The Ottomans and the Emirate of Adal in the western Red Sea 1520-1560

Abstract

 The so-called Islamic-style kingdoms suffered from the encroachments of the Abyssinians, who sought to liberate Abyssinia from Islamic presence and weaken the surrounding Islamic states so that they could reach the western coasts of the Red Sea, which were of great economic importance as a route for international trade, both in the past and the present. Due to the Abyssinian pressures on the Islamic kingdoms and the persecution they inflicted, some of their princes attempted to unify their efforts to resist the Abyssinians. Among these emirates emerged the Emirate of Adal and its leader Imam Mahfouz, then Imam Ahmed bin Ibrahim, nicknamed Al-Asar, who played a major role in unifying the emirate and restoring its strength, and contacting the Ottomans, who had a presence in the Red Sea after their control of Egypt in 1517 AD. They did not hesitate to provide support to this emirate. The Abyssinians had sought the help of the Portuguese in the coastal emirates, and the victories they achieved were thanks to them. The Ottomans tried hard to cut off the communication route between them and the Portuguese, and they succeeded in doing so.