The New York herald., 1879-12-28
Sketch OF the Great MOham-
medan Revival.
ENGLAND'S PERIL IN INDIA.
Rise and Progress Of the
Wahabses.
AN IMPENDING RELIGIOUS WAR.

nent of the great Asian mystery" but he appar-
emily grasped the full significance OF his own
favorite theme. In his eyes the asian mystery Is
problem deep enough and dark enough for British
conjurors to jusge with, but it refers chiefly to the
destinies of his own Hebrew race. with side glances
at tho Lebanon. the Euphratcs Valley. Cyprus and
Aaia Minor. But OF that vaster Asian mystery in
whose depths lie concealed tho origins of the
great Sepoy revolt of ls57-S and of that still
greater cataclysm which to be
imminent in British India, he seems to have
correct intuitions. and the official world OF
Downing street and Simla shares with him his ignor
ahce and his optimism. Yet the knowledge OF
whole series of facts of gravest import for tho fu
ture OF the greatest of Mohammcdan empires" is
not far to seek. and might have been procured by
Lord Beaconsheld with no greater difficulty than
the consultation of few blue books and OF nu-
merous Indian officials now il London. Sir Lewis
Pelly, who was present at late meeting
OF the Royal Geographical Society Decem-
ber 81 and participated in the discussions
upon Mr. wlfred Scawen Blunt's journey to
Hail ior Hayel in JebelShomer, might have en-
lightened the Premier to the existence of wide
spread movement among Arabian and Indian
Mosems for the restoration OF the pure faith OF
Islam and might have reproduced the facts of his
adventurous journey to the Wahabite capitals of
Riadh and Derayeh in 1865, in company with his in
telligent companions. DR.. Covil and Lieutenant
Dawes. The original reports of this highly mpor-
tant journey have been buried in the archives of
the Indian government instead Of being at
given to the world. they should have been
through the publications of the Royal Geographical
Society. DIR. William W. Hunter the great Indian
statistcian is in London. and man could be
better able to enlighten the imperial cabinet to
the abysses of Mohammedan dsafection in India;
but Lords Beaconsield, Salisbury and Cranbrook
prefer to engage him to deliver optimistic lee
lures "what England has Done for India,"
Or tough disquisiiions on "Indian Finance, rather
.hau grappie anew with serious a subject the
present attitude of the Moslems in India Dr. Gott-
ieb W. Leitner. Of the Punjab University, is
lately in London, and no man has q more accurate
knowledge of the frontier of the Punab and Of
the hill tribes of the scientific frontier than this
eminent archaologist and educator, the greatest OF
living linguists who first made known to Europe
the languages of Dardistan and Swat and the
of Graco- Buddhist art. But do not hear that
DR.. Leitner has been called upon for any
calculations at the India Office With similar
faulty the one man who. still moro than Pelly
or Leitner. knows all about the Wahabeos, and has
been for years the 'voice crying in the wilderness
proclaiming the reality and the strength of the
"great Mohammedan revival" has just been ex-
lied to safe distance from the columns of the
opposition press. We refer to Mr. William Clifford
Pagrave. who. in 1s62-63 accomplished OF the
greatest geographical trumphs record by his
Journey the Arabian peninsula i'll the disguise
of Syrian Bedouin. and who has just been trans.
:erred from the post of Consul General at Philip
popolis Eastern Roumelia) to similar position in
siam.
ORIGIN OF TIE wAHADEEs.
The Wahaboes who are the Puritans of Moham-
mechanism took their origin IN the middle of the
eighteenth century from ono Abd-cWahab, al
Arabian fanatic or prophet. who preached the
toration OF the primitive doctrines of Islam. lie
succeeded III converting to his views Saoud, the
petty Sultan OF Nedjed, in Central Arabia, and be-
tore his death. i'll 1887. they had become dominant
throughout the greater part OF the penin-
sula. Abd-el-wahab donied the inspiration of
the Koran and prohibited the practice OF Worship
ping at tho prophets tomb at Medina In other
respects, however, he was u primitive Mohamme
dan OF the straitest sect. He ihculcated return
TO the precepts OF total abstinence from wine
opium and tobacco strict observance of fasting
ad prayer of justice and the moral precepts OF the
Koran. the renewal of the sacred war against the
inhde and the establishment of u central Arabian
Empire offset to the relaxation OF doctrine by
the psuedoCaliphs of Stainboul. BY his aid Saoud
dominated all the surrounding Sheikhs and founded
an empire of which the capital was Derayeh.
Saouds son. Abd-uAziz was still more penetrated |
with the spirit OF the great reformer. and 1t was
in his reign that the sect first heard of |
outside OF Arabia Directing his isenerges principally
to the overthrow of the corrupt official traditions
he marched his armies against the sacred cities of
Islam. took Mecca in 1SO3 and his son, Saoud H.,
took Medina in 1904, Staying great numbers OF |
idoatrous pilgrims These cities purged Of the
relics OF paganism which had grown up around the |
sanctuaries. the Persian and Turkish pilgrims
driven away ana the pure Wahabite es ab-
lished in the capitals of Islam The Sultan OF Stam-
boul being iinpotent to punish the outrage. COM |
mitted the enterprise to his Lieutenant the Mace
donian adventurer, Meheinet Ali. who then |
carving out throne tor himself in Egypt. He had |
enough to do just then nearer home aud 1t was not
Until 1911 that Mchemet Ali undertook the sacred |
mission. The sacred cities. Mecca and Medina, |
being near the of the Red Sea, were easily re.
Songuerea ans in ISL but p period Of seven
beard the wahabto lion in his den /
In 1918 Ibrahim Pacha, son of Mchemet Ali. penc-
trated into Nedcd took and destroyed Derayeh. the
Wahabte capital and sent Sultan Abdallah prisoner
10 Constantnoplc. where hc was bcheaded. 1t was
Easier. however. to destroy than to preserve. aud |
tbrahim's attention soon engrossed with |
matters in Syria. The Egyptian Governors were /
,aused petore tho wahabitc Emniro wss ''1no rn'
established by the descendants OF Saou1. The |
Egyptians never repeated their conquest and shortly
after lSl9. when Mchemct Ali died. they retired |
altogether from the field. Meanwhile the WahaDito |
apostles had oversprcad the East. had gained hun
dreds OF thousands OF proselytes III Mesopotama, |
Persia aud India and had become Of the great |
factors IN every possible forecast OF tue future OF
Islam. by 1860 the rc-cstablished wahabito Empire
OF Necd extended over ZIG towns and counted nearly
q million and half OF SUBJECTS vast number for |
20 sparsey peopled region as Central Arabia
Radh, the new capital. had, taken the place OF |
Dorayeh as the sanctuary OF the Wahabitc world.
THROUGH wAIfADirE EMiiRE.
Our exact knowledge OF the modern Wahabito |
Empire is chiefly derived from Mr.. William clifford |
lalrave, son OF Sir Francis Palgravc. the historian
Turner Palgravc. tho wclknown poet and editor OF |
tho ''Godcn Treasury OF English Lyrics" Mr.. w. |
q. paigravo was born in Westminster, January "a.
1926. educated ut the Charterhousc aud at Trinity
College, Oxford. and i'll lSiI entered tho Indian |
military service as a second lieutenant the |
Eighth Bombay native infantry. His tastes. |
however, were for languages and theology rather |
than for war. and though OF Jewish doacehi he was
converted TO Catholicism in India, and became a |
member OF tho Society OF Jesus. After residing |
several years IN Palestine aud syria and peffccng
himself in the Arabic language. s,d being witnes.
the OF Christians in 1860. lie invited
France to report personally 10 Napoleon III. upon
this subject and received from him the commission
To- undertake his great journey for the exploration
of Central Arabia. Setting out from Maan. In |
Arabia Potrna early In 1sG2, with Barakat, native
syrian as his companiois, and passing as Syrian
MUSICIAN himself, Mr.. Palgravc reached the princ
pality of Jof or Djowf at the end OF June and Hail
iIIayel, the capital OF Jebel Shammar TOR Shomerl,
early IN August. Hore he rested some weeks enjoy
ing the hospitalities OF Prince Tclal. the second
greatest tho Wahabte rulers and passing through
tho province of Kasim and the city of Berei-
- L.. IL lind alal I.l. III.