Dervish State (Somali)
Between 1899 and 1920, the Dervishes under Sayyid Mohammed Abdullah Hassan challenged the external colonial forces, the British, the Ethiopians, and the Italians in the northern Somali Peninsula, and temporarily established a relatively effective Somali proto state. It was based on the Sayyid's charisma and supported by strong religious belief (legitimizing the war against "unbelievers" and by the general contempt of foreign domination on the part of Somali pastoral nomads. The Dervish rule, however, was characterized by war and did not contribute to economic or social development of the region. Keywords: East Africa; rebellion; religious history