Dir (clan)
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 Ethiopia
|
n/a |
 Djibouti
|
n/a |
 Somalia
|
n/a |
 Kenya
|
n/a |
 United Kingdom
|
n/a |
| Languages | |
| Somali | |
| Religion | |
| Islam (Sunni, Sufism), | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Isaaq, Surre, Darod, Hawiye, Rahanweyn, other Somali people | |
The Dir, official name: Abukar (Somali: Dir , Dirweyn , Direed or Beesha Direed, Arabic: در , قبيلة در , بنو در , قبيلة أبوكار , بنو أبوكار , ), is a major and one of the noble Somali clan families. They are geographically spread across 4 countries or Shanta Soomaaliyeed , the 5 Somali regions that make up Greater Somalia: Djibouti(former: French Somaliland(1)), Somalia(former: British Somaliland(2) and Italian Somaliland(3)), Kenya, The North Eastern Province(4) and the Ethiopia, the Somali region, but also in the Oromia and Afar regions(5).
The Dir clan is famously known for leading a revolt against the Italians. This revolt was mainly led by the Biimaal section of the Dir. The Biimaal clan is widely known for leading a resistance against the colonials in southern Somalia.The Biimaal violently resisted the imposition of colonialism and fought against the Italian colonialists of Italian Somaliland in a twenty-year war known as the Biimaal revolt in which many of their warriors assassinated several Italian governors. This revolt can be compared to the war of the Mad Mullah in northern Somalia. The Biimaal mainly lives in Southern Somalia, the Somali region of Ethiopia, which their Gaadsen sub-clan mainly inhabits and in the NEP region of Kenya. The Biimaal are pastoralists. They were also successful merchants and traders in the 19th century. In the 19th century they have engaged in multiple wars with the Geledi clan, which they were victorious in.
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Wikipedia