Page 104 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

82 Part I.
CHAPTER III-A-
The Mahoraedan Religious Forces in operation in Turkish Arabia-
(i) Shiahs and Sunnis: 1 he Shiahs of Kerbdla and Najaf: Tlio Peroian Ulema
in Turkish Arabia: Agitation against Russian preponderance in Persia
Sheikh Abdul Ali Herat!.
17G. Tho mnin divisions into which the Mahomodans of Turkish Arabia are
divided arc Sunnis and Shiahs. Tho origin of theso divisions is briefly as fol­
lows—Abu Muhainmadal Hussan and Hussain wore tho two sons of AliTalcb the
cousin, and Fatimuli tho daughtor of Mahomet; and after the murder of their
father, A. 11. 40, at Kufah by tho contrivances of the Kalipli Yezid, tho son of
Muaiwiyeh, they with their families removed from Shawn or Kufnh tho
capital, to Medina. Tho older, Hassan, voluntarily abdicate! to avoid embroil­
ing the state any longer in civil war; but shortly afterwards lie was poisoned
by Yezid, tho son of Muaiwiyeh, at Medina, A. H. 40. Abu Abdallah Muai-
wiyoli bin Abi Sufyan, tho first of tho Ommiados, then began to rule A. D.
601, and was-succecdcd by his son Yozid (A. D. 679.G83); but after several
years the people of Slnwn, being tried of King Yezid’s tyrannical rule, invited
Hussain to return to tho capital and assume bis lawful right as Imam (leader
of tho faithful). Before accepting this invitation, Hussain sent Moslem, bis
cousin, as a messenger, to report the true state of affairs to him; and on
Hussain’s arrival with his two sons at Shawn, he was murdered with all his
retinue, at Kerhella in Turkish Arabia on the 10th day of Arab month
Muharram, A. II- 61 (9th October A. D. 680). Zainul-Abdin, the oldest son
of Husain, alone escaped. This forms tho subject of tho ten days’ wailing
during the Muharram. The Muhammadans became in consequence of the
murder of Hussain and his followers divided into two distinct scots, called the
Shiahs and the Sunnis; the former regard Ali and his descendants, Hassan,
1
Hussain, Zain-ul-Abdin, and certain of decendants (though on this there is
dilferonce—see Section IV, paragraph 215 below), as tho lawful leaders after
Muhammad; and the latter as Kalifas, Ahuhakar, Omar Osman and Ali.
177. The principal seats of tho Shiahs in Turkish Arabia are Kerhella
(where Hussain lies buried with his martyred companions), Najaf (where Ali
was buried) and Kathimain (where there are tho tombs of two Imams Musa-ul-
Kadthira, the 7th in descent from Fatima (Mahomet’s daughter), and his
grandson Mahomet-bin-Ali Ridtlia, surnamed Ali Takki. The population of
these towns has mainly consisted of Persians with largo number of Indians,
supplemented by thousands of Shiah pilgrims from all parts of the world.
178. The people of Kerhella and Najaf have been always hostile to the
Turkish rule and have been kept down by military force against which they
have frequently rebelled. The local tribes occasionally sided with the
inhabitants of the two places.
We have alroady doalt with the massacre of the Persians in 1843 at
Kerhella under orders of Nejib Pasha (paragraph 22 cl seq).
179. Iq 1877 a portion of tho reserve militia (called Redif) at Kerhella
(consisting presumably of the local Shiah
Political A., Dccoiubor 1877, No*. 228-213.
tribes) rose in robellion. The facts are
thus described by Ryder Ali Khan, the British Honorary Agent at Kerhella, in
his report dated 6th September 1877 :
Owing to oppression' of tlw troops tho bazaars have, for the list three dnys, been closed
up, with the exception of a few shops open here and there, but articles of food, such as bre *
and mutton, are procurable. The mutineers of the reserve troops who had located thcmsc \cs
in the gardens commenced troubling the people and plundered a caravan ; they took an amoun
of specie belonging to a Jew, and certain other articles they required, such as couce an
tobacco.
On Monday, 2Uh instant, the Turkish troops marched out and a fight took phc® > t^0
them and the lebels: the troops brought in live heads and put them up at ®cr^l|,,1!> * rocn
town and barracks. Ten or twelve of the Aiabs were wounded, aud from the lur s
were killed. seven
On Tuesday the troops went out again to attack, of whom one officer was killed an
or eight soldiers wounded and they returned to town. . jja8Faa
On Wednesday the authorities having summoned the Maadnn Arabs of the
tribe of Hindiyeh and tho Anizeh to aid, about 600 men arrived were sont ° ^
rebols; this party entered the gardens aud returned, reporting that tho rebo a
gardens and removed to a distance.