El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-11

| ~ ORDOVA, Spain, Aug. 11-Among
the great men of the world
should always be listed Abdu-r-
| rahman. founder of the Khalifate of
| Cordova, and maker of the Arab en-
| pire in Spain. Here in the once splen-
did capital of Abdu-r-rahman there is
| little left to remind the traveller of the
| exploits and achievements of an Arab
/ prince who has been called, and with
| out exaggeration, the Moslem Charlie
4 magne.
| Not even the rich 1egenos OF Spain,
| that still so powerfully influence the
| country, can furnish more surik1ns
| figure than that of the first Khahf OF
| Cordova. Stripped of the embellish-
| ments of legend Abdu-r-rahman re-
| mains, as an actual historic character,
| without peer in Spanish annals
| Abdu-r-rahman was absent from Da-
mascus when the line Of the Ommeya-
| des khalifs was overthrown, and the
| new khalif, Abdullah the Bloodshed-
| der gave an order for the assassination
! of every prince of blood. Fate had de-
| creed that a scion of the Onnmeyades
| should escape murder 10 make history.
| Finds Refuge In Forest.
| Fleeing from the assassins with two
faithful servants, the boy prince found
refuge in a dense forest near Euphra-
tes. Tracked by spies in the employ
| rary retreat only to find that the net
| had been thrown out in the most dis
| tant provinces. A price was upon his
| head even in Tangiers and in Moslem
| Spain. A Syrian, fair haired and blue
| eyed, and bearing a strong resemblance
| to others of his house. the 20 year old
! wanderer seemed destined to be caught
| sooner or later, and Abdullah conf
| IDENTIFY expected to receive his en-
hol Cd in n
| the customs of the times.
After wandering in the deserts of
| Egypt with Bedouins and going hungry
| most of the time, the young prince
went westward to the province of Ba-
roa, his life once saved by Jewish
astrologer, hunted for years, he finally
| came to southern Algeia. Here ne fell
mothers family had belonged in Syria,
and both Arabs and Berbers received
| him with honors due his rank.
| Plans Independent Empire.
why not establish an independent
| empire in Andalusia?' asked the Ber-
| bers, a people ever ready to avail
! themselves of an opportunity to loot.
! Who was so fitted as the newly arrived
| prince, by rank and personal qualities.
to rule it? The power Of the eastern
khalifs was no longer an influence In
Spain Petty chieftains and kings
were at war with each other, and the
true faith had been forgotten by a
host of luxury loving backsliders. Yu-
suf, nominally the ruler of Spain, held
no authority north of Toledo.
Advancing to Mellila, on the Ned
iterranean side of the coast range of
the Atlas mountains where the mod
ern SpaniardS so recently engaged in
war with the kiff tribes, he sent his
"mauli' with a signet ring to recon
hotter in Spain and confer with chief
tains loyal to his cause. The mauli
was directed to say that his lord was
rightful heir to the khalifate of Da-
mascus and the rulership of Islam, but
that he would establish a khalifate in
Spain and build his empire eastward.
| The Syrian party in Cordova favored
the overthrow of Yusuf, and the es-
adjustment of an amir with sufficient
following and ability 10 put down dis
order in Spain, SO news of the coming
Of Abdu-r-rahman developed at the
psychological moment
Abdur-rahman's representative was
a keen politician. He wormed his
way into the confidence of the malcon-
tents and when a council was being
held he secured the nomination of "a
descendant of the ancient khalifs, now
wandering in the deserts among the
barbarous tribes, Abdu-r-rahman, son
son of Abdu-l-m alek" The '.conven-
tion'' stampeded 70 the dark horse
and as Yusuf was in the north trying
to quell a rebellion, a deputation was
appointed to find the wandering prince
and place him in power before the amir
could return. Straightway Abdu-r-
rahman wa sfound and rendered the
throne of Spain, regardless of the
rights of amir Yusuf and all provin-
ri al r. xr-f7o
ever.
Finds Empire Readymade.
Abdu-r-rahman found his empire
ready made in so far as allegiance was
concerned. With the sheiks of the wild
tribes of the Atlas region at his back
and the Syrian party in Spain ready to
welcome him, he was overcome with
amazement at his good fortune. With
horde of Africans following him, and
smiling land filled with smiling del
egations formed to welcome him, the
former hungry wanderer debarked at
Malaga, the blue-eyed and blue-blood-
ed scion of an overthrown royal house,
slender, handsome, gracious, fresh
from marvellous adventures incident
TO journey from the forests of Eu-
pilates to the hills of Mauretania,
headed a triumphal procession. He was
destined to fulfil the prophesy and
found an empire of greater Importance
than any that existed in Europe, and
equal in richness and culture to any
then existing in Asia. Fiction may be
explored in vain to find a figure equal
to that of this beau ideal OF boy he
roes. Epic poetry holds nothing more
picturesque than the conquest of Spain
by the young Ommeyan prince.
When Bagdad. which had succeeded
Damascus as the seat of the eastern
khalifate, heard Of Abdu-r-rahman's
conquest of Spain, forces we're sent
against him. The heads Of the lead
ers of the routed representatives of
the Bagdad khalif were returned to
him with their names and titles pinned
to their ears for purposes of identifi-
cation and accompanied by a polite
address to the khalif of the east from
the khalif of the west touching the
independence of Spain and Cordova's
defiance of Bagdad.
Conquest Was Easy.
To conquer Spain at this period was
simple matter compared with con-
solidating 1t. The proof of the true
greatness of Abdu- r-rahman is that he
was equal to this task The forma ton
Of STANDING arrar Of Al nm ,,,ar