ABD-EL-KADER. 



ABD-EL-KADER. 



10 



Damascus, the residence of Saladin, had about this time, through 

 the liberality of that celebrated sultan, become a rallying point for 

 learned men from all parts of the Mohammedan dominions. It is 

 here that we find Abdallatif commencing his literary career by the 

 publication of several works, mostly on Arabic philology. But the 

 celebrity of several scholars then residing in Egypt, among others the 

 Rabbi Moses Maimonides, drew him to that country to seek their 

 personal acquaintance. A letter from Fadhel, the vizir of S-iladin, 

 introduced him at Cairo, and he was delivering lectures there while 

 Saladin was engaged with the crusaders at Acca (St. Jean d'Acre). 

 Soon, however, the news of Saladin's truce with the Franks (1192) 

 induced Abdallatif to return to Syria, and he obtained from Saladin 

 a lucrative appointment at the principal,mosque of Damascus. After 

 the death of Saladin, which took place in the next year, we find 

 Abdallatif going back to Cairo, where he lectured on medicine and 

 other sciences, supported for a time by Al-Aziz, the son and successor 

 of Saladin. It was during this residence at Cairo that Abdallatif 

 wrote his work on Egypt. But the troubles of which Egypt now 

 became the scene, induced Abdallatif to retire to Syria, and subse- 

 quently to Asia Minor, where he seems to have lived for a long time 

 quietly at the court of a petty prince, Alaeddin Daud, of Arzenjan. 

 Aftr the death of that prince (1227) he went to Aleppo, to lecture 

 there partly on Arabic grammar, and partly on medicine and on the 

 traditions, an important branch of Mohammedan theology and juris- 

 prudence. Four years after this, Abdallatif set out on a pilgrimage 

 to Mecca, and took Ms route through Baghdad, to present some of his 

 works to the then reigning kalif Mostanser, when he died there 

 in 1231. 



Ebn-Abi-Osaibia has given a list of the works composed by Abdal- 

 latif, which, in the Arabic appendix to Baron do Sacy's translation, 

 fills three closely-printed quarto pages. The description of Egypt, 

 through which his name has become so familiar to all friends of 

 antiquarian research in Europe, and in which he displays an accuracy 

 of inquiry, and an unpretending simplicity of description almost 

 approaching to the character of Herodotus, is dedicated to the kalif 

 Nasir-ledin-illah. It is divided into two books : the first treats, in 

 six chapters, on Egypt generally, on its plants, its animal*, its ancient 

 monument)), peculiarities in the structure of Egyptian boats or vessels, 

 and on the kind of food used by the inhabitants ; the second book 

 gives an account of the Nile, the causes of its rise, &c., and concludes 

 with a history of Egypt during the dreadful famines of the years 

 1200 and 1201. 



The only manuscript copy of this work, of the existence of which 

 we are aware, is preserved in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. From 

 this manuscript the Arabic text was edited for the first time at Tubin- 

 gen, in 1787, by Paulus, and again, with a Latin translation, by Pro- 

 fessor White, at Oxford, 1800, 4to. The French translation published 

 by Biiron de Sacy, under the title 'Relation de 1'Egypte,' &c. (Paris, 

 1810, 4to), besides its greater fidelity, has through the copious notes 

 added to it become one of the most important works that the scholar 

 can consult on the geography, the history, or the antiquities of 

 Egypt. 



ABD-EL-KADER (Sidi-d-Hadji-Ouled-Mahiddin), formerly Emir 

 and Bey of Mascara, and celebrated for his protracted resistance to 

 the French arms in Algiers, was born in the early part of 1807, in the 

 neighbourhood of Mascara, in what is now known as the province of 

 Oran. [AU;KIUE, L', in OEOGIIAPHICAL DIVISION of Exo. CYC. voL i. 

 col. 206.] He was the third son of a marabout, of the Arab tribe of 

 Hashem, named Sidi-el-Hadji-Mahiddin, who had acquired great influ- 

 ence on account of his sanctity as well as his rank. Over the early 

 days of Abd-el-Kader has been thrown something of the romantic 

 colouring which would seem of right to belong to an Oriental hero, 

 and one who has figured so conspicuously in the annals of France. 

 He had in infancy accompanied his father in a pilgrimage to the birth- 

 place of the prophet. From his boyhood he had been carefully 

 trained in both the secular and sacred learning of his race. By open- 

 ing manhood he had obtained the reputation of a scholar well instructed 

 in the history and the literature of Arabia ; and he had crowned his 

 study of the Koran and its commentators by a second pilgrimage, in 

 1828, to Mrcca, and received in consequence the title of Hadji, or 

 saint. At the same time, so far from neglecting equestrian and mili- 

 tary exercises, though of small stature and little physical strength, he 

 had rendered himself remarkable even in those arts in which all his 

 countrymen excel the management of the horse, the lance, and the 

 yataghan. 



When the French began seriously to push their conquests into the 

 interior of Algiers, Abd-el-Kader was living in retirement with his 

 wife and two children, distinguished by the austerity of his manners 

 and his strict olnervance of all the precepts of the Koran. But when 

 the severe measures of the Duke of Rovigo caused a general rising of 

 the native tribes, he joined his countrymen in arms. The father of 

 Abd-el-Kader had for some time been exerting all his influence to 

 effect a union of the tribes ; urging them to make a great and com- 

 bined effort to drive the- French out of the country, as then, from the 

 humiliated condition to which the Turks had been reduced, the Arab 

 might again with little trouble become the ruler of the land. The 

 confederation of the tribes was formed, and the chiefs besought 

 Mahiddin to take the direct inn of it. He refused however, ploading 



that his advanced age unfitted him to act as a military leader at such 

 a juncture ; but he directed them to his sou as one designated by 

 nature and education for the purpose : and he repeated to them 

 various omens which had marked his birth and childhood, and related 

 how during the pilgrimage to Mecca an aged fakir had solemnly 

 announced to him that he should become Sultan of the Arabs. The 

 tribes acquiesced, and Abd-el-Kader was proclaimed Emir at Mascara. 



Accompanied by his father he at once begau to preach a Holy War, 

 and to call on the faithful to assist in the expulsion of the infidels. 

 By the spring of 1832 Abd-el-Kader found himself at the head of 

 10,000 warriors. His first blow was struck in May of that year 

 against Oran, or Warran. The assault was several times repeated with 

 great impetuosity during three successive days, but was each time 

 repelled with heavy loss to the Arabs. Abd-el-Kader though un- 

 successful as far as the capture of Oran was concerned, acquired great 

 reputation by his personal skill and daring, and the siege is said to 

 have done much towards accustoming the Arabs to face artillery, 

 from which they had previously shrunk. Before making another 

 determined effort to dislodge the invaders, he resolved to extend the 

 basis of his power, by persuading or compelling the tribes of the 

 interior to acknowledge his supremacy ; and after some opposition ho 

 appears to have succeeded with both Kabyles and Arab?. The French 

 on their part were chiefly anxious to secure the cities and strong- 

 holds along the coast, and left the Emir to take his own course in tho 

 interior. So strong indeed was the desire of the French governor of 

 Oran, General Desmichels, to obtain a respite from any further attack 

 while carrying out this purpose, that he entered into a treaty (Febru- 

 ary 26, 1834,) with Abd-el-Kndcr, by which he agreed, on his acknow- 

 ledging the French supremacy, to recognise him as Emir of Mascara, 

 including the sovereignty of Oran, except such portions of the coast 

 as were in the possession of the French. Along with the sovereignty 

 was also ceded to him the monopoly of the commerce with the interior. 

 This treaty was disapproved in Paris, but to Abd-el-Kader it was of 

 great advantage, from the vast accession of consequence he derived in 

 the eyes of the natives from this formal recognition of his sovereignty 

 by the French authorities. But it also aroused jealousy and fear 

 among the chiefs, and several of them refused to submit to his preten- 

 sions. By one of these, Mustapha-Ben-Ismail, chief of the Douaires, 

 he was surprised in a night attack, and his forces routed ; the Emir 

 himself only escaping with extreme difficulty. Other chiefs on 

 receiving news of this defeat also rose against him, but he quickly 

 collected a considerable body of troops, and General Desmichels having 

 supplied him with muskets and powder, he soon forced them to 

 succumb. 



It has been disputed whether the French or Arab general first broke 

 the terms of the treaty. Probably each regarded it as nothing more 

 than a convenient armistice, to be kept only as long as suited his 

 purpose. Certain it is, that Abd-el-Kader having availed himself to 

 the utmost of the opportunity to secure his influence over the tribes, 

 and to put his army into an efficient state including the training for 

 the first time among Arabs of a regular infantry corps, and an artillery 

 service crossed the ShelUf and entered Medayah in triumph, announc- 

 ing that he was about to expel the French. General Tivzel who had 

 succeeded Desmichels, at once took the field agaiust him. The armies 

 met on the banks of the Sig. That of the Emir was much the more 

 numerous ; but the superior discipline of the French amply com- 

 pensated for the disparity of numbers, and Abd-el-Kader, after a 

 resistance which extorted the admiration of his enemies, was compelled 

 to fall back. Trezel was however in no condition to pursue his 

 success. He had lost 240 men ; and the army of the Emir though 

 defeated, was still much the larger and well kept together. Trczel 

 decided to retreat towards Arzew ; and the Emir followed him. At 

 the Pass of Makta, where Trczel, cumbered with wounded and 

 baggage, was at a manifest disadvantage, the Emir fell upon him in 

 force (June 28, 1835), and it was only by the most desperate exertions, 

 and with a loss of 500 men, that the French general was able to 

 extricrte a portion of his army. This, the first serious check which 

 the French had suffered in Africa, produced the greatest excitement 

 among the native population. In Paris, on the other hand, it caused 

 much irritation, and Marshal Claueel was despatched with imperative 

 orders to inflict a striking punishment on Abd-el-Kader. On arriving 

 in Algiers the Marshal appointed a Bey of Oran, with a view to weaken 

 the authority of the Emir by raising up a native rival. Clausel then 

 marched with a considerable force upon Mascara ; but the Emir 

 caused the inhabitants to quit the city, and when Clausel entered it, 

 December 6, 1835, he found little more than bare walls. Unable to 

 hold the city, Clausel completed the work of ruin by setting it on 

 fire. Abd-el-Kader now made Tremecen, or Tlemsen, on the borders 

 of Morocco, his head-quarters; but on the approach of Clausel he was 

 forced to evacuate it, and retreat still farther into the interior. 

 Clausel continued his pursuit, and the Emir was again compelled to 

 break up his camp. Soon after a large auxiliary force, including 

 several thousand horsemen, who had come from Marocco to unite with 

 the Emir in the Holy War, was surprised and defeated ; and Clausel 

 returned to Algiers, boasting in his bulletins that he had effectually 

 destroyed the power of the redoubtable Emir. But Abd-el-Kader had 

 continued to follow at a distance the movements of tlie French, and 

 he now showed that he was still formidable, by attacking and 



