CHAPTER VII.

HISTORY OF THE WAHABEES.

Origin of the Wahabees-Their Founder, Abdel Wahab-Account of their Doctrines-Success of Ibn Saoud and Abdelazeez in Nejed-Siege and Plunder of Kerbela-Submission of Mecca and Medina-Destruction of religious Monuments -Murder of Abdelazeez-Accession of Saoud-His Character-Government-Revenues-Military Tactics-Revival of the pilgrimage-Predatory Incursions of the Wahabees-Attempts of the Turkish Government to suppress them-Expedition from Egypt lands at Yembo-Defeat of Toussoun Bey at Jedeidn-Recapture of Medina by the Turks-Thomas Keith, a Native of Edinburgh, made Governor of the CityRecovery of Mecca and Hejaz-Mohammed Ali takes the Command in Person-Arrest and Death of Ghaleb-Repulse of the Turks at Taraba-Capture of Gonfode-Death of Saoud-Accession of Abdallah-Strength of the Turkish Army-Defeat of the Wahabees at Bissel-Surrender of Taraba and Beishe-Cruelties of Ali-His Return to EgyptCampaign of Toussoun in Nejed-Treaty of Peace with Abdallah-Treachery of Ali and Renewal of Hostilities-Expedition under Ibrahim Pasha-His success in Nejed-Siege and Surrender of Deraiah-Death of Abdallah-Suppression of the Wahabees and Destruction of their Capital-Reflec tions on the Character of their Government and Religion.

ONE of the most remarkable revolutions which Arabia has witnessed since the days of Mohammed, was that effected by the Wahabees, a religious sect, who evinced in their military enthusiasm all the ardour and intolerance of the early Saracens. Their founder, from whom they took their name, was Abdel Wahab, of the pastoral tribe of Temin, in Nejed, and of the clan called El Wahabe, of which his father was sheik. He was born in 1691 at the village of El Ayeneh, in the province of El Ared. In his youth he had visited Mecca, Medina, Bussora,

Bagdad, and various other schools of the principal cities in the East; and being convinced, by what he had observed during his travels, that the primitive faith of Islam had become totally corrupted in practice, and that by far the greater part of Turks and Persians were heretics, he determined to assume the character of a reformer. His manners were naturally grave and austere; while his talents and learning secured for him the respect of his countrymen, among whom he made several converts by means of his writings and his reputation for wisdom.

The religion and government of this sect may be very briefly defined, as a Mohammedan puritanism joined to a Bedouin phylarchy, in which the great chief is both the political and religious leader of the nation. In their creed they are perfectly orthodox. The unity of God is the fundamental principle of their faith. They believe in the Prophet, but regard him as a man essentially mortal, though gifted with a divine mission. They reject the fables and false glosses of the Koran, acknowledging only the traditions of the Sonnees. As they consider all nien equal in the sight of God, they hold it sinful to invoke the intercession of departed saints, or to honour their mortal remains more than those of any other person. Hence chapels, cupolas, and monuments, where reverence was paid to their memory, they condemned as an abomination, and forbade them to be visited. To swear by Mohammed is criminal; and they accuse the Turks of idolatry when they give him the title of lord in their prayers, or revere him in a manner which approaches adoration.

In morals they were pure and rigid; they reprobated the use of spirituous liquors and other exhilarating substitutes; they condemned all sensual indulgences, the neglect of justice and almsgiving, the common practice of fraud and treachery, usury, games of chance, and the other vices with which even the sacred cities were polluted. In the true

spirit of fanaticism, they were as zealous about the inferior as the weightier matters of the law. Next to the war which they declared against saints and sepulchres, their indignation was principally turned against dress and luxury: they strictly forbade the wearing of silk and the smoking of tobacco; and cut from their heads the only tuft of hair which their early Moslem discipline had left them. Among other unwarrantable acts which they abolished, was that of praying over the rosary, and lamenting the dead, thinking it impious to mourn for the soul of a brother in heaven. They did not, however, so far strip themselves of all superstition as to abolish the ceremonies of ablution and the Meccan pilgrimage, or even those of kissing the black stone and throwing pebbles at the devil.

The doctrines of Abdel Wahab, it will be seen, were not those of a new religion; though they were so represented by his enemies, and have been described as such by several European travellers.* His sole guide was the Koran and the orthodox traditions; and his efforts were entirely directed to remove corruptions and abuses, and restore the faith of Islam to its original purity. Whether this great reformer, when he preached to his countrymen in the villages of Nejed, had any idea of establishing a new dynasty to reign over the proselytes of Arabia, is much to be doubted. Neither his birth, nor the strength of his tribe, could authorize him in entertaining such a design. But it cannot be denied that his doctrines had a favourable effect on the people, by suppressing the infidel indifference which universally prevailed, aud which has generally a more

The tenets of the Wahabees were erroneously stated by Rousseau (1808) in his "Description of the Pashalic of Bagdad;" and in a Memoir of this Sect in the "Mines de l'Orient." What is said of them in Niebuhr and Valentia is not very correct. The best and fullest account of them is given by Burckhardt, Mons. Corancez, and Mengin (Append. tome ii),

baneful effect on the morals of a nation than the decided acknowledgment even of a false religion.

To trace the history of this sect, from its origin. to the vast ascendency which it gained in Arabia, were merely to record events similar to those which daily occur in the feudal wars of the desert. It was about the year 1746, when Abdel Wahab was compelled, by order of the governor of El Hassa, to quit his native village, where for eight years, in the capacity of sheik, he had peaceably disseminated his opinions, and made converts of several neighbouring chiefs. Having escaped the poniard of an assassin, he repaired to Deraiah, and obtained a friendly asylum from Mohammed ibn Saoud, sheik of the Beni Mokren, a branch of the Wold Ali belonging to the Aeneze tribe. Here he continued to inculcate his doctrines, which soon gained credit enough to encourage the extension of his project, and enable him to employ force to subdue the refractory. Of the numerous hordes scattered over the central wastes, some offered their voluntary submission, while others combined against him, and refused to acknowledge either his temporal or spiritual authority. To increase the activity of the new missionaries, they were diligently instructed in regard to the merit of using arms to convince heretics and infidels. The temptations of plunder were added to the stimulants of religious zeal; and a share of the booty taken in battle was always distributed among the conquerors, according to the strict law of the Koran.

It does not appear that the great founder of the sect himself assumed any other character than that of their apostle or ecclesiastical ruler. His constant residence was at Deraiah until his death in 1787, when he had reached the advanced age of 95. He possessed in a high degree the art of persuasion, and is said to have captivated all hearts by his elo quence. Equally distinguished as an able politician and an intrepid warrior, he maintained to the last

the influence which he had gained by his sword over the destinies of Arabia. He had all the uxorious propensities of Mohammed, and his twenty wives produced him eighteen children.

The first military champion of the new doctrines, and the political founder of the Wahabee government, was Mohammed ibn Saoud, who had married the daughter of Abdel Wahab. When he commenced his missionary exploits under the title of emir, ac companied by his eldest son Abdelazeez, his force was so small, that in his first skirmish with the enemy he had with him only seven camel-riders. While the venerable apostle contented himself with making proselytes at Deraiah, the two warriors successively conquered Nejed, and most of the great Bedouin tribes who annually visited that territory in quest of pasturage. The earliest and most formidable of their opponents was Erar, sheik of El Hassa. The first army which he sent against them, in 1757, was defeated. Again he made his appearance in person, at the head of 4000 men, with four pieces of artillery, and laid siege to Deraiah; but he was again repulsed, and compelled to retreat in great disorder. The death of Ibn Saoud, in 1765, left Abdelazeez sole commander of the sectarian army; and by his bravery and indefatigable efforts their victories were pushed to the remotest provinces of Arabia. Mekrami, sheik of Nejeran, from being an enemy, became a devoted follower; the sheriff of Abu-Arish was also reduced to obedience, and by their means the new doctrines were spread from the coast of Bahrein to the confines of Mocha and Aden. As the cattle and spoils of the unconverted were unceremoniously seized by the Wahabees, a title by which they now became known, numbers turned proselytes to save their property, and testified the sincerity of their faith by attacking and plundering their neighbours.

After many hard struggles the whole of the Nejed