Chapter 222
January 20, 1870
The Gerredi Sultanate, Mogadishu
Mogadishu: that's what the East African government calls it, a name originating from ancient Persian. Locals refer to it as Hamar, and in Ming-era China it was known as Muqǔdūsù. The three different names testify to the city's long history and vibrant cultural exchange.
Now, however, this ancient city has been completely destroyed by East Africans. Siweite brought more than thirty cannons to bombard the place; afterward, three thousand East African troops overran the Sultanate's strongest fortress, leaving it in ruins.
Once Mogadishu fell, the Gerredi Sultanate essentially collapsed. That territory, home to most of the Sultanate's population, was taken. The Gerredi Sultanate had never sustained a large population from antiquity to the present. Even Mogadishu's main livelihood was livestock; farming was difficult.
Mogadishu sits east of the Shabeelle River, though that's Somalia's largest river, it still holds very little water.
(Map)
From February to March, the river often dries up completely. Were it not for its source in Ethiopia's highlands, it might have little flow year-round, so it offers almost no navigable or hydropower value.
East Africa's own rivers might not have much shipping value, but at least they offer hydropower potential. The Shabeelle provides neither. Plus, it's prone to shifting course like the Yellow River; by the 21st century, parts of its lower course would have a riverbed higher than the surrounding land. No wonder Ernst said the Gerredi Sultanate had no real value.
"Report to the Chief of Staff: a dispatch just arrived from the central government."
Siweite, about to lead his troops upstream along the Shabeelle, was hailed by an intelligence officer. He opened the envelope and read it.
"Lavis?"
"Here, Chief of Staff!"
"Your unit will remain to guard Mogadishu's residents. Starting now, no one leaves the city. The government will send people to process them, and you must cooperate. Keep everyone here under watch."
"Yes, Chief of Staff!" Lavis answered firmly.
"But, sir, what was in that letter?"
"Nothing special, so I'll say it plainly. East Africa needs more natives for labor, that's all.
"Oh, and one more thing: separate the Gerredi royal family and nobility. There's a special use for them."
"Yes, sir!"
Lavis didn't wonder much about it. In his eyes, "royal family" was about the same as any chieftain. East Africa has already wiped out hundreds of tribal chiefs, so such matters no longer surprise him.
…
The Gerredi Sultanate's territory is fairly large, mainly along the Shabeelle and Jubba Rivers. Siweite planned to sweep the Shabeelle basin, eradicating any remnants of the Sultanate. Following that river upstream was enough. Jubba lay to the south, where East Africa had already launched attacks while heading north, so local patrol troops could handle things there.
The operation wouldn't only cover the Gerredi Sultanate's domain – Siweite would also move into the southwestern Cushite region, annexing southern Cushite lands so East Africa's new Somali area would merge with its Omo River territory. Essentially, East Africa would swallow what historically belonged to Ethiopia's southwestern region and southern Somalia, using Ethiopia's highlands and Somalia's deserts as a natural barrier.
Once East Africa accomplishes that, the future site of Addis Ababa would stand at East Africa's border with the Abyssinian Empire. (Historically, Emperor Menelik II didn't make Addis Ababa the capital until 1887. It was a plateau in the mountains, basically wilderness before becoming Ethiopia's capital.)
(Map)
"Fighting in these desert zones is easier than on the grasslands. We don't have to play hide-and-seek with the tribes. Here in the Gerredi Sultanate, they follow the water and grass. So all we do is trace the river or the nearest oasis and wipe them out spot by spot," said Siweite.
Just after leaving the ruins of Mogadishu, Siweite's men had already annihilated another small settlement – a clan of maybe a few dozen camel-herders.
"Keep going! This time we'll fight all the way to the headwaters of the Shabeelle!" he declared.
…
"Mr. Platini, looking only at Dar es Salaam Port, how would you judge East Africa's strength?" asked the Portuguese Mozambique delegation. They had come to negotiate how Portugal and East Africa might divide the Malawi Kingdom. In practice, East Africa already occupied the north, so the conference's real point was letting Portugal freely invade the south.
Still, to show the matter was taken seriously, the Dar es Salaam city government was going through a drawn-out negotiation process with the Portuguese. Meanwhile, the Portuguese side took the chance to evaluate East Africa's might, though the government restricted their movements, allowing them only within the harbor area.
"In terms of city construction, Dar es Salaam can compare to Maputo," Platini replied, "but that doesn't mean much. Putting up fancy buildings can't increase real power. Yet the Germans' coastal defenses are indeed decent – those large coastal guns are something we in Mozambique don't have."
"Obviously," said Everton, bursting into laughter. "Just think: Prussia and Austria barely have navies, so the Germans rely heavily on coastal artillery. Hahaha!"
Platini also laughed. "Mr. Everton, that's true. Without a strong navy, if they skip coastal artillery, they'd be doomed."
In reality, the Portuguese Navy might not be stronger than those of Prussia or Austria, but both are basically land powers, overshadowing any illusions of a robust fleet. Meanwhile, the Portuguese have many ships but mostly older vessels; ironically, the East African Navy might even challenge them one-on-one. Portugal's global power had declined steadily ever since the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and tsunami. Though they have many ships – since many Portuguese earn their living at sea – the monarchy can't fund new warships. Their current navy is in dire shape.
Historically, Portugal didn't launch its first ironclad, the Vasco da Gama, until 1876, an outdated vessel even inferior to the later Chinese Dingyuan. That warship once joined Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, reflecting Portugal's decline. Still, the Portuguese find it easy to mock East Africa's naval capacity. Among smaller nations, navies can be quite haphazard. The two Austro-Hungarian surplus warships East Africa obtained differ little from the Heixingen Consortium's merchantmen – basically some extra cannons. By the same token, many Portuguese merchant ships could serve as warships, if needed, occasionally turning to piracy or acting as part-time naval assets. That's how Portugal maintains its façade as a once-great colonial power.
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