The discussion which took place on this subject between the Captain of the Mamluks and certain Sherifs of the Mosque reveals the renegade's general disbelief in Muhammedanism; though it may well be doubted whether such an unreserved manifestation of it could have been attempted with impunity except by a person in his position.

The character of the townspeople, which is proverbially bad, elicits from Varthema the epithet of "canaglia," and expressing equal disgust at “the vanities of Muhammed," which form the staple attractions to the pilgrim visitors at El-Medînah, or The City, par excellence, he resumes his onward journey towards Meccah, which was accomplished in ten days. The intervening country appears to have been in a very unsettled state, for he records two skirmishes with large bands of Arabs, and ascribes the cause to the prevalence of a great war between four brothers who were fighting for the lordship of Meccah. In a subsequent chapter, whilst describing Juddah, he mentions incidentally that the government of that town was administered by one of the brothers of Barachet," who was then the ruling "Sultan of Meccah."

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By the latter designation, we are undoubtedly to understand the "Sherîf," which title, as applied to the Arab ruler of Meccah, has entirely superseded the more ancient one of "Amîr." The particular family from which candidates for that dignity were elected claim, in common with several others which assume the same honourable distinction, to be the

descendants of Hasan, the eldest son of 'Ali, through his two sons Zaid and Hasan el-Musanna; but the first historical notice which we possess of their territorial jurisdiction in the Hijâz, is given by Ibn Shubnah, during the reign of the Ayyubite princes in Yemen, who records that in his time El-Medînah and Meccah were severally governed by two members of that family, each bearing the title of "Amîr."1 Although exercising almost sovereign power within the limits assigned to them, the Sherîfs were avowedly subordinate to the successive Khalîfs of the Omeyya and 'Abbaside dynasties, and subsequently to the Mamluk Sultâns of Egypt, whose prerogative it was to recognize their authority by investing them annually with a robe of honour. This suzerainty, in his time, is casually adverted to by Varthema, who speaks of the lord of Juddah and the Sultan of Meccah as being "subject to the Grand Sultan of Cairo."

But a supremacy which, in effect, was barely nominal, seldom availed to maintain public order in the Hijâz, more especially whenever rival factions. among the Sherîfs contended for the chief magistracy of Meccah. Such family feuds were of constant occurrence, and one was actually in progress at the time of our traveller's visit, and his incidental remarks on the subject are so strikingly corroborated by native historical records, as to merit special illustration. The following passages, translated from the Kurrat el-Ayun, an Arabic manuscript Chronicle of 1 See D'HERBELOT, sub voce Meccah. ✓

Yemen, besides substantiating the statements of Varthema, afford a general view of the political condition of the Hijâz at the period referred to:

"A.H. 906. In the month of Zul' Käadah of this year, [corresponding with parts of May and June, A.D. 1500,] a battle took place between the Sherîf Hazä'a bin Muhammed bin Barakât and his brother Barakât ibn Muhammed, the lord of the Hijâz, wherein the latter was overcome and put to flight, the Egyptian escort seizing all his property, and depriving him of everything. The cause was as follows:When El-'Adil Tûmân Bey, lord of Egypt, succeeded ElÁshraf Janblat, he expelled an amîr of the latter named Kansooh el-Máhmady, known as El-Burj, who proceeded to Meccah; but neither the Sherîf nor the Kâdhi, nor any of the nobles, took any notice of him, fearing the displeasure of Tûmân Bey. On the death of Tûmân Bey, he was succeeded by El-Ashraf Kansooh el-Ghôrî, who forthwith sent a letter to El-Burj, appointing him Näib of Damascus. Thereupon the Sherîf went to pay his respects to him; but he refused to receive him on account of his former conduct. Hazä'a being then at Meccah, Kansooh el-Burj instigated him to assume the government of Meccah, and to place his brother Barakât over it [as his subordinate.] To this end he directed him to go to Yembo, and sent word to the Amîr of the Egyptian Hajj to meet him there, to make over to him the imperial firmâns, and to invest him with the imperial robe. This was accordingly done; and Hazä'a put on the robe which had been brought for his brother Barakât, and dressed his brother El-Jâzâni in the clothes which he himself wore when he presided with his brother Barakât. He then proceeded with the Egyptian caravan towards Meccah, accompanied by about one hundred of the Sherifs of the BenuIbrahîm. On hearing this, Barakât went out as far as the Wadi Markâ to meet them, when a battle ensued wherein

Hazä'a was routed several times, about thirty of his followers were killed, and some parts of the caravan plundered. The Egyptian escort then charged with Hazä'a, whereupon Barakât fled, leaving his son Abu'l-Kasam and several of his soldiers dead on the field. After this, the Egyptians entered the house of Barakât, seized all he had, his women included, whom they also plundered. Barakât took refuge in Juddah, and Hazä'a entered Meccah with the Egyptian escort; but the city became much disturbed, outrages and fear increased on the roads, and the pilgrims who had come by sea returned home; consequently the Hajj was very small, and the Sherîf Barakât did not perform it. When the Hajj was over, Hazä'a reflected that the cause of all this mischief was owing to his contention with his brother Barakât; and fearing lest he might be attacked by him in Meccah, he accompanied the Damascus caravan to Yembo, whither Barakât pursued him ; but the escort protected Hazä'a against him. So Barakât returned to Meccah, and peace and security were rëestablished among the people and on the roads.

"But the year following [A.D. 1501] Hazä'a and Barakât again encountered each other in a place called Táraf elBurkâ, when the latter was overcome, and his brother AbuDä'anaj, with seven of the Sherîfs of the Benu-Nima, together with fourteen of the Turks on his side, were killed. On this occasion Hazä'a had with him three thousand two hundred horsemen, and Barakât only five hundred. The latter fled till he reached Salkhat el-Ghorâb, and Hazä'a went to Juddah, where he proclaimed an amnesty to the inhabitants, and appointed Muhammed ibn Râjah ibn Sámbalah his deputy, and one of his slaves governor in Juddah, and sent his brother, El-Jâzâni, to Meccah, to settle matters in that quarter, whither he subsequently followed him with a military force. Some time after, a robe of investiture and a firmân were sent to him from Egypt, and he took up his residence in Meccah.

d

"On the fifteenth of the month of Rajab, [25th December 1501,] Hazä'a ibn Muhammed ibn Barakât was removed to the mercy of God, and his brother El-Jâzâni succeeded him, through the influence of the Kâdhi Abu es-Sa'ûd ibn Ibrahîm ibn Dhuheirah.

"A.H. 908. In the month of Shä'abân of this year [corresponding with January A.D. 1502] there was a fierce battle between the Sherîf el-Jâzâni and his brother Barakât at Munhenna, to the eastward of Meccah, in which the Sherîf Barakât was thoroughly routed, and all the principal men of his armies killed, he himself escaping with only a few adhe

rents.

"In the month of Rajab of the same year [December A.D. 1502] the Sherîf El-Jâzâni ibn Muhammed ibn Barakât was killed near the gate of the Käabah by a band of Turks, on account of some outrages which he had committed, and they set up in his place his brother Humeidhah. Towards the end of that same year [between March and May 1503] the Sherîf Barakât fled from Egypt [by which it would appear that he had been taken there as a prisoner] with the connivance of the Amîr ed-Duweidâr,' and brought with him a large army, which he collected from among the Beni Lâm, the Ahl esh-Shark, and the Findiyîn, and he prevented the people from performing the Wakûf,2 until the Amîr of the Hajj gave him four thousand ashrafi to clear the road between them and the [place of the] Wakûf; whereupon he was able to accompany the people to Arafât and Muzdelifah and Mina ;3 but in the meantime the followers

This was the first dignitary of the state, after the sovereign, during the regency of the Mamlûks. The office corresponded with that of the Grand Wazîr among the Turks, and the court of the Amîr ed-Duweidâr was almost equal to that of the Sultân.

2 One of the ceremonies connected with the Pilgrimage, which is performed at Arafât. See p. 43.

3 See note 1 on p. 45.