BEY 



affeftion to the generous mailers, to whom tlity owe their 

 fortunes, and both their pohtical and moral exillciice ; nor 

 do they ever qv)it them in the hour of danger. Thus it 

 often liappens, that a rr.after, v.hcn he findd any of his ilavc3 

 poifeired of extraordinary talents, and tried fidelity, 

 fpares no pains or txpcnce to raife him to a more con- 

 iiderablc employment than that which he himfcif occu- 

 pies ; and thus he at length acquires fovcreign power. In 

 order to attain this power, it is neceflary to be a Mamlouk, 

 that is, the native of a foreign country, as even the children 

 of ihufi.-, who rife to ofTiccs of ftate, do not enjoy the right 

 of fucccffion. Hence it happens, ihjt as the Ton of a bey 

 is not honoured with any particular confideration, the 

 women, perhaps, procure abortions. Ot iS beys, whole 

 hillory was known to Mr. Brown, only two had any chil- 

 dren living. Volney obfcrves, that during 550 years Mam- 

 louks have been in Egypt, and that not one of them has 

 left fubfilling ifFue ; but all their children pcrifh in the fud 

 or fecond defcent. Hence he infers, that thofc who are 

 transferred from the \icinity of mount Caucafus, to the 

 banks of the Nile, are incapable, by the influence of the 

 climate, of perpetuating their progeny. To this circum- 

 llance it is owing, that the Mamlouks are replaced by flaves 

 brought from their original country. From the time of 

 the ^Ioguls, this commerce has been continued on the con- 

 fines of the Cuban and the Phafu, m the fame manner as it is 

 carried on in Africa, by tlie wars among the numerous 

 tribes, and by the mifcry of the inhabitants, who fell their 

 own children for a fubfilleiice. 



Dillinguilhed by favouritifm or merit, the Mamlouk be- 

 comes a cafhef, or kiafchef, and in time a bey. The chief 

 caufe of preferencearifesfrom political adherence to fomepow- 

 erful leader. The number of thefe beys has feldom or ever 

 been complete ; and the revenues of the vacant places were 

 probably (hared among the reft, who were aftual occupants 

 of their office. Each of thefe beys is nominally chofen by 

 thofe that remain ; but in fact appointed by one of the moll 

 powerful. 



The " Yenk-tchery Aga," and feveral other officers, are 

 enumerated among the 24 beys. Befides being governors 

 of certain diftridts of Egypt, feveral of the beys receive 

 other dignities from the Porte. Such are the " Schcik-el-bel- 

 Icd," or governor of the city, which is an office merely 

 civil, unaccompanied with any military power ; the " Def- 

 tcrdar," or accountant general ; the " Emir tl Hadj," or 

 leader of the facred caravan ; and the " Emir ef Said," or 

 governor of the Upper Egypt ; which lall two offices are 

 annual. Thefe officers have alfo revenues allotted them 

 by the Porte, ill-dctined, and liable to much abufe. Of 

 the other beys, each appoints all officers and governors with- 

 ia his diftrift, putting into it fome Have of his own, who 

 is compelled to render an account of the receipts ; of 

 which a part is appropriated to fupport the grandeur of 

 hij mailer. An opulent bey may have from 600 to 1000 

 purfes annually ; the revenue of Murad Bey more than 

 double that fum. The inferior beys may have 300 purfes, 

 or 1 5, cool. The revenues of the beys are raifed by a land- 

 tax and the produce of the cuftoms, amounting together to 

 near two millions fterling, of which but a fmall proportion 

 reaches the coffers of the Porte. Every bey fits in judg- 

 ment on cafes of equity. Thefe pcrfonagcs arc very obfer- 

 vant of their refpedlive jurifdiftions ; and no bey will im- 

 prifon a man liberated by another. Although fometimes 

 too impetuous, they neverthelcfs difplay great acutenefs 

 and knowledge of characters. This government pofleffes at 

 Itafl every advantage of publicity, as every bey is a magif- 

 trate. But the juftice of the rulers is ever liable to the 

 omiiiputcnt influence of gold. Each bey appoints his caf- 



BEY 



hefs, or lieutenants. Thefe officers pre fide each over a town 

 or village, collefting the revenues, and judging fmall caufes; 

 but an appeal lies to the bey. The beys and the caftiefs 

 are, from their ignorance, conllrained to employ Copts as 

 accomptants in adjulling and receiving the revenues, that 

 duty being of an intricate nature, and requiring great local 

 knowledge. The authority of a calhef is as arbitrary as 

 that of a bey. 



The beys in Egypt have been gradually acquiring an in- 

 creafc of authority and influence, and reducing the power of 

 the Ottoman Purte to a feeble and degraded Hate. To 

 this feveral circuiullaiices have contributed ; futh as the un- 

 reftraiued tiailic of fl.ive?. ; the ncgleft of the affairs of this 

 province on the part of the Ottoman Porte ; the extenfion 

 of the power of the divan, and the rellraint of that of the 

 pachas, and the coufeqnent uncontioulable influence of the 

 junizaries and Arabs. To which may be added, the change 

 that took place in the condition of the foldiers, by their 

 becoming citizens, and by the naniages they contrafted, 

 and the change alfo introduced into their difcipline ; and, 

 more cfpecially, the permiffion giantcil to the chiefs of pof- 

 fcffing dillinet propcUy, lands, and villages, dependent on 

 the Mandouk governors, whom it became nccelfary to con- 

 ciliate, in order to prevent their oppieliion ; and the afcend- 

 ancy acquired from that moment by the beys over the fol- 

 diers, and ineieafed by the great riches accruing from their 

 governments. Thefe riches they employed in multiplying 

 their flaves ; and, after emancipating them, advancing thera 

 in the army, and promoting them to various employments. 

 By fuch means Ibrahim, one of the kiayas or veteran colo- 

 nels of the janizaries, rendered himfelf, in 1746, mailer of 

 Egypt ; for he had fo multiplied and advanced his freedmen, 

 that, of the 24 beys, which fliould be their number, no lefe 

 than eight were of his houfliold. His influence was alfo 

 the more certain, as the pacha always left vacancies in the 

 number, in order to receive the emoluments. On the other 

 hand, the largefles he beftowed on the officers and foldiers 

 of his corps, attached them to his intereft, and Rodvan, the 

 moll powerful of the Arab colonels, uniting with him, cora- 

 pleated his power. The pacha became a phantom, and the 

 orders of the fultan vaniihed before tliofe of Ibrahim. At 

 length, about the year 1766, AH Bey gained a decided 

 afcendancy over his rivals, and under the titles of " Emir 

 Hadj," and " Scheik el Belled," rendered himfelf abfolute 

 mailer of the country. (SeeAbiBEY.) Mohammed Bey, 

 furnamed " Aboudahab," or father of gold, from the luxury 

 of his tent and caparilons, who fucceeded him in 1773, 

 during a reign of two years, difplayed nothing but the fero- 

 city of a robber, and the bafenefs of a traitor. Upon his 

 death in 1776, ^lurad, a favourite of Mohammed, was ad- 

 vanced to the dignity of bey ; but he had a formidable 

 competitor in Ibrahim, who had been a flave of Ali Bey 

 the Great. The two rivals, however, adopted concihatory 

 meafures, and entered into an agreement to divide the autho- 

 rity, on condition that Ibrahim fliould retain the title of 

 " Scheik el Belled." This union v/as a prudential meafure, 

 and ncceflary to their fafcty ; for flnce the death of iVli 

 Bey, the beys and cafliefs, who owed their promotion to his 

 houfe, repined at feeing all the authority transferred to a 

 nevv fadlion ; and after feveral intrigues and cabals, formed 

 a confederacy, under the denomination of the houfe of Ali 

 Bey. The chiefs of this confederacy were Hafl"an Bey, 

 formerly governor of Djedda, and Ifniael, the only remain- 

 ing bey of thofe created by Ibrahim Kiaya ; and they con. 

 dufted their plot fo well, as to oblige Murad and Ibrahim 

 to abandon Cairo, and retire as exiles into the Said. Thefe 

 exiles, being reinforced by the refugees, returned, and com- 

 pelled the confederates, Ifmael and Haflan, to make their 



efcape 



