Battle of Hubat

The Battle of Hubat was fought between the forces of Hubat principality led by Emir of Adal Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi, and the Abyssinian army, under Degelhan.^[1] This was the first encounter between Ahmed's forces with Abyssinians. Ahmed was known as Emir during this battle as he was yet to be given the title Imam.^[2]

Battle of Hubat
Date 1500s Location Hubat, Adal Sultanate Result Decisive Adal victory Ahmed's popularity increases in Adal Build up to the Ethiopian-Adal War
Belligerents
Hubat principality	Ethiopian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi Abu Bakr Qatin	Degelhan
Strength
Unknown, estimates range from 4,000 to 7,000 including Malassay	Unknown, estimates range from 4,500 to 7,500
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Sixty horses and 400 men captured

Battle

Upon hearing that a rebel named Ahmed Ibrahim was in a power struggle with the Adal leaders, the Emperor of Ethiopia Dawit II sent his general Degelhan to confront him. The Abyssinian campaign originally seemed successful as large amounts of women and children of Adal were captured by Degelhan including the mother of Ahmed's commander Abu Bakr Qatin. Meanwhile Emir Ahmed had laid a trap in Hubat, splitting his unit into three, he waited for the Abyssinians to enter the region after sacking Harar and ambushed them. The remaining Abyssinian army who were not killed fled in panic, thus Ahmed's troops won decisively and were able to recover stolen booty.^[3][4]

Aftermath

In the course of Adal's subsequent invasion of Ethiopia, Degelhan's insights gained from this conflict prompted him to alert Emperor Dawit II regarding the peril posed by the Malassay elite forces, emphasizing that the imperial troops were inadequately prepared to confront them.^[5]