Describe the social organization of the Somali in the 19th century.
Answer:
- Family was an important social unit. Several families who claimed a common ancestry formed a clan
- They had the age set sytem formed by boys circumcised together.
-The age set provided warriors who defended the community.
- Somalis believed in the existence of god called WAK/WAO whom they worshipped in shrines.
- In the 16th century they converted to Islam and adopted Islamic social and cultural practices.
- There was division of labour based on gender e.g. men looked after animals while women did domestic chores.
- Marriage was highly valued. It was exogamous and also polygamous.
-The Somali people believed in special people like diviners and medicine men