Page 61 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

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Amir tlmt his understanding would become affected by bis malady. “Mad!
and I, the Amir/* ejaculated Tilal, and, as Doughty says, " because his high
heart might not longer endure to live in the common pity, ho set his pistols
against his manly breast and fired them and ended.”
199. Ho was succeeded by his brother Mutaab, a mild mannered and
intelligent man, who, however, after two years was assassinated by Tilal’s two
sons, Bar.dar and 13cdr, at which the former succeeded him.
200. Mcanwhilo Mahomed, brother of Tilal and uncle of Bandar, fled to
Riadh. Hero Abdullah-ibn-Saud brought about a reconciliation between him
and Bandar, and Mahomed at the latter’s invitation rotumed and became
again Governor of the Baghdad Haj caravan. On one occasion when return­
ing to Hail ho sent before him to greet tho Amir Bandar. The latter, being
displeased, refused him admittance to Hail and rode out with Bcdr and Hamud
to meet him, causing the town-gates to be shut behind them. A dispute
arising Mahomed killed Bandar; then entering the town, he and Hamud
ordered tho slaughter of all the children of Tilal.
201. Mahomed thus began his long reign which lasted till his death in
1897. In his time the lbn Rashid dynasty reached its heighest pitch of power.
The homage to lbn Saud was gradually disused in the decay of the Wahabi
State, and in 1876 lbn Rashid was the greatest Prince in filejd. His was,
according to Doughty, a ruler of factious Arabs by right to the swrord : none
of them, not persuaded by fear, would he his tributaries. Tho bloodshed attend­
ing bis accession and the severity of his methods caused as much reprobation as
terror among the Arabs, but all were obliged to admit that his rule was strong
and successful. “ I think it would ho bard to find a fault in lbn Rashid’s
Government,*’ says Doughty in words which recall Palgrave’s dithyrambio
praise of Tilal.
: 02. Mahomcd-ibn-Rashid, early in.his reign, endeavoured to withstand
a Turkish expedition against the Jof in 1872 : ho was, however, defeated and
glad to submit to terms, paying an annual tribute of 1,500 Mojidsfor the Jof,
and admitting a Kaimakam and garrison to reside there. Doubtless this im­
pressed him with a great idoa of Turkish power, for even when at the height
of his glory, and while humbling the lbn Saud house to the dust in 1888, he
posed as the officer or Lieutenant of the Ottoman Govcrnmont.
S03. To give figures is but misleading; however, Doughty, in a stylo more
convincing of veracity than Palgravo, says that Mahomed lbn Rashid might
Bummou 2,000 fighting men from his villages and about 1,300 nomad Arabs;
he is said to have 400 horses. His boundariosworc: on the north the Roualla,
northern Shammar andThuffir, friendly hut not tributary tribes; on the east
his limits wore at tho. dominion of Borcydah, which includes a good many vil­
lages in the Ncfud of Kasim; captured by Mabomed-ibn-Rashid in 1888, it
has again passed into tho hands of lbn Saud ; in tho south his limits are at
about 100 miles l'rom Medina; his western boundary is the Syrian Haj road.