Page "Anti-imperialism" Paragraph 7

The Dervish State (, ) was an early 20th century Somali Sunni Muslim state that was established by Muhammad Abdullah Hassan, a religious leader who gathered Somali soldiers from across the Horn of Africa and united them into a loyal army known as the Dervishes.

This Dervish army enabled Hassan to carve out a powerful state through conquest of lands claimed by the Somali Sultans, the Ethiopians and the European powers.

The Dervish State acquired renown in the Islamic and Western worlds due to its resistance against the European empires of Britain and Italy.

The Dervish forces successfully repulsed the British Empire in four military expeditions, and forced it to retreat to the coastal region.

It is at that time the only African state that fought against the colonizing Europeans.

It became the symbol of the African struggle against Europe.