Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎778r] (1572/1814)

centuries Arabia ha s "been“to'“ a *' 01
When more than a century ago the Wahabi
schismatics arose and carried hre and sword
far and wide, sacked Mecca and Kerbela,
and even menaced Damascus, it was not the
lurks who broke the Wahabi movement.
The work was done for them by Mehemet Ali,
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. of Egypt, and his sons ; and since the
great Egyptian invasion the Crescent flag has
won few glories in Arabia. Even the Hedjaz
route has only been kept comparatively safe by
heavy bribes to the Beduin, and the new rail
way to Medina is often threatened. There
has been one protracted revolt in the province
of Asir, south of Mecca, and another and a
greater rebellion in Yemen. Both are still
unsubdued, and against both the Turks have
wasted their strength in vain. Their position
in Arabia grows weaker and the spectacle of
their beaten soldiery scrambling aboard a
British steamer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. is but one
of many significant symptoms.
cern of Turkey in Wabie '"T ^ great con -
of t T t . Arabia is to retain
mi,
i a
% b
“ horse and camel, and we shall not see so much
“as an undervest.” This prudent and unusual
theory of strategy was not justified in the
event, for Bi:sr Rashid stood his ground, and at
dawn the battle was raging. Bin Baud's
fighting orders were very simple. His men
were “ not to fire until they were sure of every
“ arrow finding its lodgment in the breasts of
“ the enemy,” and they were then “ to go in
“ with the naked edge of the sword.” These
tactics were completely successful. Bin Rashid
was slain, pierced by three arrows, one
.y
b
v
wl
£
E
e
am? nemos »a 1 .'ik'"- tt-,tt" 7k
TT^-VT^TT^ Vr
rn8.
a
as
id
th
ait
lot
aid
irt-
ate
Turkey in Arabia.
The world has been so engrossed in the great
drama of the Balkan Peninsula that it has paid
small heed to the little conflicts fought in the
last two or three months in Arabia. For
centuries Arabia has been to a great extent
left isolated, an unknown land round which the
main currents of human history have swept
without penetration. It lies, a huge sea-girt
peninsula, midway between three great con
tinents ; its shores are laved by ocean high
ways ; but though tens of thousands of voyagers
stare listlessly every year at its bare and mys
terious coasts, less is known about Arabia than
was known in Assyria in the day's of Asurba-
xipa u. Yet from behind its burning sandhills
we sometimes catch faint echoes of distant
strife. Stories reach the bazaars of Bombay and
Cairo of strange fights between mail-clad
warriors, of armies still contending with bows
and arrows, of moonlight battles, of siege and
sortie, and attack and surprise. They have
little to do with the broad trend of modern
events, but are not uninfluenced thereby, as
recent occurrences have shown. When the
Bulgarians drove back the Turkish Army to
the narrow defences of Constantinople men said
that a new and regenerated Turkish Empire
might be reared in Asia Minor. The few who
knew the truth agreed, but doubted whether
the Turks would be able wholly to maintain
their very uncertain hold upon the outskirts
of Arabia. Peace was scarcely signed before
the news came that the Arabs were up in the
heart of the peninsula. Theirs was no great
organized revolt. No serried array of trained
battalions marched along the desert routes.
The fighting has been between small clouds of
undisciplined horsemen on the one side, and
handfuls of ragged Turkish soldiery on the
other. But by last month the Arabs had swept
the Turks out of Eastern Arabia, the dubious
“ conquests ” of Midhat Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. had crumbled into
nothing, and the eastern pathways to the Holy
Cities now lie at the mercy of victorious Arab
chieftains. Had there been no Balkan War at
all such a change might still have been
wrought. The Turkish claim to dominate Arabia
has always been very imperfectly vindicated.
When more than a century ago the Wahabi
schismatics arose and carried fire and sword
far and wide, sacked Mecca and Kerbela,
and even menaced Damascus, it was not the
Turks who broke the Wahabi movement.
The work was done for them by Mehemet Ali,
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. of Egypt, and his sons ; and since the
great Egyptian invasion the Crescent flag has
won few glories in Arabia. Even the Hedjaz
route has only been kept comparatively safe by
heavy bribes to the Beduin, and the new rail
way to Medina is often tlireatened. There
has been one protracted revolt in the province
of Asir, south of Mecca, and another and a
greater rebellion in Yemen. Both are still
unsubdued, and against both the Turks have
wasted their strength in vain. Their position
in Arabia grows weaker and the spectacle of
their beaten soldiery scrambling aboard a
British steamer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. is but one
of many significant symptoms.
The renascence of Arab power in its present
form dates from little more than ten years
ago. Its real creator was Sheikh Mubarak,
of Koweit, the redoubtable old statesman and
warrior whose influence extends over much of
Arabia, though he has never sought territory
which was not his birthright. After the
Egyptians compassed the downfall of the
Wahabi dynasty of the Bin Bauds the control
of Central Arabia passed into the hands of the
family of the Bin Rashids, who made their
capital at Hail, in the heart of the peninsula,
and ruled there for seventy years. They were
strong and fearless, but when the . present
century dawned a Bin Rashid was established
at Hail whose ambitions exceeded his strength.
He proclaimed himself “ King of Arabia,”
and began by marching to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
and menacing Koweit. The fiery Mubarak
sallied forth from his seaport capital, fell upon
the “ King ” and smote him hip and thigh,
chased his army half-way across Arabia, and
seized his city of Hail. Mubarak’s only object
was chastisement, and he did not aspire to govern
Nejd.; but while he was returning to the coast
disaster overtook him. Bin Rashid rallied
his followers, and surprised Mubarak’s forces
when they were traversing a rocky defile one
moonlight night. The end of the ad
venture was that the survivors reached
Koweit riding three on a horse. Mubarak was
undaunted. He summoned some scions of the
fallen house of Bin Baud, fed them and sheltered
them, found them money and arms, and sent
them forth into the desert to recover their lost
kingdom. Bin Rashid had two capitals. Hail
in the north and Riadh in the south. A
younger Bin Baud moved towards Riadh,
gathering followers as he went until he was
riding at the head of 3,000 men. He halted
secretly at some villages near Riadh, and then
rode forward in the darkness to the sleeping
city with fifty daring horsemen.
That was ten years ago, and those fifty
horsemen decided the fate of Arabia. By a
stratagem they induced the captain of the guard
to open the city gate, and galloping through the
Streets they quickly slew Bin Rashid’s governor.
By dawn the rest of their followers had entered,
and the Wahabi dynasty ruled once more.
Bin Rashid held Hail for three years longer,
but Bin Baud at length decisively defeated him
in the district of Kasim, midway between
the two cities. The Arab chronicles of the final
battle are quaint. Bin Baud’s emirs wanted to
attack at dawn. “ Not so,” said Bin Baud.
“You know my hatred of bloodshed. If we
“ attack at night Bin Rashid may think
“ victory will be ours, and he may take to
horse and camel, and we shall not see so much
as an undervest.” This prudent and unusual
theory of strategy was not justified in the
event, for Bin Rashid stood his ground, and at
dawn the battle was raging. Bin Baud s
fighting orders were very simple. His men
were “ not to fire until they were sure of every
“ arrow finding its lodgment in the breasts of
“ the enemy,” and they were then “ to go in
“ with the naked edge of the sword. ’ These
tactics were completely successful. Bin Rashid
was slain, pierced by three arrows, one
of which pinned his- thigh to nis horse.
Bin Baud became master of Nejd and all
Central Arabia, and the sequel has just been
seen in the realization of his long-cherished
dream of driving back the Turks to the desolate
beaches of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Plis triumph does
not appear to signify a revival of the true
Wahabi spirit, but is apparently only temporal
in character. It does not portend a new Jehad,
for never again will the world see a swift out
pouring of Islamic forces from the sands of
Arabia. The Beduin are drawing together,
but they arc not united enough for wars of
conquest, or zealous enough for a new crusade
of militant proselytism. Their renewal of
strength may mean, however, very much to
the Turks. In all good faith the friends of
Turkey may well advise her to make terms
with Bin Baud, who is believed to be not
indisposed to parley with the Bhutan with a
respectful obeisance. The infrequent oases of
El Hasa are of no value to Tin-key, while cordial
relations with the potentate of Nojd may be
extremely advantageous. The one great con
cern of Turkey in Arabia is to retain control
of the Holy Cities, in order to preserve her
prestige. She will best fulfil her object by
coming to an understanding with Bin Baud-
She should, moreover, cease to pour troops into
Yemen, and should establish friendly rela
tions with the Imam of Sana on the basis of
suzerainty. The separate revolt in the province
of Asir ought to be capable of similar adjust
ment. Turkey would thus be relieved of an
intolerable drain of men and money, would
lose no territorial rights which are at present
undisputed, and would be free to turn her
attention to the vital tasks which still await
her in Asia Minor.
P
F
di
g 1
te
be
of
we
of
th.
Pa
list
Br
au
me
inc