adal

Adal most commonly refers to the Adal Sultanate, a Muslim state in the Horn of Africa that existed from roughly the 14th to the 16th century. Based in Zeila in its early period and later associated with Harar, it was ruled by the Walashma dynasty from Ifat and became a major rival of the Christian Ethiopian Empire.

Geographically, the sultanate controlled parts of present-day eastern Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somaliland, and northern Somalia. It thrived as a trading power along the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, engaging in commerce with the Ottoman Empire and Gulf states. Islam, as practiced within the sultanate, shaped its political and cultural identity.

Historically, Adal emerged as a successor to the Ifat sultanate in the 14th–15th centuries. In the 1520s–1540s, Adal, led by Ahmed ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi (Ahmed Gurey), launched a major campaign into Ethiopian Christian lands with Ottoman support. The war ended with the death of Ahmed Gurey in 1543 and left Adal weakened; by the late 16th century its independent statehood had dissolved.

Beyond the historical polity, Adal is also used as a given name in some cultures, often derived from the Germanic adal- meaning noble. In historical and archaeological contexts, Adal denotes the people and territories associated with the Adal Sultanate. See also Adal Dynasty and Ahmed Gurey.