Page 59 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

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be ft serious rovival in Ihc Mussulman world—a movemont which may give inuoh troublo if
not properly mot—there may bo great benefit in our having a commanding voico in tbo
country which, I may say, governs the actions of all Mussulmans. That country is Arabia,
i.e., Yemen, Hcd.jaz, Tehcraa (the province iu which, properly speaking, Jeddah and Mecoa
are situated), Ncjd, &c.”
18G. Mr. Zohrab’s views regarding a national movement against the rule of
tlio Sultan in Arabia arc exactly opposito to those, above quoted, of the Vice-
Consul, Damascus. Ho says—
"That tlio whole of Arabia is becoming hostilo to the rulo of the Sultan is no secret, and
1 do not bolievo there is adoubt that tho rovival of the Khalifat in the person of tho Grand
Sborccf of Mecca is being seriously discussed and may 60on be attempted.”

XL-—State of affairs in 1881.
187. Abdullah bin Eeysal was in Hiadh. Mahomed bin Saud was in Kharj
and occasionally paid bis uncle a visit, as also did the elders of the Ajman
tribo, Haznm and Rankan. The agent of tho Pasha of Hasa had invited the
Ajman chiefs to return to Hasa and promised that their allowances would
be continued 1o them. They refused to go howover, and requested that the
allowunces might be paid to their agents iu Easa.

XLL—Rise of the Sliammar Principality, 1835—1882.
Here toe must pause a little and trace the rise of the Shammar principality,
which S0071 plays an important part in the history of JSejd.

The following account in this chapter is taken from Mr. Blech’s Memo­
randum. Enclosure lo No. 3G5 iu Secret E, August 1904, Nos. 2SG-473.
188. At the earliest period of the history of Central Arabia, the numerous
and powerful tribe of Tai from the Yemen occupied the Jebcl Sliammar. About
500 A. D. occurred the celebrated conflict between the tribes of Nejd, headed by
Koleib Wail, Chief of Taghlcb, and the armies of Yemen, led by the Lakhmite
Chiefs; the latter were overthrown, and the entire Nejd delivered from the
Kahtanite yoke. In this war Tai, though of Yemenite origin, sided with the
Ncjdeau clans of Rabia. Soon after these clans engaged in civil war, upon the
treacherous murder of Koleib by his kinsman Jcssas. This caused many im­
portant changes in the relative position of the central tribes, and a large settle­
ment of Beni Taghleb, Beni Abs and Howazin took place within the limits of
Jebel Sliammar, where the new settlers united with the elder inhabitants, or
Beni Tai, and from this union sprang the tribe of Sliammar still so called.
189. In the earlier years of Moslem rule we find this district still powerful
and independent, resisting successfully all tho efforts of the Ommiad Caliphs,
whose armies were signally defeated at the cntrauceof these mountains during
the reign of Merwan, towards the beginning of the eight century. Their subse­
quent history remains for along time a blank. Some of tho clan Sliammar,
notably the Bedr, were still Christians when they repulsed the Ommiad troops.
Probably they eventually professed Islam. But they afterwards relapsed in
to semi-barbarism, resumed pagan forms of worship, and split up into small
factions.
190 At the beginning of tho eighteenth century the province underwent
the short-lived tyranny of tho first Wahabi Empire, and like other districts was
but tcnsiently affected by it. At this time Hail was already looked upon as in
a manner tho capital of Jebel Shammar partly owing to its size and wealth,
partly to its central position. Supreme rulo was exercised iu the family of
Beit Ali; ancient denizous of the city.
191. But ono Ahdullah-bin-Rashid then lived in Hail. He was of the
clan of Iaafor, tho nobloat branch of tho Shammar tribe. Many of his re*
lations woro Bedouins, though his own direct ancestors had long been towns­
men. Wealthy high born and conscious of ability and vigour, he aspired