If there is any Somali that deserves a wiki page then Sharmarke qualifies as the first for being the most famous Somali of the 19 century. No other Somali was even known outside the borders of Bar-al-somal ( as Somaliland was known to the Islamic world ) .
We know exactly when he died for his death involved outside focrec , he was killed by french in 1861 and his conflict with the french involved both the Turks and the British , Sharmarke died at the age of 85 on board of a french man-of-war in Jida , Saudi Arabia.
What i know so far with reference are the following:
1- Sharmaarke took over Berbera between 1841 and 1842 , at least when some British expedition visited Berbera in 1843 he was the chief of the town and lorded both over its Arab and somali permanent citizens.
2- In May 1843 Sharmarke by force took over Zeila imprisoning the Sharif of Mocha garrison and the governor Mohammed Al-Bard.
3- He also through his conquest of Zeila took over its all tributaries including Tajura .
4- In 1852 the Habar Awal incited by the Amir of Harar took over Berbera and destroyed the Berbera pillars ( pillars built by Sharmarke for the town as a mark for navigation) .
5- in 1854 Sharmarke collided with the Sharif of Mocha ( the Turkish Arab Representative) and as result Sharmarke using his dhows blockaded all trade in route to the somali coast. The Turks removed the Sharif of Mocha and Sharmarke was back as a governor of Zeila and Tajura.
6- In the last years of the 1850s the French efforts to take over both Zeila and Tajura was blocked by Sharmarke , the del la Merveille and de Champlorete expedition to Tajura was blocked by Sharmarke.
7- The french having signed treaties with certain Afar chiefs had their first foot hold on the coast and conspired with the Afar in particular Abu Bakr to remove Sharmarke .
8- in 1860 the french counsel at Aden Henry Lambert was killed somewhere close to Tajura and naturally the french blamed Sharmarke's agent on the killing. A French man of war " le cordlier" was dispatched to the area headed by admiral De Lingle . De Lingle left back into France for reinforcement.
9- in late 1861 De Lingle came back with two naval vessels and wrote an insulting letter to Ahmed Pasha the Turkish governor of Hodeida , demanding that Sharmarke be imprisoned , and his property confiscated and indemnity of $25,000 given to the family of Henry Lambert.
all around my favorite here