mohammed ali and his house-第10部分

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se　words；　and　the　nation　bowed　its　head　and　submitted　to　the　rule　of　this　black　man。

〃But　one　man　bad　the　courage　to　defy　this　slave。　He　was　a　descendant　of　the　house　of　Ali；　which　could　boast　of　being　the　house　of　the　great　prophet。

〃Mahadi　Obeidallah　was　the　name　of　this　grandson　of　Ali。　He　was　strong　and　mighty　before　Allah；　and　he　held　in　his　strong　hand　the　green　flag　of　the　prophet；　of　his　ancestor；　an　heir…loom　in　his　family；　as　he　landed　from　his　ships　with　his　troops；　at　Alexandria；　the　great　city　that　lies　on　the　shore　of　Africa；　and　belongs　to　the　realm　of　Egypt。

〃Nothing　could　resist　the　descendant　of　the　prophet；　and　Mahadi　Obeidallah　erected　his　throne　in　Alexandria。　The　conquest　of　Egypt；　begun　by　him；　was　finished　by　his　grandson；　Moez。　He　brought　a　hundred　thousand　men；　commanded　by　his　vizier　Jauhar；　to　Alexandria；　and　marched　with　them　through　the　desert　toward　the　great　city　of　Fostal；　which　Caliph　Amrou　had　built。

〃Near　this　great　city；　Jauhar　founded　another　with　splendid　walls　and　palaces；　and　he　called　it　El…Kaherathat　is；　theVictorious。'　Proudly；　victoriously；　beside　the　old　city　of　Fostal；　arose　the　new　city　of　El…Kahera；　the　wondrous　city！　Moez　sat　enthroned　there　in　the　midst　of　his　realm；　and　he　founded　in　El…Kahera；　the　Victorious；　the　dynasty　of　the　Fatimite　caliphs；　for　Fatima；　the　daughter　of　the　prophet　Mohammed；　had　married　Ali；　who　was　the　head　of　the　house　from　which　Moez　and　Jauhar　descended。

〃The　new　city；　El…Kahera　arose　quickly；　and　soon　became　the　model　for　all　that　was　beautiful　in　the　arts　and　sciences　in　Egypt。　The　haughty　Bagdad；　once　so　mighty；　sank　into　the　dust　before　her。

〃But　the　Fatimites　were　neither　wiser　nor　more　fortunate　than　the　Abbassites；　of　whom　I　told　you　yesterday；　had　been。　The　people　could　not　love　them；　for　the　Fatimites　ruled　tyrannically；　and　knew　nothing　of　pity　and　love；　and　the　religion　of　the　prophet；　which　teaches　that　we　should　love　and　do　good　to　our　fellow…men；　they　practised　with　their　tongues　only；　but　not　in　reality。　They　thought　it　sufficient　to　be　able　to　call　themselves　descendants　of　the　great　prophet；　without　imitating　him　in　his　good　works。

〃At　last　one　of　them　even　dared　to　proclaim　himself　the　prophet。　His　name　was　Hakem。　To　him　it　did　not　seem　enough　to　be　the　descendant　of　Mohammed；　of　our　great　prophethe　wished　to　be　king　and　prophet　himself。　He　desired　to　found　a　new　religion；　and；　because　the　inhabitants　of　El…Kahera　would　not　bow　down　before　him　in　the　dust；　and　abandon　their　prophet；　Mohammed；　for　his　sake；　he　caused　the　one　half　of　the　beautiful　city　of　El…Kahera；　the　Victorious；　to　be　laid　in　ashes；　and　he　allowed　his　wild　hordes　to　plunder　and　rob　the　other　half。　He　rejoiced　in　this；　and　imagined　Allah　would　be　contented。　He　said；　too；　that　Allah　conversed　with　him　each　day；　and　gave　him　instructions　with　his　own　lips。　It　was　for　this　purpose　that　he　went　daily　into　the　mountains　of　Mokatan；　which　rise　on　the　banks　of　the　Nile；　near　the　city；　and　there　he；　a　second　Moses；　communed；　as　he　declared；　with　Allah。

〃But　one　day　he　did　not　return　from　the　mountains；　and　when　his　janizaries　sought　him　they　found　him　lying　dead　on　the　ground；　pierced　with　daggers。

〃The　Fatimites　had　ruled　over　Egypt　for　two　hundred　years。　Their　glory　was　now　at　an　end；　and　Allah　sent　the　unbelievers　as　a　scourge　to　punish　those　who　had　dared　to　set　themselves　above　the　prophet；　to　punish　the　sons　of　Hakem　who　had　declared　himself　to　be　the　prophet。

〃The　unbelievers；　who　called　themselves　Christians；　came；　therefore；　with　a　cross　on　their　arms；　and　a　cross　on　their　banners；　conquered　El…Kahera；　and　levied　a　tribute　of　many　millions　of　piasters。　But　the　Caliph　Addad；　a　son　of　Hakem；　called　to　his　assistance　Noureddin；　the　ruler　of　the　land　of　Alep；　who　sent　him　a　powerful　army；　and　the　army　of　the　Christian　dogs　was　scattered　like　dust　before　the　winds。

〃Yet　Addad　reaped　no　blessing　from　the　assistance　thus　called　to　his　sidethe　son　was　to　be　punished　for　the　misdeeds　and　tyranny　of　his　father　Hakem。　A　strong　and　mighty　man　had　come　with　Noureddin's　army；　he　made　himself　Addad's　vizier；　their　commander…in…chief；　and　Addad　died　of　mortification。　Saladin　the　son　of　Ayoub；　assumed　his　place；　and　became　the　ruler　of　Egypt；　and　founded　the　dynasty　of　the　Ayoubites。〃




CHAPTER　VI

THE　MAMELUKES。


The　scha…er　paused　a　moment；　and　directed　a　glance　of　his　wild　black　eyes　at　the　audience　surrounding　him。　The　men　regarded　him　with　profound　gravity；　and　nodded　their　heads　in　approval；　and　requested　him　to　proceed。

Rejoicing　at　his　success；　he　continued　in　a　loud　voice：　〃But　the　rule　of　the　Ayoubites　did　not　last　long；　it　was　even　more　brief　than　that　of　the　Fatimites。

〃The　reign　of　the　ten　sultans　distinguished　the　short　and　glorious　history　of　their　house；　which；　above　all；　loved　show　and　splendor。　The　palaces　of　these　proud　rulers　of　El…Kahera　were　crowded　with　servants　and　slaves。

〃It　was　at　this　time　that　the　Mogul；　Genghis　Khan；　assembled　all　the　Tartar　hordes　of　his　land　under　his　banner。　They　followed　him　to　the　banks　of　the　Tigris；　and　nothing　but　terror　and　desolation；　ashes　and　bones；　were　found　where　they　had　passed。　Burning　and　destroying；　they　marched　to　the　banks　of　the　Caspian　Sea。　Lamentations；　followed；　and　numberless　corpses　encumbered　the　track　of　his　army。　At　last；　weary　of　their　bloody　work；　the　Mongols　stopped　to　rest　in　beautiful　Circassia。

〃Here　they　purchased　slaves　for　their　masters。　One　Ayoubite　alone　purchased　twelve　thousand　young　men：　with　them　he　repaired　to　Asia　Minor；　where　he　dressed　them　in　rich；　glittering　garments；　and　called　them　his　Mamelukes；　that　is；　'those　he　had　acquired　and　paid　for。'　And　now；　listen；　ye　men　of　Cavalla；　in　this　manner　there　arose　in　history　a　new　tribe；　a　new　race；　and　it　gave　itself　the　name　of　Mamelukes。　Even　the　sultan　formed　for　his　service　a　corps　out　of　their　race；　they　became　mighty　and　valiant；　increased　from　generation　to　generation；　and　before　them　rulers　trembled。　Yes；　even　the　Sultan　at　Stamboul　feared　their　might。

〃The　Mamelukes；　however；　dethroned　the　last　Ayoubite；　the　one　who　had　purchased　them。　The　Mamelukes　vanquished　all　the　Christian　dogs　who　came　to　the　holy　land　to　fight　for　what　they　call　the　holy　grave。　They　murdered　the　last　sultan。　They　then　placed　on　the　throne　one　of　their　own　race；　a　Mameluke。　And　observe；　ye　men　of　Cavalla；　with　this　begins　a　new　era　in　the　history　of　this　land：　the　Mamelukes　mount　the　throne；　and　make　themselves　masters　of　Egypt。

〃But　upon　this　fearful　deed；　follow　disorder；　revolt；　terror；　blood；　and　death！　I　could　tell　you　much　more　of　the　atrocities　done　by　the　Mamelukes；　unheard　of　as　yet　by　any　of　you；　and　such　as　the　history　of　no　other　land　can　exhibit。　I　could　relate　to　you　the　histories　of　all　the　other　nations　of　the　world；　but　if　ye　listened；　ye　men　of　Cavalla；　to　the　history　of　the　Mamelukes　of　the　last　century；　the　events　of　all　the　other　lands　of　the　world　would　sound　to　you；　compared　with　the　deeds　that　have　been　done　in　the　land　of　the　Egyptians　since　the　year　620；　after　the　birth　of　the　great　prophet　Mohammed；　like　nursery…tales。　On　the　grave　of　the　prophet　sat；　her　features　shrouded　in　a　bloody　veil；　the　holy　spirit　of　the　history　of　the　world；　sadly　recording　the　atrocious　deeds　of　the　cruel；　implacable　forty…seven　tyrants　who　reigned　on　the　bloody　throne　of　El…Kahera　during　two　hundred　and　sixty…three　years。　Seventeen　of　them　were　murdered；　and　eighteen　of　their　successors　dethroned。　The　rule　of　each　lasting　but　a　few　moons。　The　tyrant　was　always　hurled　down　by　the　tyrant。

〃One　would　have　supposed　that　the　Mamelukes　would　have　shown　more　love　and　reverence　for　the　princes　of　their　own　race　than　for　foreign　rulers；　but　the　reverse　was　the　case。　The　Mamelukes　believed　that　they　were　under　no　obligation　to　respect　a　prince　of　their　own　race　more　than　themselves。　They　raised　their　hands　threateningly　against　every　one　who　dared　to　consider　himself　something　better　than　they。　They　considered　themselves　the　advisers　of　the　princes　of　their　own　race；　and　without　their　approval；　these　princes　could　undertake　nothing　whatever。　And　worse　than　this　ambition；　were　the　machinations　and　plundering　of　the　intriguing　men　who　surrounded　the　throne　of　the　Mamelukes。　Even　Allah's　wrath　was　aroused　by　this　corruption；　and　the　prophet　grew　angry。　Allah　punished　them　for　their　horrid　deeds；　and　sent　down　famine；　pestilence；　and　misery；　upon　the　degraded　land。　The　people　lay　in　dust　and　ashes。　In　their　despair　they　wrung　their　hands；　and　implored　Allah　to　rescue　them　from　this　misery　and　torment。

〃At　last；　after　two　and　a　half　centuries；　Allah　sent　them　relief　through　the　Ottomans。

〃They　could　not　be　worse　than　the　Mamelukes；　for　nothing　on　earth　could　be　worse；　the　dagger　was　the　only　law　of　these　slaves；　who　called　nothing　their　own；　and　had　neither　family　ties；　fatherland；　nor　religion。

〃Had　they　not　come　from　Circassia？　Had　they　not　been　purchased　as　slaves　and　brought　to　Egypt？　Had　they　not　been　Christians；　and　were　they　not　of　Christian　descent？　But　they　had　been　forced；　the　slaves；　to　assume　the　holy　religion　of　Mohammed。　The　prophet；　however；　does　not　incline　his　ear　to　enforced　service。　He　who　does　not　willingly　lay　down　his　faith　and　fidelity　upon　the　altar　can　expect　no　blessing　from　Allah。　The　Mamelukes　learned　little；　except　to　read　the　Koran；　to　handle　the　sword；　to　ride；　and　to　be　pitiless　against　everybody。　They　also　learned　to　flatter　the　master　who　had　purchased　them；　to　bow　down　in　the　dust　before　him；　and　to　be　nothing　for　him　but　a　mere　tool　that　has　ho　honor；　no　thought；　and　no　sensibility　of　its　own。　When　the　Mamelukes　were　fully　matured；　had　become　expert　in　using　their　swords；　and　managing　their　steeds；　and　when　their　chins　became　covered　with　beard；　the　masters　who　bad　bought　them　made　them　freemen；　and　gave　them　the　rank　and　title　of　a　kachef；　an　officer　who　was　to　lead　and　command　the　others。　The；　kachef　was　the　lieutenant　of　those　who　had　not　become　free。　They　gave　him　a　salary；　or　made　him　a　confidant　or　assistant。　When　he　got　thus　far；　had　become　free；　and　been　made　a　kachef；　a　career　of　ambition；　but　also　of　intrigue；　trickery；　and　treason；　opened　itself　before　him。　His　shrew