New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-27
THE REVOLT OF YEMEN.
ARABIA CUTTING LOOSE FROM THE OTTO
MAN EMPIRE.

sent against them under Mnstapna Bey IN inc
middle of July. 1t set out from Sane for Hadie,
but on the way was met by the rebel forces and
put to rout Two other armies marched against
| the rebels at the same time, under the command
of Hsssan Edil Pacha and Ahmed Ruschd Pscha,
and they also were defeated. The rebels then
captured and destroyed the town of Hadje. and
have since occupied Sana, The entire region
around Sana and Hodeida, and also Dhuram,
Damar and Jerim, are in the possession Of the
insurgents. Most of the garrison went over bod
| lily, only few Arabs of the Dihama remaining
faithful to the Government. Trustworthy dis
patches from Yemen are few and infreqaent, but
all are 20 the same effect. namely that the prog
ress of the rebellion is unchecked II Is even
said that the rebels have proclaimed new Cahph
and have announced the deposition Of Sultan
Abdul Hamid Commander of the Faithful
There are also rumors, coming chiefly through
French and German mediums, that the rsbeh are
being encouraged and assisted by the Enslsh Gov
eminent. They are armed, it Is said, VITA English
rifles and ammunition OF the latest PATTERN which
have been supplied to them from Alden Tho
extraordinary statement is made seriously that
large body Of English cavalry went out from
Alden recently toward Hadie, heavily armed with
rifles and revofvers and goodly store Of cartridges,
and that after friendly meeting with the rebels
That these stories are true Is scarcely to be believed
for moment They are doubtless invented for
the sake, if possible of still further alternating
the Sublime Porte from England
What is certain. however, is that the whole
southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula, which
has only been under Turkish rule for about twenty
years, has now entirely thrown off the authority
Of the Sultan. How far the dsafeotion will ex-
tend is difficult to estimate, but for evident reasons
1t Is likely to involve the whole Of Arabia For
Arabia Felix has never properly been an integral
portion of the Ottoman Empire. The vast ma
jorty Of its people belong to much stricter Ma
hometan sect than the Sultan, and look upon him
and in fact all Turks little better than In
fdcls. Their only respect for the Sultan arises
from the fact that he has been declared Cahph.
Formerly the Caliphate belonged tn an Arabian
dynasty. At that time the Arabs looked upon
the Turks with utter contempt. When the
Caliphate was transferred to the Turkish dynasty,
the Arabs reluctantly acquiesced, and thereafter
recognized the Sultan the head of their religion,
but still declined to take their politics from Con-
stantinople To this day, the expression Belad-
el-Trak" or, The land Of the Turks serves among
the Arabs an expression Of the utmost contempt,
being equivalent TO " the meanest place on earth"
The only bond that unites them to the Ottoman
Government is the fact that the Sultan is Caliph
If it be true, therefore, that they have declared
him deposed from that office, it is evident that
they regard their separation from the Turkish
Empire as complete.
There is no doubt that they regard their author.
ity as amply sufficient 10 depose him. The Holy
Cities of Islam are situated in Arabia. And thoss
cities themselves have only been kept loyal to
the Porte by virtue of liberal subsidies. In tho
tenth century, it will be remembered. the Arabs
tlN h,
Jehir to enter Mecca and carry off the sacred
Black Stone of the Kaaba to Kasa where they
kept it for many years. And all the Wahabees
who comprise large and powerful proportion Of
the Arabs. have always denied the Sultan's author
ity. and treated the Turks unbeevers.
The history of Yemen is highly interesting, and
shows in various ways the Independents and de-
termined character of its inhabitants. To the
voyager p. and o. steamer passing through
the Straits of Bal-elMandeb the shores Of Arabia
seem barren and inhospitable to the last degree
Nevertheless the country is fertile, Producing large
crops of wheat, corn, barley, tobacco, indigo
and the finest coffee in the world, not to mention
aloes amaranths, and wealth of other flowers
and spices Yemen was one of the earliest centres
81 civilization and trade and has always been called
by the Arabs "Belad -el-Ilm-i-Belad-ed-Deen," or
" The birthplace of knowledge and religion" The
classic writers of Greece and Rome often refer
to the wealth and culture of its people, and the
fragments of their literature which exist at the
present day are notable for their power and poetic
spendor Yemen the chief of the Arabian
monarchies before Mahomet, its capital city
being March. The country visited by the
Romans in the time of Pliny, but thereafter
manned practically unknown to Europeans until
the middle Of the eighteenth century.
In the sixth century the Abyssinians invaded
it and proclaimed Christianity, but only maintained
a foothod there for some seventy years, when they
were expelled and the religion of Mahomet was
accepted. Yemen then recognized the religious
authority OF the Caliph but retained its political
autonomy down TO the year 1917. At that time
the Sultan Selim / conquered Egypt and pro-
claimed himself Caliph. The keys Of the Holy
City Of Mecca were given TO him, and his govern
ment declared TO extend over all OF Arabia,
in political as well as religious matters. But
fifty years later Yemen revolted expelled the
Turks and re-established it's independent SOW
ereignty. When Niebuhr visited IL in 1861 he
found the Imam on the old lIymiare throne at
Sana, ruling over thirty provinces with popula-
ton Of many millions and annual revenue Of
more than 5000, 900. Tins independent state
was maintained until 1915. Then after long
and bloody war, lbrohim, the son Of Nlehemet Ali,
subdued it to the Turkish yoke. The Imam Alb
dallah surrendered, on absolute assurances Of hon
orable treatment. But for once Mahometan faith
proved false, ald he was taken TO Constantinople
and PIT to death in front of the Mosque IF ST.
Sophia Thereupon the whole country arose in
revolt again and not finally subdued until
1871.
In Yemen there are fully 100000 fighting men,
and in all Arabia scarcely less than 5oo, 900.
These numbers might easily be doubled, however,
rs the women are perfectly ready to take the field
and are just as brave and competent soldiers 40
the men. To this day. in all their battles, the
army is led by maiden mounted Oh black camel,
IN emulation of AyeSba, the wife Of the Prophet
lie soldiers seem not 10 know what PAIN or fear
s. and they are easily able to cope with an invad-
ng army of double their own pbers For the
already demoraliyed armies OF the Sultan 30 sub