Page images
PDF
EPUB

Mahadi.

Mahomet, of the house of Ali, was declared caliph at Medina. Almanfor, without quitting his rifing city, fent an army into Arabia. The unfortunate Mahomet was taken and beheaded in Medina, the very town where he had pretended to reign. Ibrahim his brother perished likewise in attempting to avenge him, and the caliph Almanfor caufed the heads of these two vanquished princes to be fet up on the walls of his new capital, which he ornamented with palaces and mofques whilft his generals fought for him. Bagdad was finished in less than fix years; his fucceffors enlarged it greatly afterward.

Mahadi, the fon and fucceffor of Almanfor, faw fpring up, immmediately on his coming to the throne, a fect capable of overturning the califate for ever. An Arabian, called Mokanna, encouraged by the example of Mahomet, had, like him, a mind to found a religion: he counterfeited inspiration, published that the spirit of God refided in him, proposed new precepts, and confirmed his miffion by falfe miracles. The people, fond of what was marvellous, followed this new prophet in crowds, who, more indulgent than the firft, permitted the ufe of wine, and did not require fo many prayers. Several towns in Arabia opened their gates to him. This enthusiasm foon formed foldiers: the Mahometan empire was like to be destroyed by the means that had raised it. Mahadi knew how to

oppofe

oppose efficaciously this rapid progress. The pretended miracles which the impoftor continually published did not render him the strongest; he was defeated feveral times. At laft, having taken refuge with fome foldiers in a small post which he did not expect to be able to defend long, he gave all his companions empoisoned wine, after which he fet fire to his retreat, with fo much precaution, that the Muffulmen could never extinguifh it 'till all the dead bodies of the foldiers, and Mokanna himself, were confumed. This frantic fellow had predicted that he should rife from the dead; his difciples waited a long time in expectation of the miracle. Mokanna had fo ftrengthened their credulity, that his fect was established throughout Arabia, and lafted near two centuries after him.

Another fectary fprang up at the fame time. Abu Anifah, one of the most celebrated Sunnite doctors, lived under Mahadi. He entertained fome particular opinions on different parts of the Alcoran, opinions which are now admitted by all the Ottomans; but, far from disquieting his fovereign, he only confirmed his disciples in the obedience which he thought due to the fucceffor of Mahomet. Abu Anifah preached concord and peace, even the pardon of injuries, and he prayed publicly for his perfecutors. This moral, though established by feveral paffages of the Alcoran, must have appeared very new to

men,

men, who, 'till then, had known no other law, virtue, nor glory, than that of force. Mahadi obtained great advantages over the Greeks, or rather Aaron Rachid, his fecond fon, a young prince full of valour and prudence, made war at the head of a fine army, with so much success, that he obliged the emprefs Irene to become tributary to the Muffulmen. This celebrated female ufurper, who was the first that found means to fubject the Roman eagle to the fceptre of a woman, and whose profound policy repaired for fome time the misfortunes and faults of her predeceffors, was obliged to purchase a peace with the Muffulmen by an annual fum, which could not be confidered but as a tribute, and Aaron Rachid brought back his army glorious and triumphant to Bagdad.

[ocr errors]

Mahadi, penetrated with admiration of the talents and fuperior qualities of Aaron Rachid, would fain declare him his immediate fucceffor; 'but the prince rejected what did not belong to him. He declared, that he would never reign to the prejudice of his elder brother Mufa; nevertheless he poffeffed the califate fooner than he had reason to expect. Mahadi was exceffively fond of one of his wives, newly admitted to the honor of his bed: fhe who had been his favorite before this new conqueft, tormented with jealoufy, gave her rival a beautiful fruit, which she had empoisoned. The girl immediately

diately carried this fruit to the caliph, who, having eaten it, died a few hours after in the most dreadful agonies, having reigned eleven years. His fucceffor was not then with him; Aaron Rachid received the oaths of the people for his brother.

Mufa was hardly on the throne, when he faw the Aliians ready to difpute it with him. Ofein, their chief, caufed himself to be proclaimed caliph at Medina on the death of Mahadi: he raised troops immediately, publishing throughout Arabia, that he would enfranchise the flaves who fhould come and enrol themselves under 'his ftandard. This foon procured him a numerous army, but badly difciplined, which Aaron Rachid had not the trouble to vanquish, and was difperfed presently.

Whilst Aaron Rachid was ferving hs brother with fo much fuccefs, the ungrateful Mufa meditated to deprive him of the fucceffion to the throne, which belonged to him by so many titles; he attempted to have his fon Jaafar, though yet a child, declared the prefumptive heir to the califate, contrary to the law, which decreed the feeptre to the oldeft prince of the race; and on his meeting with resistance from the vizier and all the principal officers, he resolved to get rid of them, and Aaron Rachid himself, whom he could not expect to vanquish but by treachery. One crime prevented another. Kiafaran, the mother

of

Mufa.

1

Aaron Ra

chid,

[ocr errors]

of the two princes, affumed a great authority; fhe had always in her retinue a number of creatures; fhe took upon her to give the governments, and beftow all favors. Her eldeft fon grew jealous of it, and reproached her bitterly; he forbade his mother to go out of her apartment, and particularly to receive fuch a numerous court; and he threatened to have thofe put to death who fhould pretend to be protected by her. This paffage clearly fhews, that the Mahometan women were not then so closely fhut up as they have been fince. The irritated fultanefs refolved to get rid of her fon; Mufa was poifoned the very day on which he had intended to have his brother fcrangled.

› Aaron Rachid began his reign with fulfilling a vow, which he had made during his difgrace, to go on foot in pilgrimage to Mecca. The people flocked about him on his journey, spreading rich carpets before him and strewing the earth with flowers. The new caliph earnestly endeavoured to free the Muffulmen from the profound ignorance in which they had 'till then lived, and which had been fo much recommended to them by the companions of Mahomet. He invited from all countries learned men, to tranflate into Arabic and Syriac books of philofophy and aftronomy which he had bought of the Chriftians. He was particularly fond of poetry, and magnificently rewarded those who made verfes; he like

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »