Through the superior Somali archers, the Imam was able to
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 5:31 pm
defeat the numerical superior Ethiopian Army that consisted of 16,000 cavalry and more than 200,000 infantry.
The Somali archers were from the Mareexaan and Gerri clans.
Richard Pankhurst mentions in 'An Introduction to the Economic History of Ethiopia, from Early Times to 1800':
" On 7 or 9 March 1529, at the great battle of ShemberaKure the first decisive clash of arms in Shoa, Arab-Faqih estimated the Muslim army at 560 horse and 12,000 foot-soldiers and that of the Emperor at 16,000 cavalry and more than 200,000 infantry; Ethiopian accounts, on the other hand, put the invading forces at 300 horse and very few foot and their own at over 3,000 horse and 'innumerable' foot-men. Whatever the exact numbers may have been Gran was completely victorious, his chronicler putting the casualties at 5,000 Muslims and 10,000 Christians. An interesting feature of this and subsequent battles was the use of archers on both sides: Gran was supported by Somali archers of the Marehan, Yiberri and Gerri tribes, as well as by a number of Arabs, while the Emperor's army included in its ranks archers from Tigre and Agame, as well as about 3,000 men of the Maya or El Maya tribe who used poisoned arrows."
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u111 ... rchers.jpg
The Somali archers were from the Mareexaan and Gerri clans.
Richard Pankhurst mentions in 'An Introduction to the Economic History of Ethiopia, from Early Times to 1800':
" On 7 or 9 March 1529, at the great battle of ShemberaKure the first decisive clash of arms in Shoa, Arab-Faqih estimated the Muslim army at 560 horse and 12,000 foot-soldiers and that of the Emperor at 16,000 cavalry and more than 200,000 infantry; Ethiopian accounts, on the other hand, put the invading forces at 300 horse and very few foot and their own at over 3,000 horse and 'innumerable' foot-men. Whatever the exact numbers may have been Gran was completely victorious, his chronicler putting the casualties at 5,000 Muslims and 10,000 Christians. An interesting feature of this and subsequent battles was the use of archers on both sides: Gran was supported by Somali archers of the Marehan, Yiberri and Gerri tribes, as well as by a number of Arabs, while the Emperor's army included in its ranks archers from Tigre and Agame, as well as about 3,000 men of the Maya or El Maya tribe who used poisoned arrows."
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u111 ... rchers.jpg
