The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-04-03
VOL. LXv.
ZEBEHR PACHA.
TIE HEAD or THE SOUDAN WAR.
Origin OF the Slave Trade-Conspiracy for
Establishing a Soudanese KinRdom-The
Tonauest of Darfu


Establishing a soudanesc KinedOm-The
| Conquest of Darfur.
A Cairo correspondent Of the Phiadel-
phia Press writes under date OF March 10th
[ rs follows: Zebehr Pacha has been restored
| to Government favor. That il surprising.
/ Zebehr Pacha has been commissioned 10
| lead Bedouin troops against FL Mahdi.
That IL bewIldering. Zebehr Pacha, final
ly, promises that II General Gordon fails
| in his mission 10 Khartoum and becomes
! involved in dangers there he will 20 to his
rescue and bring him back in safety. That
is the most remarkable paradox in this en-
tire much-tangled Egyptian problem; for
this same Zebehr Pacha is the Khedive's 8
foe. the author of the troubles in the Sou
dan, and the most revengeful and implacl-
BILE enemy Gordon has in the world.
Briefly stated. his record is this He
founded the Soudan slave trade: he forci-
bly, subiugated the province Of Darfur and
established there tyranny worse than that
under which the iellaheen OF Egypt groan |:
he aspired to independent dominion and
| organized a rebellion against the EgyD-
tian Government, which was suppressed
by General Gordon, and as result Of
which Zebehr's son was shot as a traitor
and Zebehr himself sentenced TO the same
fate; but he escaped through the indulgent
ciemency Of the Khedive, IsmaiI Pacha.
AN AFRICAN FEUDAL LORD.
About twenty years ago, iOurneying in
the country lying 10 the west of the White
Nile and between that river and the saw
age province OF Darfur, | found the car
avan routes dotted here and there with
fortified villages, which served as dep0ts
OF trade. Some OF these consisted each
Of only three or four huts, while Others
were populouS towns, with well-lald.out
streets lined with dwellings and stores,
the whole surrounded with a stout pail
sade.
OF the largest and most important Of
these settlements Zebehr Pacha, or Zebehr
Rahama, as he was then known, was chief,
end several OF the neighbOring villages
were tributary to him. His authority over
the people was that Of an absolute despot,
aud he had small but well-drilled army
TO enforce his commands. At this time the
commerce OF that region was principally
in ivory, skins, etc, and it amounted to
enormous value. Upon every trader and
every caravan Zebebr levied heavy toll.
and any reluctance to render it generally
resulted in the cOnfiscation OF the whole,
and for these wrongs the merchants had no
redress.
Naturally Zebehr grew richer and more
powerful every year. and extended his
sway further and further, until all the VII
lagos in that region acknowledged him to
be their ruler. His court and seraglio be-
came the most splendid in all Africa, and
he was wont to ride out on State occasions
in chariot OF ivory and gold, drawn by
six tame lions, each led by two Ethiopian
giants, and above them all canopy twen-
ty-tiye feet wide and fifty long, made en-
tirely OF white ostrich plumes.
ORIGIN OF THE SLAVE TRADE.
When the supply of ivory became less
plentiful, and the revenue from trades de-
clined, Zebehr was not at loss to provide
substitute.
"You have enemies whom you can con-
quer." he said TO the savage chiefs of the
Soudan. ''Can you no. hunt men as well
as elephants The Egyptians want slaves
20 till the Nile Valley, and pretty girls are
needed for the harems Of Cairo and Alex
andria."
Urging was not needed. Every tribe in
the Soudan soon became an organized
band OF man-hunters, and these villages on
the routes OF travel and trade were trans
formed into slaye-penS. Upon this nfa-
nous traffic Zebehr also levied duty, pick
ing out the strongest and bravest OF the
young men-slaves as recruits for his own
army. These he soon made his devoted
adherentS by persuading them that he had
saved them from beng sent into a terrible
bondage. and soon he thus created for him
self an army Of $4,000 stalwart sayages, all
ready to follow him to the death, and all
thirsting for revenge upon the chiefs who
had torn them from their homes and sold
them into slavery.
In 1869, when l visited Zebehr again, he
had the air OF great King. He had intro
duced European ideas INTO his court. and
he inquired much about the countries of
Europe, their systems of government. their
military forces. and also of the agencies by
which alliances might be formed with them.
For Egypt and its ruler he had little esteem.
Ismail must soon CO." he said. land then
the land will be the spoil Of whateverpower
first seiZes upon it,"
THE CONQUEST OF DARFUR.
The very next year trouble arose be-
tween the SOudan and Egypt. The Sultan
Of Darfur, the chief pOteDtate OF the Sou
dan, TO whom all other chiefs paid homage,
was. as his predecessors had been for 400
years. independent Of Egypt. Zebehr sly
ly Intimated TO him that the Khediye was
preparing an army to attack him unlesS he
paid each year an enormous tribute in
grain. At the same time Xebehr told the
Khedive that the Sultan of Darfur was or
ganizing depredatons upon the Upper
Nile provinces OF Egypt.
- If VoII will SunnOrt mo and make mo "a
bey." wrote Zebehr TO the Khediye, II
will conquer Darfur and add the richest
territory OF Africa to Egypt"
The ambitious Ismail readily asSented.
Zebehr was made a hey, and, with his
army OF slaves, attacked Darfur The
slaves marched gladly to battle, thinking
the time had come for their vengeance
upon the men who had stolen them, and
despite the Sultan's desperate defence, Ze-
behr quickly won an overwhelming vic
tory. The Sultan and his family were put
TO death, their treasures were appropriated
by Zebehr, and Darfur was declared TO be
an Egyptian province. Zebehr was pro-
NOTED to be a pacha, and he increased his
army and enlarged his court. To the peo-
nile he said 81 am come TO rescue you
from the tyranny OF the slave dealers"
To the slave dealers he said: "Be dis
Greet. You must pay me revenue, but
your trade shall not be interfered. with"
TO his son Suleiman aud to his army he
said 81 Egypt must fall, but IN the soudan
we will found a greater kingdom than that
OF the Khedive."
zEBEHRs REBELLION AND FALL.
Finding the Egyptian Government slow
TO give him the authority he wished as
toyernor-G General Of the Soudan in 1876.
Zebehr summoned his army and his allied
chiefs together near FL Obeid. There.