WAHABEES. 



tlie fultan Saaoud became a formidable neighbour to the 

 furrounding pachas of Bagdad, Damafcus, and Egypt. 



The conilitution of this new fovereignty was fingular in 

 its kind. The town of Draaiya, among the deferts, 390 

 miles to the caft of Medina, formed a fort of capital, or 

 centre, of the governments of the Wehhabis. The various 

 tribes of Arabs, fcattered widely in tents and barracks over 

 this vaft extent of country, yielded obedience, both civil and 

 military, to the fultan Saaoud. The tenth of their flocks 

 and fruits was paid in tribute ; an order from the fultan ra- 

 pidly alTembled a multitude of armed men, fubfifting them- 

 felves at their own expence, totally unorganized as foldiers, 

 but deriving force from their numbers — from their aftive 

 fpirit as feftaries — and from the large plunder they obtained 

 in their military expeditions. Defcending frequently from 

 their defert recefles upon the coaft of the Red lea, they ar- 

 retted the caravans, and levied contributions upon the pil- 

 o-rims journeying to Mecca and Medina. In the year 1807, 

 when Ali Bey vifited Mecca, the Wehhabis were in their 

 greatetl power. Their army, which he faw encamped in the 

 vicinity of the facred mount of Arafat, he eftimates at 

 45,ocomen, — a large proportion of the number mounted on 

 camels and dromedaries, and with a train of a thoufand 

 camels attached to the different chiefs of the army. He de- 

 fcribes with fome fpirit the appearance of another body of 

 Wehhabis, whom he faw entering Mecca, to take poffeffion 

 of the city, and fulfil the duties of their own pilgrimage : — 

 a multitude of copper-coloured men, who rufhed impetu- 

 oufly into the place, their only covering a narrow girdle 

 round their waift, to which was hung a khaujear, or large 

 knife, each one carrying befides a firelock on his flioulder. 

 Their devotions were of the moft tumultuous kind ; the 

 lamps furrounding the facred kaaba were broken by their 

 guns ; and the ropes and buckets of the well of Zemz.em 

 deftroyed in their eagernefs to reach the holy water. All 

 the other pilgrims quitted their more decorous ceremonies, 

 till the Wehhabis, having fatisfied their zeal, and paid their 

 alms to the well in gunpowder and coffee, betook themfelvos 

 to the ftreets, where, in conformity with the law of Abd ul 

 Wehhab, their heads were all clofely (haved by the barbers 

 of Mecca. The fultan Saaoud, whom Ali Bey faw at 

 Arafat, was almoft as naked as his fubjefts, diftinguilhed 

 chiefly by the green ftandard carried before him, with the 

 charafters, " La illaha ilia Allah,'" — " there is no other God 

 but God,'" embroidered upon it. 



With refpecl to their religious tenets, the Wehhabis niay 

 be defcribed, generally, as the Socinians of the Mohamme- 

 dan church. Abd ul Wehhab, while acknowledging fully 

 the authority of the koran, profeffed obedience only to the 

 literal text of this book ; rejefting all the additions of the 

 imams and doftors of law, and condemning various fuperlli- 

 tions which had fullied the purity of the faith. He forbade 

 all devotion to the perfon of the prophet, and pilgrimage to 

 his tomb at Medina ; regarding him limply as a man charged 

 with a divine million ; which being completed, he became 

 again an ordinary mortal. The (lory of Mahomet's afcent 

 to Paradife on El Borak, the horfe of the angel Gabriel, he 

 wholly denied ; together with a hoft of other miraculous 

 events, with which hifl;ory has celebrated the life of the pro- 

 phet. The Wehhabis fimply fay " Mohammed," inilead of 

 " Our Lord Mohammed," according to the ufage of other 

 MulTulmen. They have equally rejeded the uidireft wor- 

 {hip of certain faints, who had been gradually inlinuated 

 into the Muffulman calendar, dellroying the chapels and 

 tombs which had been confecrated to them. The grand 

 doftrine of the feft, and what they regard as the bafis of 

 true Illamifm, is the unity of God. This forms their cry 



when they go to war, and juttiiies to themlelves the violences 

 they commit upon tlie corrupters of the faith. The Muf- 

 fulmen who deviate from this fimple principle of belief they 

 call Moufchrikinns, or fchifmatics ; making a diftinftion 

 between this term and that of Coffar, or idolaters. 



As it was the general cuftom of MulTulmen to fliave the 

 head, with the exception of one tuft of liair, the law of the 

 Wehhabis forbade the tuft, and enjoined the Ihaving of the 

 whole head. Their founder alfo prohibited not only the 

 ufe of tobacco, but that of filk and the precious metals. 

 Their religious fervices are performed underneath the 

 open llvy, and not below the roofing of a mofque. Not- 

 withftanding thefe changes, however, and the general fpirit 

 of their doftrine, they ftiU retain certain fuperilitions, com- 

 mon to other MulTulmen. While forbidden to make fome 

 pilgrimages, others are permitted to them. They kifs the 

 Ifone of the Kaaba, drink of the water of Zemzem, and 

 throw Hones againft the pillar faid to have been built by the 

 devil at Mina. 



The pacha of Egypt, with a view of employing his 

 troops, amounting, at this time, to 15,000 men, and in 

 order to gain favour with the Porte, and reputation among 

 true MulTulmen, determined to liberate the holy city and 

 (lirine from the power of thefe heretics, and declared war 

 againil them. In the vigorous profecution of it, his army 

 was tranfported to the Arabian coalls ; and the men and 

 horfes compofing it, were fupplied with provifions, carried 

 up the Nile as far as Kenneh, thence tranfported acrofs the 

 defert on camels to ColTeir, and (hipped for Janibo, or fome 

 other port on the eaftern coaft of the Red fea. Several 

 armed veffels alfo were built at Alexandria, taken to pieces, 

 and conveyed on the backs of camels to Suez, where they 

 found a fmall fleet, which greatly aided his military opera- 

 tions on the Arabian coaft. The pacha, it is faid, received 

 fome arms from the Englilh ; but permiflion was refufed, as 

 we are told by Mr. l>egh, to his requeft that his veflTels 

 might go round the Cape of Good Hope, to enter into the 

 Red fea. The Wehhabis, on the other h.wd, are reported 

 to have received aftiftance from the French government, con- 

 veyed through the I He of France, and with the policy of 

 creating a French intereft in Arabia, which might be fub-> 

 fervient to their pretenfions in the Eaft. 



The campaign of the pacha of Egypt againft the 

 Wehhabis, in 1812, had been unfuccefsful ; and his army 

 fuffered very greatly in an engagement at Jedda, the port 

 of Mecca on the adjoining coaft. He redoubled, however, 

 his exertions ; organized new troops ; and, early in the 

 fpring of 181 3, brought the war to a triumphant termina- 

 tion. The Wehhabis were driven with lofs from the coaft ; 

 Mecca, Medina, and Jedda, were all retaken, and reftored 

 again to the authority of the Porte, and to the worfhip of the 

 true believers. Mohammed Ali fent bis youngeft fon, 

 Ifmael-Pacha, to Conftantinople, to lay the keys of Mecca 

 at the feet of the grand fignior. The acquifition was ren- 

 dered of the utmoft importance, by the peculiar feeling of 

 all MulTulmen towards the actual polTelTor of the holy 

 city.. 



The progrefs of thfs fed, fays Mr. Kinneir, appears to 

 be now at a ftand ; few profelytes have been made for a 

 number of years paft ; and the moft paltry fortifications 

 have been found fufficient to arreft the career of their 

 conquefts. 



It does not appear certain, however, that this fuccefs is 

 complete, or that its confequences will be perm.anent. The 

 Wehhabis retired from tlie coaft to their defert receiTes in 

 the interior of Arabia ; where their loiTes may eafily be re^ 

 paired, if the fpirit of the fe£l is maintained in its former 

 S* vigour. 



