ORIENTAL, 211 



including the Persians, regard as the first caliph, A. D. 656. (Page 

 139). All was assassinated; and Moawiyah, soon after, founded 

 the dynasty of the Ommiades ; transferring the capital from Cufa to 

 Damascus, A. D. 673. Under Walid, the son of Abdalmelek, the 

 rest of northern Africa, and the greater part of Spain, were subdued 

 by the Saracen arms. At length, Mervan II. (or Merwan) was op- 

 posed, defeated, and slain, by the family of Abbas ; and the dynasty 

 of the Jlbassides commenced with Sqffah, A. D. 750. Abderrah- 

 man fled to Spain, and there perpetuated the dynasty of the Ommi- 

 ades, as an independent sovereignty. The caliph M-mansor (or 

 Abu-Giafar) founded Bagdad, A. D. 762, making it his capital; and 

 from this period, the history of Arabia, merged in that of Persia, 

 becomes of minor importance. 



2. The History of Northern Africa, may properly be completed 

 here, in connection with that of Arabia. Egypt, when the Roman 

 power was divided, became a part of the Eastern, or Byzantine Em- 

 pire, and remained so, until it was conquered by the Saracens, (or 

 Arabs), under Jlmru, (Amroo), the general of the caliph Omar, 

 A. D. 640; when the Alexandrian Library was finally destroyed. 

 Its history thenceforward is merged in that of Arabia, till Jlchmet 

 Ben Tulun, (or Tooloon), governor of Egypt, threw off the Saracen 

 yoke, and founded the dynasty of the Tulunides, A. D. 877. Egypt 

 was regained by the Saracens, under Moktador Billah, A. D. 909 ; 

 but was again independent, under Mschid, till 969 ; when Morz 

 Ledinillah, (or Moez Ladinallah), then caliph of Tunis, conquered 

 Cairo, and established the Fatimite dynasty. This was overthrown 

 by Saladin, (or Salaheddin) ; who, being sent by the sultan of Bag- 

 dad, against Egypt, usurped the government, A. D. 1170; and be- 

 coming master of Syria, fought against the Christians, in the early 

 Crusades. His successors, the Jlyoubites, were dethroned by the 

 Mamelukes, or Turkish slaves in Egypt, A. D. 1250. These were 

 conquered in their turn by Selim I., sultan of the Turks; who 

 stormed Cairo, in 1517; when Egypt became a Turkish province, 

 under governors styled Beys. Such it continued, excepting the 

 revolt of Mi Bey, in 1756-66; and the French invasion, in 1798; 

 till Mehemet Mi succeeded the beys, Jby a stratagem, in 1811, and, 

 soon after, threw off the Turkish yoke, in fact, if not in name, Egypt 

 was recognized in 1839, by the young sultan of Turkey, as an inde- 

 pendent state. 



The remainder of Northern Africa, including the present Bar- 

 bary States, belonged to Rome, until it was invaded by the Saracens, 

 A. D. 647; and its conquest completed by them, in 709. Fez 

 became independent, in 789, under Edris, a descendant of Fatema. 

 Tunis next became independent, under Jlglab, the first of the Agla- 

 bites, or Agladides, in 805. Ze'iri built Algiers, in 944 ; and ruled 

 over Tunis and Fez, which were ceded to him by Morz Ledinillah : 

 and his successors, the Ze'irides, ruled this coast until Roger, king 

 of Sicily, deprived them of Tripoli, and of most of their territory, 

 in 1148. Morocco was founded by Yoossef, (Yussef or Joseph), in 

 1069; and became powerful under his successors, the Moravides, 

 (or Almoravites) : but in 1269 their empire was divided; and 



