In the last three decades, Somalia has been associated with such horrible terms as 'state collapse', 'civil wars', 'foreign intervention', 'warlordism', 'famine', 'piracy' and 'terrorism'. This depiction was in contradiction to its earlier images as the cradle of the human race, the kernel of ancient civilizations, the land of Punt, a homogeneous nation-state and the first democratic state in Africa. So how did things fall apart in the country?

This Volume 1 of a two-volume narrative, Dr. Abdullahi explores the history of the people of Somali peninsula since ancient times, the advent of Islam and colonialism, the rise and fall of Somali nationalism and the perspectives of the Somali state collapse. The book uses a unique thematic approach and analysis to make sense of Somali history by emphasizing the responsibility of Somali political elites in creating and perpetuating the disastrous conditions in their country.

The collapse of the postcolonial Somali state in 1991 and the consequent outbreak of civil war drastically transformed the socio-political landscape in Somalia. Somalis reverted to the pre-colonial state of affairs and sought refuge in their clan attachments. Local authorities were contested by the warlords, traditional elders, Islamist organizations and modern civil society. Indeed, it was non-state actors that played incredible role in sustaining the livelihood of the stateless people. During this period, the role of women in socio-political affairs grew exponentially and Somalis' national identity became reconfigured profoundly.

This Volume 2 of a two-volume thematic history of Somalia focuses on four themes: the history of Somali civil society, the history of Somali traditional authorities, the history of the political ascendancy of Somali women and the historical evolution of Somali national identity. Volume 1 had explored the history of the people of Somali peninsula since ancient times, the advent of Islam and colonialism, the rise and fall of Somali nationalism and the various perspectives on the collapse of the Somali state. These eight chapters constitute comprehensive perspectives on Somali history designed as a history course for Somali university students as well as for general readers elsewhere.