Evening star., 1911-08-11
THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN.
XXI-A MOSlem Charlie
maSne.
By Frederic j. Haskin.


Among the great men of the world
should always be listed Abdu-r-rahman.
founder of the kalifate OF Cordova and
maker of the Arab empire in Spain.
Here in the once splendid capital of
Abd-r-rahman there is little left to re-
mind the traveller of the exploits and
achievements of an Arab prince who has
been called-and without exagseration-
the Moslem Charlemagne.
Not even the rich legends of Spain,
that still so powerfully influence the
country. can furnish q more striking fig
ure than that of the first Caliph of Cor
dova Stripped Of the embellishments of
legend, Abdu-r-rahman remains as an
actual historic character without peer
in Spanish annals Abdu-r-ra hman was
absent from Damascus when the line OF
the Ommeyades caiphs was overthroNn.
and the new caliph, Abdullah. the Blood
shedder. gave an order for the assassina-
ton of every prince of the blood. Fate
had decreed that a scion of the Om-
meyades should escape murder to make
history.
Fleeing from the assassins with two
faithful servants. the hoy prince found
refu2e IN a dense Forest n AT the fsu-
pirates. Tracked bv spies !. the employ
of the grand vizier he left rs temporary
retreat only 10 find that ne net had
been thrown out in the most distant
provinces. \ price was upon his head
even in Tangiers and in Moslem Spain
Syrian fair-haired and blue-eNed. and
bearing strong resemblance 70 others
of his house, the tWenty-year-old wan
derer seemed destined to be caught soon
er or later. and Ahdullah confidently ex-
pected to receive his erabalmed head in
caSket. according to the customs Of the
times
-
After wandering in the deserts ol Egypt
with Bedouins. and going hungry most of
the time, the young
Received With prince went west
Highest Honors. inca Of Rarca % His
life once saved by a Jewish astrologer.
hunted for years. he finally came to
southern Algeria. Here he fell in with
an Arabian tribe. to which his mothers
family had belonged in Syria. and both
Arabs and Berbers received him with
honors due his rank
''Why not establish an independent en-
pire in Andalusia?' asked the Rerbers a
people ever ready to avail themselves of
an opportunity TO loot. Who was so
!
rank and personal qualities to rule il
The power of the eastern caliphs was no
longer an influence in Spain. Petty chief
fainS and kings We're at war with each
other. and the true faith had been forgot
ten by host of iuxury-loving backsld-
ers- fusuf nominally ruler of SPAIN
held no authority north of Toledo
Advancing to Mellila, on the Mediter-
ranean side of the coast range OF the
Atlas mountains. where the modern
Spaniards 50 recently engaged in war
with the Riff tribes. he sent his maui !
with siSnet ring 10 reconnoiter in |
Spain and confer with chieftains loyal |
TO his cause. The mauli was directed to |
say that his lord was rightful heir to the |
khalifate of Damascus and the ruler /
snip OF Islam. but that he would estab- |
iish khaiifate in Spain and build his |
empire eastward. The Syrian party in I:
Cordova favored the overthrow of Yusuf /
and the establishment of an amir with
sufiicient following and ability to put
down disorder in Spain, so news of the
coming of Abdu-r-rahman developed at
the psychological moment
Abdu-r-rahmanS representative was
keen politician. He wormed his way
into the conf /;
Is rendered dence of the NAL
Throne of Spain. on ro e Us ana
was being held he secured the nomina-
tion of "a descendant of the ancient |
khalifs. now wandering in the deserts /
among the barbarous tribes, Abdu-r- !
rahman son of Muawiyah. son of khalif |
Hisham. son of Abdu-l-ma LEX The |
convention" stampeded to the dark
horse and. as Yusuf was in the north
trying TO quel rebellion, deputation
was appointed to find the wandering
prince and place him in power before the
amir could return. Straishtway Abdul
r-rahman was found and rendered the
throne of Spain. regardless of the rights
OF Amir Yusuf and all provincial COVER
nors or petty kings whatsoever
Abdu-r-rahman found his empire ready
made. in SO far as allegiance was con-
cerned With the sheiks of the wild
tribes OF the Atlas region at his back
and the syrian party in Spain ready 10
welcome him, he was overcome with |
amazement at his good fortune With
a horde OF Africans following him, and
a smiling land filled with smiling dele
cations formed TO welcome him, the for
mer hungry wanderer debarked at NAL /
aga. the blue-eyed and blue -blooded
scion of an overthrown royal house, !
slender. handsome. gracious fresh from
marvellous adventures incident to a
journey from the forests of the E,lphrates
TO the hills of Mauretania, headed d
triumphal procession. He was destined
TO fulfill the prophecy and found an en-
pire OF greater Importance than any that
existed In Europe. and equal in riches
and culture to any then existing in Asia
Fiction may be explored in vain to find
figure equal to that OF this beau ideal
OF boy heroes. Epic poetry holds moth
Ing more picturesque than tie conquest
OF Spain by the young Ommeyan prince
When Bagdad, which had succeeded
Damascus as the seat of the Eastern
khalifate. heard Of
t0rceS Sent Out Abdu-r-rahman's con
Cro,., p.lol quest of Spain, forces
were sent against
him The heads of the leaders of the
routed representatives OF the Basdad
khalif were returned 10 him with their
names and titles pinned 10 their ears for
purposes OF Identification, and accom-
panied by polite address to the khalif
Cf he. Ea=t he l.. h.,I4