ALOMPKA. 



M 



, and oboes Yahya-ben-Aoaslr in his toad. 



supplying him with troops to oppose Almamnn. Yahya landed in 

 tsfld.S. and was defeated by the emperor near Medina > 

 AJmamun epeediiy eroisid over to Africa, and arriving at Marocco 

 Dbled the senate, and after upbraiding them for 

 em to be behead sd in the court of the palace. 



All the walis suspee* d of partiality for this body underwent the same 

 bu.and their heads were left to putrefy on the ramparts of Marocco. 



In Spain, Ibn-Hud, an Andalusian sheik, who had formed the project 

 of rescuing the country from the yoke of tho Almohades, after a series 

 of victories expelled them from til* Peninsula. Almamun, bsrsssod 

 by to many disasters, died in 8 (1831). His tuooeseors in Africa 

 lived in a continual state of intestine warfare. The but of them was 

 Idris, who fell in a battle against the Marini, and with him ended the 

 dynasty of the Almohades. 



(Casiri. BMioOuat ArMeo-Uitpana ; Conde, Xutorio dt to Domi- 

 m**m4tltA*wtmmUrH*,tLUi Marmol, Dttcnpeion Oaurai 

 dt Afrit*; Rodericus Toletanus, Dt JUtmt Buptutint ; D'Herbelot, 

 BMiotUqmt Oriental*.) 



ALMuKAVIDKS, an Arabian tribe, who came out of the country of 

 Himyar, and esteblished themselves in Syria in the time of the first 

 kalif, Abu-bekr. They passed afterwards into Egypt, penetrated into 

 Africa towards the west, and settled about the Desert of Sahara. They 

 extended themselves gradually, and gave the name to a sect called 

 Molthemiu, or Molathemin, on account of their wearing veils. Their 

 religion seems at a very early period to have been Christian, but by 

 mixing with the Mohammedans they lost every trace of it; and even 

 of the religion of Islam they hardly know anything beyond the formula, 

 La ilth ilia Allah Mohammed rasul Allah ;' that is, ' There is but one 

 Ood, and Mohammed is his envoy.' 



Yahya-ben-Ibrahim, a very patriotic man of the tribe of Qudala, 

 which was one of these tribes, on his return from Mecca, meeting with 

 Abn-Amran, a famous Fakih (that is, lawyer and theologian), of Fez, 

 informed him of the state of ignorance of his tribe, and of their tract- 

 able disposition, and requested him to send some teachers. Abdallah- 

 ban-Yaesim, a disciple of another Fakih, offered to accompany Yahya. 

 Having met with an enthusiastic reception from the tribe, he induced 

 them to wage war against the tribe of Lametounah, who were made 

 to acknowledge his spiritual authority ; and he gave his followers the 

 name of Maiabautb, or Morabitin, which signifies men devoted to the 

 service of religion. Abdullah bavin? fallen in battle in the year 450 

 of the Hrgira, A.D. 1058, Abu-bekr-ben-Omar-Lametouni was appointed 

 sovereign prince. This chief led his tribe westward, established the 

 eat of his empire at the city of Agmat, and laid the foundation of 

 Marocco. 



The tribe of Gudala had declared war against that of Lametounah, 

 and Abu-bekr marched speedily to its assistance, leaving the command 

 of the army to his relation, Yussef-bvn-Taxfin. Yuasef subdued the 

 Barbers, completed the building of the city of Marocco, and entirely 

 expelled the Zvleridea, commonly known by the name of Zegries, from 

 Mauritania. Having by his exploits and by his affability won the 

 affections of his men, he declared himself sovereign prince, and married 

 the beautiful Zaioab, sifter of Abu-bekr. ThU chief having returned 

 from his expedition, encamped before Agmat ; but finding his oppo- 

 nent too strong to be attack sd. had an interview with Yuseef, and 

 returned to his native dreerts. Yussef made him a magnificent present, 

 which he continued to send to Abu-bekr every year till his death. 



Yuesef now assumed the title of Amir-ol-Muslemiu, or ' Prince of 

 the Believers.' Having been invited by some of the Mohammedan 

 kings of Spain to assist them against Alouso VI., he sailed in 1086 at 

 the bead of a numerous army, landed on the ooast of Andalusia, and 

 marched to Bstremadura. Kin< Alonso hastened from Aragon to stop 

 hie progress, and met the Almoravides in the plains of Zalaca. The 

 Christians fought like heroes, but were compelled to retreat at night- 

 fall, and the king himself was severely wounded. 



Yueavf was called back to Africa, and left the command of the 

 Almoravides to Syr-ben-Abu-bekr. The next year he returned with 

 considerable reinforcement*, and defeating one by one the Moorish 

 - of Spain, established the seat of his empire at Cordova, and 

 1 his son All to be proclaimed his luocesaor. Yussef died at 

 in the year 1 10, at the advanced age of 07. Clemency and 

 humanity were prominent virtues in his character. Contemporary 

 historians state that he never pronounced a sentence of death. The 

 vast empire of the Almoravides, which now reached from Mount Atlas 

 to the Surra Morena, was destroyed by the Almohades in the year 643 

 of the Hrgira, *.a) 148. [AutOHAOU.] 



lerbelot, BMiMiymt OriftlmUi Conde, Domination dt lot 



Pegu. 



nation 



ALOMPRA, founder of the reigning dynasty of Birma, appears to 

 have been born about the year 1711. When Beinga Dalla, king of 

 eooqoervd Birma (1750*2), Alompra was known by the deaig- 

 n Aumdaca, or the huntsman.' He was at that time chief of the 

 mbU yUlage of Munohaboo, situated to the we.t of Keoiim- 

 and about twelve miles distant from the Irawaddy. The 

 of the prnslemaUan issued by Beinga Dalla on r -selling his 

 oapiul. anoouocmg that Birma was annexed as a conquered province 

 to his kingdom, excited (real exasperation among the krmese. 



Aloinpra, who had collected a band of about one hundred devoted 

 followers, strengthened and repaired the stockade around his village. 

 There was a garrison of about fifty Peguan soldiers placet! in -Mon- 

 chaboo, which Aloinpra attacked and captured unexpectedly some 

 time in the autumn of 1753, putting every man to the sword. 

 Apporasa, the brother of Itoingn Dalla, and governor of Birina, gave 

 directions to place Alompra in strict confinement when he should be 

 brouicht in by the party which had been dispatched against Moochaboo 

 as soon as the massacre of the garrison had been heard of. The Pegusn 

 troops expected no resistance from the much inferior force assembled 

 in Monchaboo, and were confounded at finding the stockade closed 

 and manned against them. At daybreak next morning Alompra made 

 a sally, and, taking the besiegers by surprise, defeated and pursued 

 them for the space of about two miles. Returning to Monchaboo, he 

 sent emissaries to all the neighbouring towns and villages, inviting the 

 Binnese to join his standard. Many hesitated to engage in what 

 appeared a desperate undertaking, but as many obeyed the summons 

 as placed him at the head of a thousand men. Dotachew, the son of 

 Apporaza, who was at the head of three thousand men, hesitated 

 whether to advance and crush the insurrection, or wait for reinforce- 

 ments. Alompra, learning his indecision, took the bold part of march- 

 ing at once upon Ava. Before he reached the city Dotachew fled from 

 it, and the Binnese rose and overpowered the troops he left behind 

 him. Alompra, on receiving this intelligence, scut his second son 

 Shembuan to take possession of Ava, and returned to Monchaboo. 

 All these events took place before the close of 1753. 



A large force was assembled at Pegu, placed under the command of 

 Apporaza, and dispatched up the Irawaddy in war-boats. The fleet 

 set sail in January, 1754, at the time of the year wheu the river is 

 lowest and barely navigable. The obstructions it met with left the 

 Birmese time to collect their forces. Alompra recruited hi* army, and 

 assembled a fleet at Keouin-meoum. In the vicinity of Ava the Peguans 

 were molested by frequent desultory attacks; but their leader, after 

 summoning the city without effect, judged it more advisable to proceed 

 at once against the main force of the enemy than to waste time on a 

 siege. A battle took place near Keoum-meoum, which, although only 

 the fleets were engaged, was obstinate and bloody, and ended ill the 

 defeat of the Peguans. Apporaza, with the wreck of his army, sought 

 shelter within the frontier of Pegu. 



The Peguans avenged themselves by a massacre of all the Birmese 

 within their power. On the 13th of October they put to death tho 

 King of Biruia, who was a prisoner at Pegu, and several hundreds of 

 his subjects of both sexes and all ages. The Birmese, who were 

 numerous in the frontier towns, flew to arms and revenged their fri. ml-i 

 with equal barbarity. The eldest son of the murdered king found his 

 way to Monchaboo at the head of a strong body of Quoin. He attempted 

 to assert his hereditary claim to the throne; but seeing Alompra deter- 

 mined not to recognise it, and doubtful of his personal security, he 

 retired to Siam. After the departure of the prince, Alompra caused 

 nearly a thousand of the Quoin to be put to death, alleging that they 

 had conspired against him. Their kinsmen threatened vengeance, and 

 at the same time Alompra received intelligence that a fleet from Pegu 

 had blockaded Prome. A Birmese officer, dispatched by Alompra, 

 succeeded in throwing a reinforcement of men and provisions into 

 Prome ; and in the space of forty days Alompra collected hia troops, 

 left his two eldest sous in command of Ava and Monchaboo, and 

 descended the river at the head of a formidable fleet. Immediately 

 on his arrival at the blockaded town he attacked the fleet of Pegu. 

 The enemy fled ; he pursued them immediately, and without loss of 

 time pushed on his troops to within a few leagues of Bossein. Beiuga 

 Dalla retired to Pegu, and hia forces, discouraged by his retreat, 

 evacuated Baasein on February 17, 1755. On the 23rd the Birmese 

 entered the town, and having set it on fire, returned the same day to 

 a station where the branch of the river flowing toward* Syriam sepa- 

 rates from that which pastes Bassein. About the middle of April he 

 defeated Apporaza at Synyagong, and obliged the force* of Pegu to 

 fall back upon Syriam, leaving the whole delta west of that town in 

 possession of the Birme-e. Jvirly in May Alompra fixed his head- 

 quarters at Dagon, a few miles fiorn Syriam, to which he afterwards 

 gave the name of Rangoon. 



About the middle of June Alompra was obliged to leave his post 

 at Dagon by an insurrection in liirma, and a simultaneous adv.. 

 the Siamese upon his frontier. Having restored tranquillity he made 

 some stay at Monchaboo, where in tho month of September he con- 

 cluded an alliance with the envoy of tho British resident at Negrais, 

 and immediately afterwards returned to Dagon. 



Alompra remained apparently inactive Wore Syriam till the mouth 

 of July, 1756; the enemy, imagining he calculated on reducing it by 

 famine, were lulled into security. Availing hirnaelf of their negligence, 

 he carried the place by a night attack. Advancing thence, he shut up 

 the King of Pegu in his capital, cut him ofl from all communication 

 wiili his own fertile territories of Dalla and Basaein, and from the 

 possibility of foreign aid. As oon a the rainy seanou was at an end, 

 and the swamps of Syriam and Pegu had emerged from t he inumlation, 

 Alompra ordered his general, Meiula-Meingaing, to advance upon Pegu 

 with a strong detachment. He followed hiuix, ll with the whole army 

 id a few days. The surrounding country was laid waste, the city 

 invested, and shortly afterwards taken by storm. 



