Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-02-08
FATE OF THE MAMELuKEs.-A cor


respondent of the Detroit advertiser,
who is spending the winter in Egypt
gives an interesting sketch of the Name
lukes, who, for centuries, have exercised
controlling influence in the affairs Of
that country. We copy one of his let
ters on the subject:
As you ascend to the citadel of Cairo,
situated in the rear of the city, upon a
spur of the mountains of Mokattam,
you are startled by the appearance of a
cluster of domes-like edifces rising
from the midst of the desert, about two
miles distant from the spot where you
stand-it is "the city Of tombs," the
tombs of the Mamelukes, and the cita-
del you are approaching is the fatal
spot where the last of them were
slaughtered by Mohammed Ali.
But who were the Mamelukes, and
what did they do to deserve such fate?
Let US get answers to these questions,
and then we shall be prepared to con-
template their trsgical end.
In the lapse of about twenty centuries.
ending with the eighth of the Christian
era, Egypt had been overrun and con-
quered by the Babylonians, the Per-
SLAMS, the Greeks, the Romans, and the
Saracens, successfully, and, in their
turn, the latter were compelled to
change places with their own slaves, the
Mamelukes, who in the beginning of the
thirteenth century, became masters of
the country.
The most reliable account of their
origin is that they were introduced into
the country the century previous, by
Saladin the Great, from Circassia, be-
cause, as a foreigner and usurper, he
was afraid to trust the natives Of the
country about his person. And. for
the same reason, they themselves, in
their exalta:ion, transported slaves from
the same country, and these too, at the
end of a hundred and twenty years,
took their turn, and became masters of
the country. While the throne be-
came theirs. however, the Mamelukes
still continued substantially to govern
the country as beys of districts, in
which capacity they had things pretty
much their own way. And even after
the country had been overrun and con-
quered by the Turks in the sixteenth
century, and had become Vice royalty
of the Ottoman empire, down to the
time of the final catastrophe which
overwhelmed them in the citadel of
Cairo, within the memory Of msny of
us, embracing a period Of more than
six hundred years from the time of
their first accession to power, they con-
tinued to exert uncontrolled dominion
in their respective districts, being ac-
countable to the Viceroy, only, for GER
tain amount of revenue.
There has been much pompous de-
clamation about the free and indepen-
dent spirit of the Mamelukes, and about
"liberty expiring with them in Egypt"
an idea, however, which could only
have been begotten in mind schooled
to the doctrine of the necessity of a
hierarchy of some kind to trample down
the people.
The truth is, as l have become fully
satisfied, it was under the blighting in
fuence of Mameluke rule, that Egypt
sank to its lowest depths of degradation,
as "the basest of kingdoms" As
beys, they practiced the most wanton
expressions upon the unresisting nations
of the country, reducing them, by their
exactions, to state of wretchedness at
which humanity revolts, at the same
time caring little for their accountability
to the Pacha. They were held re-
sponsible to that functionary for the col
lection annually of certain amount of
taxes apportioned to each Of their dis
tricts respectively; and the required
amount was promptly collected, and as
promptly pocketed, and refused to be
paid over.
Thus matters had gone on from bad
to worse, century after century, under
9heir rapacious rule, until it verify SEEM
ed that the lowest depths to which peo
pie could be reduced, had been reached.
Attempts had been made before Moham
med Ali came into power, to abate the
nuisance, but in vain. One of these
attempts, made upon the principle that
nothing short of their utter extermina
ton would relieve the country, is de-
serving of notice. 1t was quite at the
beginning of the present century, just
at the time the British arms had tri-
umphed over those of France in Egypt,
and the beys had been won over to
British interest that Hassan Pasha laid
a plan for their destruction. He invited
them to sumptuous feast at Aboukir,
Ia little east of Alexandria, on the
coast. and after the feast, he proposed
an excursion to the bay of Aboukir,
having provided pleasure boats for the
purpose; to which they consented, and,
to quiet all apprehension, he embarked
with them himself. They had not pro-
ceeded far, however, before q small
cutter was observed, evidently making
an effort to overtake them, upon which
the Pashs suggested that probably an
envoy from the Sultan with dispatches,
was on board, and falling back until it
came up, he transferred himself bodily
to the same, receiving and opening at
the same time, what seemed TO be the
desnatches he had auticipated. Bv