Page 16 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

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10. Ever since the death of Mahomed bin Abdul Wnhab, his family have
£uStr;uinf history of the descendants of Abdul always held the highest judicial and roli-
IPohob. gious posts in the Wahabi empire ; but,
unlike their ancestors, thoy havo cxcr-
ciscd a predominant influence in the State, although they never adopted the
official titles appertaining to pure civil or military authority. Ilis son Ab­
dullah is said to havo been put to death in 1818 by the great massacre of the
doctors of Nejd, which was ordered by Ibrahim Pasha, and which will bo no-
ticcd hereafter. His grandson, Abdul.Rahman, was still alive atlliadh, but in
deorepid old ago when Palgravc visited that city in 1802. His great-grandson,
Abdul Latif, was also alive, aged about forty, aud the father of a largo family.

II-—Political History of Nejd ante 1800 to 1804.
11. At the death of Saud, about the end of the last century, his authority
was acknowledged not only in the pro­
TTa.laii empire established by Saud ante 1S0O.
vince of Nojd proper, but also from the
Persian Gulf to the frontiers of Ilcjaz. Whilst, however, Saud extended his
empire over minor tribes, lie carefully avoided any encroachment upon the
great powers. Ho respeotod the supremacy of Persia over the island of Bah­
rein in the Persian Gulf, and its protectorate of Katif upon the coast. Ho
attempted no aggressions upon the Sultan of Oman, known as the Imam of
Maskat. Above all, ho novor violated the frontiers of the Meccan ITaram,
nor in any way oxcitcd the animosity of Turkey or Egypt. He was a thorough
Wahabi, hut he patronised learning as far as it was compatible with tlio
tenets of Wahabi doctrines : and he adorned his capital at Deriah with national
and religious monuments, such as an enormous palace and an immense mosque,
of which tho remains still testify to tho magnificence of the first Wahabi
sovereign.
12. Saud left two sons, Abdul Aziz and Abdullah. Abdul Aziz, tho elder,
succeeded to the throne, but although ho
Abdul Aiit, about 1600 i hostilities against mari­
time Persia and Maskat. had been warned by his father “ not to
undermine the cliff,” in other words, not
to excite tho dangerous hostility of Turkey or Persia, he was nevertheless bent
upon extending the Wahabi empire. His first campaign was against Persia.
He took Katif by storm, and then occupied Bahrein and tho adjacent island ;
and pushed across to the eastern coast of tho Gulf, to the maritime district of
Barr-Faris ; and, according to Palgravc, he detached Barr-Faris irrecoverably
from Persian rule. After this Abdul Aziz sent an expedition, under his bro­
ther Abdullah, against the Sultan of Oman. Abdullah gained a succession of
victories, and finally reached the heights of Maskat, and turned tho fort
batteries against the town bolow. At that time Syud Saeed was Sultan of
Oman, or Imam of Maskat. Syud Saeed yielded to the storm, and not. only
agreed to pay a yearly tribute to tho Wahabi ruler, hut admitted Wahabi
garrisons into bis kingdom, and permitted the erection of Wahabi mosques
in Maskat and elsewhere.
13. Persia was alarmed at those successes of tho Wahabi Chieftain,
but dared not send a Persian army into
Assassination of Abdul Aeie by a fanatical
Shiah. the wilds of Arabia. Accordingly, she
had recourse to a weapon which has ever
been familiar to tlio Shiahs, namely, the dagger of the assassin. A fanatic
of Ghilan offered to murder Abdul Aziz. In tlio first instance, bo received
his instructions at Tehran, and then journoved to Mcshid Ilusscin,* tho
Mecoa of the Shiahs, and procured a writ-
• I.S., Kcrbolali. future sins,
ten pardon for all past or
and an assurance of the eternal joys of paradise, if lie delivered tlio earth from
tho tyrant of Nejd. He thou proceeded to Deriah, and took his stand o-
hind Abdul Aziz at evening prayer ; and whilst tlio latter was bending uj
adoration, be plunged bis sharp Khorasan doggor through his body. Abe u
Aziz fell down dead, without a groan” or struggle. His attendants seized tlioir
swords, which they had laid aside for prayer, and hewed tho assassin to P»ccc®
on tho floor of tlio mosque ; and they then found upon his corpse tho writtou
engagement countcrsigucd by tho Governor of Mcshid Hussein.

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