Verlag Hans Schiler: 2005)
• I.M. Lewis, A pastoral democracy, (James Currey Publishers: 1999)

• Andrzejewski, B.W.; Lewis, I.M.; O'Fahey, R.S. (1994). "New Arabic Documents from Somalia". Sudanic Africa. 5: 39–56. JSTOR 25653242.
• Sanchez, Juan J.; Hallenberg, Charlotte; Børsting, Claus; Hernandez, Alexis; Morling, Niels (July 2005). "High frequencies of Y chromosome lineages characterized by E3b1, DYS19-11, DYS392-12 in Somali males". European Journal of Human Genetics. 13 (7): 856–866. doi:10.1038/sj.ejhg.5201390. PMID 15756297. S2CID 2056193.