258 HISTORY OF THE WAHABEES. 



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 govern- 

 ment, 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 formi- 

 dable 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 eiforts 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 plun- 

 dering their neighbours. 



After many hard struggles the whole of the Nejed 



