1821.] 



Eastern Account of the Wechahites. 



507 



he formed aa alliance with Ibn-S^oud, 

 prince of two considerable provinces, 

 Deraich and Lasha. These two chiefs 

 divided the sovereignty between them ; 

 Scheikh Muharamed assumed the au- 

 thority in spirituals, with the title of 

 Iman, or Supreme Pontiff of the sect ; 

 and the other, Ibn-Seoud, retainetl the 

 title of Emir, or Prince, with the tem- 

 poral authority ; a division which has 

 been perpetuated among their descend- 

 ants. 



The Wechahites had not existed half 

 a century when tliey had stripped the 

 Ottoman empire of some of its Asiatic 

 possessions. When they pillaged Mecca 

 they stripped the tomb of Mahomet of 

 the ornaments which the Turks had 

 lavished on it, but they neither violated 

 nor profaned it. When in possession 

 of Mecca, they wrote to the Pashas of 

 Egypt and Damascus that the pilgrim- 

 ^e would be free as usual, provided 

 tfie caravans came without ornaments, 

 arms, or escorts of cavali-y : what fame 

 has circulated of their intending to 

 suppress the Hadja, is imfounded. It 

 is true, however, that they have made 

 proselytes, even in the Holy City, as 

 many of the inhabitants are secretly 

 Wechabites. 



As well as Mecca, they plundered 

 Medina, Iman-Husseim, and other 

 places most revered by the Mussulmans, 

 Sunnis, and Schlas. What is related 

 respecting the frugality of these secta- 

 ries, their fanaticism, their patience to 

 endure privations of every kind, their 

 ciyil and military organization, may 

 partly account for the rapidity of iheir 

 growth and success. 



The creation of the Djamas, or Le- 

 gions of Mardoufas, was well adapted to 

 the Wechabites, in their wars of inva- 

 sioa. The mardoufas are nimble 

 dromedaries, carrying each two ri- 

 ders, one towards the head, and the 

 other to the crupper, and armed with 

 lances, sabres, fusees, and pistols. Two 

 bladders, fastened to the belly of the 

 animal, one full of meal and the other 

 of water, would be suliicient to support 

 for some days, both the riders and the 

 dromedary. 



It is observed by Diodorus Siculus, 

 that in his time the Arabs were thus 

 equippe*!, in their prexlatory expedi- 

 tions. The custom of fighting on ca- 

 mels has ever been common in the 

 East, and was practised by the ancient 

 Tartars. Legions so ariaved will cross 

 without fear the most arid deserts. No 

 •eparation or extent of sands can se- 



cure any tribe from tlie attacks of these 

 sectaries. To arrive, to massacre the 

 men, to carry tlie vvomen and children 

 into slavery, to plunder the tents and 

 habitations, and to load their camels 

 vvith the booty, is, with the Wechabites, 

 an affair of some days and of a few mi- 

 nutes. Already are they on the high 

 road to the desert, while the plundered 

 tribe are preparing to arrange their 

 means of defence. 



Such were the first expeditions of the 

 Wechabites, which enabled them to 

 advance to greater enterprizes. The 

 neighbouring tribes, vanquished by 

 their arms, or by the terror which they 

 inspired, became their auxiliaries.— 

 Then they attempted conquests with a 

 view to the keeping of them. Their 

 motto, like that of Mahomet, was, ' Be- 

 lieve or die.' 



The following is a proclamation by 

 which one of their chiefs announced 

 himself to the people of a certain dis- 

 trict : — 



To the children of * • greeting. I 

 send you the sacred book ; believe init ; be 

 not of the number of those who pervert the 

 text, and give a companion to God. Be 

 converted, or expect to fall by the aveng- 

 ing iroQ that heaven has put into my hands, 

 to strike idolaters therewith. 



The slightest resistance to a summons 

 of this imperious kind, was attended 

 with massacres, pillaging, and devas- 

 tation. If the tribe submitted, the 

 Wechabites placed a governor over 

 them, obliged them to pay the tenths, 

 and the new converts were also obliged 

 to furnish one man in ten to serve gra- 

 tuitously in the legions. 



After having spread their doctrines, 

 by force or persuasion, through almost 

 all the tribes of Arabia and the Desert, 

 the sectaries proceeded to extend their 

 domination into Syria and Mesopota- 

 mia. Then the Porte, alarmed at their 

 progress, ordered Suleyman, the Pasha 

 of Bagdad, to reduce them. An expe- 

 dition, under the command of Ali, son- 

 in-law of Suleyman, was directed 

 against Deraich, but proved unsuccess- 

 ful. Ali perished with the greater part 

 of his troops. The Wechabites, em- 

 boldened to a higher pitch of audacit}'^, 

 in ISOl, by tlie destruction of Kerbela, 

 spread terror through all that part of 

 the East. Three years after, Ibn-S^oud 

 was assassinated by a Persian, whose 

 two sons had perished in the massacre 

 of Kerbela, and Muhammed did not 

 long survive him. The son of Ibn- 

 S6oud, to his father's conquests added 



the 



