Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 8, DIA-England

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EGYPT.
499
j pt. massacre which he had planned, not only in Cairo, but
^throughout all Egypt. Whilst matters remained in sus¬
pense, therefore, a thousand appalling apprehensions ap¬
pear to have arisen in his agitated mind. At length heads,
the usual signal of victory, were brought, and laid at his
feet. But the sight of these bloody trophies, though it
appears to have somewhat abated his terrors, did not re¬
store serenity to his countenance. In a little time Men-
drici, one of the pasha’s physicians, entered his apartment,
and warmly congratulated him on the success of his en¬
terprise. “ The affair is finished,” said the Genoese, with
an air of gaiety ; “ this is a day of rejoicing for your high¬
ness.” Mehemmed made no answer to the heartless re¬
mark of the Italian, but looking around in a dark and sus¬
picious manner, seemed apprehensive lest some Mam-
luke, escaped from the carnage, should come to avenge
upon him the slaughter of his comrades. Twenty-three
Beys and more than a thousand Mamlukes were the vic¬
tims of this bloody day. Having finished their task of
butchery, the Albanians entered Cairo in triumph, and,
under the pretext of searching for Mamlukes, penetrated
into the houses and committed all sorts of excesses. For
two days the city was abandoned to pillage, and not less
than five hundred houses were sacked by the licentious
soldiery. At length Mehemmed descended from the
citadel with an escort, and, preceded by executioners,
traversed the city, where he re-established order, and re¬
ceived the felicitations of the sheikhs and the ulemas, over
the bloody corpses of his enemies.1
Such was the tragical scene which formed as it were the
denouement of the complicated drama of intrigue, dissi¬
mulation, treachery, and cruelty in which Mehemmed had
all along been the principal performer ; and thus was in a
great measure attained the object to which all his actions
had constantly tended, namely, the destruction of the
Mamlukes. The remains of this unfortunate militia, pur¬
sued by the viceroy’s troops, passed the Cataracts, and
threw themselves into Nubia ; but being quickly followed,
they were overtaken in their retreat, and again defeated
with great loss. Their repeated misfortunes, however, seem
at length to have restored to them somewhat of their ori¬
ginal energy ; for, issuing from the deserts, they afterwards
appeared in Dongola, and took possession of the country,
of which, however, they were only able to occupy a part.
Ibrahim, the oldest of the Beys, died at the age of eighty-
four. But the Mamlukes, though now reduced to a small
number, had not yet exhausted the hatred of Mehemmed.
His son Ismael, in carrying his arms into the interior of
Africa, attacked them once more in 1820, and compelled
them to abandon their new country. This was the finish¬
ing blow. The few who had escaped so many casualties
dispersed, and from this time the Mamlukes as a body
ceased to exist. Originally formed in the middle ages,
this intrepid cavalry ever afterwards entertained for in¬
fantry the contempt which that arm then merited; and its
fall is principally to be ascribed to the circumstance that,
whilst infantry had been greatly improved in discipline
and stability, it had neglected to make any corresponding
change either in its organization or manner of fighting.
Hence the French infantry wrested Egypt from its hands,
and the Albanian infantry completed its ruin. Still, con¬
sidered merely as a body of horse, the Mamlukes con¬
tinued to the last to maintain the reputation which they
had originally acquired, as at once the finest and most
daring cavalry which the world had ever seen.
The massacre of the Mamlukes, and the measures sub¬
sequently adopted for completing their destruction, hav¬
ing effectually secured the viceroy against all danger from
the enemies whom he most dreaded, he now found himself
at liberty to devote his attention to the state of affairs in
Arabia. Thither Toussoun Pasha had, as already stated,
been sent to command the army destined to act against the
Wahabis ;2 and the campaign, though somewhat inauspi-
ciously commenced, had already been attended with some
1 Mengin, Histoire dc, I'Egyptc sous Mahommed-Aly, tom. i. pp. 3G3, 364, et seqq.; Life and Adventures of Giovanni Finati, vol. i.
p. 101, et seqq.; Abrege dc VHistoire dcs Mamlouks; Bulletin, tom. x. pp. 223, 224. The account of the massacre, contained in the
“Adventures of Finati,” differs in some particulars from the less picturesque but probably more accurate account of Mengin, who
was on the spot at the time, and an eye-witness of part of the tragedy. In the text we have chiefly followed the Abrege, which ap¬
pears to have been compiled, with singular care and accuracy, from the best Suthorities.
Many anecdotes have been told of the conduct of the Mamlukes on this dreadful occasion ; but the most remarkable is that which
relates to Amim Bey, brother to the celebrated Elfi, and the only one of the Beys who escaped the massacre. Being detained by business,
lie was too late to occupy his proper place in the procession, and he only arrived in the citadel when the troops were defiling through
thegate on their return to the city. Having reined up his charger, he waited until the column had entered the hollow road, in¬
tending to join his own body ; but seeing the gate suddenly closed, and all retreat intercepted, whilst discharges of musketry imme¬
diately followed, the gallant chief, preferring to be dashed in pieces rather than to be slaughtered by concealed enemies whom it was
impossible to reach, urged the charger which he rode until the horse clambered upon the rampart, when, spurring the noble animal
to desperation, he leaped headlong down the precipice, a height of more than forty feet. The horse was killed on the spot, but the
rider remained unhurt, and, having made his way into the city, at length succeeded in effecting his escape to Syria. The desperate
leap which Amim took from the parapet of the citadel has been compared to leaping out of a four-pair-of-stairs window. According
to another account, the Bey was received and sheltered by some Arabs, who, notwithstanding the offer of a large reward, refused
to deliver him up. (Finati, p. 64.)
2 In the year of the Hegira 1110, or of our era 1691, a sheikh of the village of El-Ayeyneh had a son, named Mohammed-Abd-el-
vfahab, whom he destined to succeed him. The youth was initiated by his father in the elements of Islamism, and afterwards sent to
college at Bassorah, there to complete his studies. Having finished his education, and performed the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina,
he returned to his native country, but afterwards withdrew to Horymla, where he took unto himself a wife. In this new retreat he un¬
dertook to reform the manners of the inhabitants, who, however, far from relishing his maxims, forced him to take refuge amongst his
countrymen. But he did not remain long among the latter, having been banished by orders of the governor of the province of El-Has-
san, who was incensed at an act of barbarity which he had caused to be committed. In this conjuncture, Abd-el-Wahab accepted an
asylum which had been offered him at Derayeh or Deraeyeh, the capital of the Nedjd, by Mohammed-ebn-Souhoud; and it was in
tins city that he commenced the exposition of those principles of reform which were soon to exert so powerful an influence over Ara-
'a. Ihe emir Souhoud had calculated that, favoured by a change of religion, he might be enabled to extend his possessions; nor was
'e disappointed in his expectations. From all parts ardent sectaries came to offer their arms and their services to the inspired sheikh ;
and m a short time the villages of El-Ayeyneh, Horeymla, El-Ammaryeh, and Manfouah had received his doctrine. On his part,
ouhoud directed his views towards the Nedjd, and made incursions into the neighbouring provinces, most of which were attended
''ith success. The emir died in 1765, leaving the power to his son Abd-el-Aziz, who had already signalized himself in several mili-
exPe(l>fi°ns, the command of which had been entrusted to him by Ebn-Souhoud. This young prince, aided by his son, enlarged
he dominions which had been left to him by his father, and greatly increased the Wahabite power. He imposed tribute on his
neighbours, took possession of El-Ryad and El-Delem, seized on the province of El-Kharg, and ruled over all the surrounding tribes,
emg a witness of these triumphs, which ensured the success of his reform, and grateful for the services which Souhoud the son of
bd-el-Aziz rendered to his cause, Mohammed-Abd-el-Wahab collected the principal inhabitants of Derayeh, in order by their means