A R A 
dated. The following year (the 139th of the Hegira), 
Abdalrahman, of the lioufe of Ommiyah, after the entire 
ruin of that family in Alia, arrived in Spain, where he 
Was acknowledged khalif; nor did he or his defcendants 
ever afterwards own fubjedtion to the Arabian khalifs. 
Tlte 140th year of the Hegira is remarkable for an at¬ 
tempt to alfaflinate the khalif, by the Rawandians, an im¬ 
pious fe< 5 t ; who held the dodtrine of metempfychofis, or 
tranfmigidtion. They firft offered A 1 Manfur divine ho¬ 
nours, by going in procelfion round his palace, as the 
Modems were wont to do round the Caaba ; but the khalif, 
highly incenfed at this impiety, ordered 100 of the prin¬ 
cipal of them to be imprifoned. Thefe were foon relealed 
by their companions-, who went in a body to the palace 
with an intention to murder their fovereign : but A 1 Man- 
fur being a perfon of uncommon bravery, though he was 
furprifed With very few attendants, mounted a mule, and 
advanced towards the mutineers, determined to fell his 
life as dear as poflible. In the mean time, Maan Ebn 
Zaidat, one of the chiefs of the Ommiyah faction, who 
had concealed himfelf in order to avoid the khalif’s re- 
fentment, fallied out of his retreat, and putting himfelf at 
the head of A 1 Manfur’s attendants, charged the rebels 
with fuch fury, that lie entirely defeated them. This ge- 
nerofity of Maan was io remarkable, that it afterwards 
palled into a proverb. On this occalion 6000 of the Ra- 
Wandians were killed on the fpot, and the khalif delivered 
from alfaffination; he was, however, lb much difgulted 
with the Arabs on account of their treachery, that he re- 
folved to remove the capital of his empire out of their 
peninfula; and accordingly founded a new city on the 
banks of the Tigris, which from that time to this has been 
known by the name of Bagdat. The foundations of it 
were laid in. the 145th year of the Hegira, and finifhed 
four years after. From this time, the hiltory of the Mof- 
lem government and empire is continued under the article 
Bagdat, which fee. 
On the removal of the feat of government to Bagdat, 
the peninfula of the Arabs fee ms all at once to have loft 
its confequence, and in a fhort time the inhabitants feem 
even to have detached themfelves from the jurifdidtion of 
the khalifs: for in the 156th year of the Hegira, while 
A 1 Manfur was yet living, they they made irruptions into 
Syria and Mesopotamia, as if to conquer thefe countries 
over again for themfelves ; and though the Arabs, pro¬ 
perly fo called, continued nominally fubjedt to the khalifs 
oi Bagdat till the abolition of the khalifate by Hulaku 
the Tartar, yet they did not become fubjedt to him when 
he became mailer of that city. There is even the ftrong- 
tft re a fon to believe that the Arabs (i. e. the inhabitants 
of the peninfula properly called Arabia) have remained 
independent, not only of Hulaku, but of every other con¬ 
queror that the world hath yet produced. 
“ The perpetual independence of the Arabs (fays Mr. 
Gibbon) has been the theme of praife among ftrangers and 
natives. The kingdom of Yaman, it is true, has been 
fucceftively fubdued by the AbylTinians, the Perfians, the 
fultans of Egypt, and the Turks; the holy cities of Mec¬ 
ca and Medina have repeatedly bowed under a Scythian 
tyrant; and the Roman province of Arabia embraced the 
peculiar wildernefs in which H'mael and his fons muft have 
pitched their tents in the face of their brethren. Yet 
thefe exceptions are temporary or local; the body of the 
nation has efcaped the yoke of the molt powerful monar¬ 
chies ; the arms of Sefoftris and Cyrus, of Pompey and 
Trajan, could never atchieve the conqueft of Arabia; the 
prefent fovereign of the Turks may exercife a fhadow of 
jurisdiction, but his pride is reduced to Solicit the friend- 
Ihip of a people whom it is dangerous to provoke, and 
fruitlefs to attack. The obvious caufes of their freedom 
are inferibed on the character and country of the Arabs. 
Many ages before Mahomet, their intrepid valour had 
been fevereiy felt by their neighbours in offenfive and de- 
fenfive war. The patient and a Clive virtues of a foldier 
are infenfibly nurfed in the habits and discipline of a paf. 
Von. II. No. 55. 
B I A* 
tot al life. The care of the Sheep and camels is abandoned 
to the women of the tribe; ybut the martial youth under 
the banner of the emir, is ever on horfefea'ck, and in the 
field, to practife the exereife of the bow, the javelin, and. 
the feymetar. The long memory of their independence is 
the firmed pledge of its perpetuity ; and fncceeding ge¬ 
nerations are animated to prove their defeent and to main¬ 
tain their inheritance. Their domeftic feuds are fufpended 
on the approach of a common enemy; and, in their laft 
hoiiilities againft the Turks, the caravan of Mecca was 
attacked and pillaged by four Score thouland of the con¬ 
federates. When they advance to battle, the hope of 
victory is in the front; and, in the rear, the affuranceof a 
retreat. Their horfies and camels, who in eight or ten 
days can perform a march of four or five hundred miles,- 
dilappear before the conqueror; the fecret waters of the 
deleft elude his Search ; and his viclorious troops are con- 
fumed with third, hunger, and fatigue, in the purfuit of 
an invisible foe, who Scorns his efforts, and Safely repefes 
in the heart of the burning Solitude. The arms and de- 
ferts of the Bedouins are not only the Safeguards of their 
own freedom, but the barriers alfo of the Happy Arabia* 
whofe inhabitants, remote from war, are enervated by the 
luxury of the foil and climate. The legions of Auguftus 
melted away in difeafe and laffitude ; and it is only by a 
naval power that the reduction of Yaman has been fuc- 
cefsfully attempted. When Mahomet erected his holy 
Standard, that kingdom was a province of the Perfian em¬ 
pire; yet feven princes of the Homerites Still reigned in 
the mountains ; and the vicegerent of Chofroes was tempt¬ 
ed to forget his diftant country and his unfortunate mailer. 
The historians of the age of Juftinian represent the date 
of the independent Arabs, who were divided by intereft 
or affection in the long quarrel of the Eaft: the tribe of 
GaSfan was allowed to encamp on the Syrian territory : the 
princes of Hira were permitted to form a city about forty 
miles to the Southward of the ruins of Babylon. Their 
Service in the field was Speedy and vigorous ; but their 
friendship was venal, their faith inconftant, their enmity 
capricious : it was an eafier talk to excite than to difarm 
thefe roving barbarians; and, in the familiar intercourse 
of war, they learned to lee, and to defpife, the fplendid 
weaknefs both of Rome and of Perfia. From Mecca to 
the Euphrates, the Arabian tribes were confounded by the 
Greeks and Latins, under the general appellation of Sara¬ 
cens ; a name which every Chriftian mouth has been taught 
to pronounce with terror and abhorrence. 
“The (laves of domeftic tyranny may vainly exult in their 
national independence; but the Arab is perfonally free; 
and he enjoys, in fonie degree, the benefits of Society, 
without forfeiting the prerogatives of nature. In every 
tribe, fuperftitiow, or gratitude, or fortune, has exalted a 
particular family above rhe heads of their equals. The 
dignities of Iheich and emir invariably defeend in thischo- 
fen race ; but the order of fuccelfion is loofe and preca¬ 
rious; and the molt worthy or aged of the noble kinfmen" 
are preferred to the Simple, though important, office of 
compofing difputes by their advice, and guiding valour by 
their exatnple. The momentary junction of Several tribes- 
produces an army : their more lading union constitutes a 
nation; and the Supreme chief, the emir of emirs, whofe 
banner is displayed at their head, may defervC, in the eyes 
of ftrangers, the honours of the kingly name. If the 
Arabian princes abufe their power, they are quickly pu~ 
nilhed by the defertion of their fubjedts, who had been 
aceuftomed to a mild and parental jurifdidtion. Their 
fpirit is free, their Heps are unconfined, the defert is open* 
and the tribes and families are held together by a mutual 
and voluntary compadt. The fofter natives of Yaman 
Supported the pomp and majefty of a monarch ; but, if he 
could not leave his palace without endangering his life, 
the adtive powers of government muft have been devolved 
on his nobles and magistrates. The cities of Mecca and 
Medina prefent, in the heart of Alia, the form or rather 
the fubftance of a commonwealth. The grandfather of 
G Mahomctj 
