Madhiban

Madhiban

Midgan Somali in 1922
Regions with significant populations
Somalia,  Ethiopia,  Kenya
Languages
Somali
Religion
Islam

The Madhiban (Somali: Madhibaan), also known as Midgan, Midgaan, Mitjan, Muse Dheri or Gaboye, are an artisanal caste among Somali people. They have been endogamous, and their traditional hereditary occupation has been as hunters and circumcision performers.

They are also referred to as Madhibe, an appellation which is sometimes used pejoratively. The Madhiban have been one of the low status castes among the Somalis, along with Tumal and others.

The Madhiban are a part of the Somali ethnic group found in the Horn of Africa region, particularly in modern Somalia, Ethiopia, northeastern Kenya, Djibouti and Eritrea.

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.

The terms Madhiban, Muse Dheri, 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.

The Madhiban were historically hunters, but now engage in occupations like leather work (shoemaking). They also are the traditional circumcision performers for both males, and females in the Somali society. 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.

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

Under Somalia's military administration, some Madhiban were appointed to positions within the government to promote integration. As Hawiye, the Madhiban along with the Habargidir and Abgaal (collectively referred to as Haw) have since obtained wider political representation. Their general social status has also improved with the expansion of urban centers.