The Muẓaffarids (or Muẓaffar dynasty) were a Muslim dynasty that ruled the Banaadir coast with their capital at Mogadishu from the late 15th or early 16th century until around 1624 or possibly as late as 1700.[1][2] They were of Persian extraction that mixed with the local Somali population and are related to the Ajuran clan.[3] They were effectively independent,[2] but allied to the more powerful Ajuran Sultanate.[3][4] They resisted the Portuguese, but occasionally paid them tribute.[2][5] In the 17th century, the Muẓaffarids were conquered by the Somali Abgaal.[4]
The Muẓaffarid is the second known dynasty of Mogadishu. Its first attested ruler, ʿUmar al-Malik al-Muẓaffar, bore the title of sultan. He is known from his coins.[2] Coins were minted throughout the Muẓaffarid period. The prosperity of Mogadishu during this time stemmed from its status as a trade link between the interior and the sea and its alliance with Ajuran. The city, however, was already in decline when the Muẓaffarids took over.[4]