RACES OF ASIA, OCCOMpallyillg ASIA.
Politically, Arabia is divided as follows: The Sinai Peninsula forms a dependency of Egypt. The western coast, forming the two provinces of Hejaz and Yemen. as well as the region of al Hasa, on the eastern coast, belong to Turkey. Oman is administered by an independent imam, while Aden (q.v.) forms a dependency of Great Britain, which exercises, a protectorate over a considerable territory. The remainder of the country is divided into a number of independent or semi-independent states, under hereditary or chosen chiefs. bearing the title of emir, sheik, or imam. Their function appears to be limited to leading the troops in time of war, to levying tribute, and to the administration of justice. A spirit of liberty in the people moderates the authority of their chieftains; but instances of extreme despotism have not been unfrequent, both in early and modern times. The most important cities of Arabia are Mecca, Museet, Jiddah. 110 deida. Medina, Hind, Aden, and Mocha.
His•one. Of the first settlement of Arabia nothing is known. From time immemorial the Arabian Peninsula has been the home of Semitic tribes: and the tendency of modern scholarship is to regard Arabia as the original home of the Semites. Arabic writers follow in this respect the popular distinction between the northern and southern tribes, and trace each back to fic titious ancestors—the former to Ishmael, the son of Abraham; the latter to Kahtan, a mythical hero; but, naturally, all such notices have no historical value whatsoever. The distinction, however, between the northern and southern inhabitants is justified, and applies to Arabic history until the union of all the tribes under the influence of Islam. Culture proper began in the south, and by the help of numerous in scriptions, found especially by Glaser. it is pos sible now to trace back Arabian history to about B.C. 1500, at which time we find a flour ishing nation in the south, known as the Him yarites. The stronghold of the Iliniyaritie power was in the kingdom of Yemen. in the southwestern corner of the peninsula, where also the earliest traces of Arabic civilization may he found. Less important principalities existed all over the southern part of the peninsula, ex tending across its entire breadth, from the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf. The Ilimyaritie king dom was succeeded by the Saleean, which lasted well into the Christian era. As eontrasted with the nomad tribes of central and northern Arabia, the inhabitants of Yemen were a highly advanced race, dwelling in cities, actively engaged in commerce, and possessing well-defined political institutions. The tribes of the north were never recognized by the southern inhabitants as pure Arabs. For a very long period they were more or less under the authority of the kings of Yemen, but in the fifth century after Christ they successfully asserted their independence. They did not, however, institute any form of govern ment in place of the one they had overthrown, and for about two hundred years they remained split up into numerous clans engaged in con tinuous warfare. From foreign invasion the ancient inhabitants were comparatively free. The rulers of the Mesopotamian empires, of Per sia, aad of Egypt failed to reduce them to sub mission. Alexander the Great determined upon the invasion of the country, but was interrupted in his plans by death. Three centuries after Alexander, in the reign of Augustus, an army under the prefect of Egypt invaded Yemen: but no definite results followed the expedition. The only considerable period of foreign rule was that Between 529 and 605, when lemon was held by the Abyssinians. The Arabs, therefore, were left to work out their own destinies. and the force t hat was to unify the warring tribes into one great nation was to come from among themselves.
In Western Arabia, as early as the Fifth Cen tury, the tribe of Koreish, living in Mecca, had risen to great prominence on account of their noble descent and their wealth. In addition to this they became the perpetual guardians of the sacred Kaaba at Mecca. This structure from the earliest times had been a place of pilgrimage for the peoples of the entire peninsula. In the great fairs which were annually held not far from Mecca, the first steps toward Arab unity were made. These annual meetings were marked by the celebration of athletic games, and poetic contests. and partook also of a certain religious character which made them in sonic respects similar to the Olympian flames of ancient Greece, with which they may also be compared for their effect upon the building up of an Arabian na tionality. The way. then, was prepared for Mo
hamined• who, through the gospel of Islam, was destined to unite the entire peninsula under his rule within the short period of ten years; for after he had won over the powerful Koreish to his doctrine, and had provided himself in this manner with an efficient army, the chaotic con dition of political life in Arabia made the spread of his faith all the more easy. Arabia enjoyed the most prosperous period of its history during the reigns of the first three caliphs (632-050), under v:hom Syria, Egypt, and Persia were con quered. Then the tide of Moslem conquest swept westward over the whole of northern Africa and the Spanish Peninsula, and seemed about to en gulf ancient Gaul, when it was arrested between Poitiers and Tours by Charles Martel, ruler of the Franks (732). With the spread of Moham medan dominion. the importance of Arabia itself declined. This was especially true after the year 750, when the Onnniads were overthrown by the descendants of Abbas. So long as Damascus had been the centre of the Moslem world, the Arab element had been preilminent, and the great generals and administrators of the caliphs had been drawn chiefly from among the inhabit ants of the peninsula; but with the establish ment of the Abbasside dynasty of caliphs, who iemoved the seat of the Mohammedan power in the East to Bagdad, and the rice of a great Mo hammedan realm in the extreme West the mag nificent role which Arabia had played came to an end, and the country which had furnished the means of war to Mohammed's immediate suc cessors., fell into the condition in which the prophet had found it in the "Days of Ignorance." Numerous principalities once more arose, enjoy ing complete independence, except at rare mo ments, when some foreign invader established his power over sections of the country, as was the case with Yemen. which was for some time held by the rulers of Egypt. In 1517 the tribes cf Yemen and Hejaz were subjected under the rule of the Turkish Sultan. In 1633, however, they virtually regained their independence. and the last native ruler in Yemen was not overthrown till 1871. In the East the kingdom of Oman attained considerable importance. From 1508 to 1659 its capital, Muscat, was held by the Portu guese, but it finally fell into the possession of the native princes, who succeeded in extending and consolidating their power. In the interior of Arabia. the most important princes are the Wah bald rulers, whose dynasty was founded in the middle of the Eighteenth Century by Abd al-Wah httb, a religious reformer who attempted to re store the pure faith of Mohammed and banish all later accretions, and made the propaganda of his religious views a means for seizing on politi cal power. Under his successors the Walihabi sphere of influence expanded until at the begin ning of the Nineteenth Century Mecca itself fell into their hands. In 1811 they became involved in conflict with Mehemet Ali of Egypt, and after seven years' warfare their power was shattered by Ibrahim Pasha. The Wahhabi monarchy, how ever, took a new lease of life after 1840, when the struggle between the Viceroy of Egypt and the Sultan prevented any effective assertion of Otto man supremacy. The Mohammedan world is es-en yet not free from danger of a Wahhabi incursion.
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