an ▁family , ▁to ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁nation . ▁ ▁The ▁early ▁Ad al ▁Kingdom ▁( 9 th ▁century ▁to ▁ 1 3 th ▁century ) ▁was ▁an ▁exclusive ▁Dir ▁Kingdom ▁with ▁its ▁capital ▁being ▁Ze ila . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Jar so ▁cl an ▁a ▁sub - div ision ▁of ▁Dir ▁established ▁the ▁Daw aro ▁Sultan ate ▁cent red ▁in ▁Har arg he ▁High lands . ▁ ▁Dir ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁oldest ▁cl ans ▁in ▁the ▁Horn ▁of ▁Africa . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Muslim ▁chron icles , ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁oldest ▁monarch ies ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁region , ▁the ▁If at ▁and ▁Ad al ▁s ultan ates , ▁were ▁led ▁by ▁Dir . ▁ ▁The ▁Dir - M ada x we y ne ▁Ak ish o , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁G urg ura , ▁Iss a ▁and ▁G ad ab uur si ▁sub cl ans ▁of ▁the ▁Dir ▁represent ▁the ▁most ▁native ▁and ▁ind igen ous ▁Som ali ▁tribes ▁in ▁Har ar . ▁ ▁The ▁city ▁Dire ▁D awa ▁was ▁originally ▁called ▁Dir ▁D h abe ▁and ▁used ▁to ▁be ▁part ▁of ▁Ad al ▁Sultan ate ▁during ▁the ▁medieval ▁times ▁and ▁was ▁exclus ively ▁settled ▁by ▁Dir ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁major ▁Som ali ▁tribe ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁weak ening ▁of ▁Ad al ▁Sultan ate , ▁the ▁O rom os ▁took ▁advantage ▁and ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁pen et rate ▁through ▁the ▁city ▁and ▁sett le ▁into ▁these ▁areas ▁and ▁also ▁assim il ate ▁some ▁of