the colonial governments, (3) the fact that animistic paganism is losing ground more and more. Thus we must expect to see still more of heathen Africa won to Islam before long.

What is to be said about the defensive and aggressive attitude Christian missions are taking? What has been achieved hitherto? Taking a glance all round, we find that it is very little in comparison with the elementary power of Islam. In North Africa we have a long line of Christian missions among Mohammedans, stretching from Morocco through Algeria and Tunis to Egypt, but it is exceedingly thin and therefore insufficient. Still we must not undervalue their importance. They remind Christendom of its duties towards Moslem Africa, although all of them, except in Egypt, are coping with great difficulties, owing to political conditions. If this northern front of ours could be strengthened, it would not only be a most valuable field for the development of missionary forces, but it would make its influence felt far into tropical Africa.

At the southern frontier of Mohammedan Africa we find missions of much stronger development, but these are missions among heathen. They also are working in some way against Islam, for the native churches they are building up are the rocks that once will have to break the flood of Islam. It is another question though if they will ever be able to make a missionary advance on Mohammedan territories, or even on the Moslem population surrounding them.

The missions of West Africa are all suffering under great strategic drawbacks. The first consists in the endless variety of tribes and languages. A second drawback is the lack of unity among the many missions that are at work. It is with great pleasure that we hear of a conference, held at Lokoja in 1910, where four of them

considered ways and means of coöperation. Another drawback is that the front of West African missions is for the greater part far behind the line where Islam is making its conquests. Circumstances like this cannot be changed at a moment's notice, but that an alteration should take place is highly desirable. The missions themselves would be roused to greater activity, if instead of always thinking of the coming battle with Islam, they would stand in the midst of it.

There is indeed some direct work among Moslems in tropical Africa, both eastern and western. Most of it however is not done in a systematic way, by special agents, but rather occasionally, along with work among the pagans. We find however one great exception to this in Northern Nigeria. This is a strategic position of the greatest importance, the Niger being the great entrance door of the Western Sudan, and at the same time, African Islam having here one of its most powerful strongholds. The Church Missionary Society has nobly led the way and is now seconded by three smaller societies. The missionary work as yet consists mostly of medical service, rendered to the Mohammedan people; also in the opening of schools, the attendance on which is very slender. refuge for slave children has also been founded and is patronized by government. Public preaching is not allowed, owing to the anxiety of government to avoid the outbreak of fanaticism. But we have never yet heard that the presence of missionaries in the country has caused serious unrest. Still the unwillingness of the majority of the Mohammedan population to accept from missionaries even medical help proves how strong their resistance against the Gospel is, and is also a warning for Christian missions in general not to delay their advance on the Mohammedan Sudan until Islam is rooted too deeply in men's hearts. Another encouragement is that

A

Protestant Christendom seems to be getting more fully aware of its duties towards Islam. We welcome this as a hopeful sign, most of all for the Dark Continent, where long neglected work must now be taken up speedily and energetically.

I

IV

THE DERVISH ORDERS IN AFRICA

REV. CANON E. SELL, D.D., MADRAS

PROPOSE in this paper to show the extent to which,

during the last century, Islam has spread in various

parts of Africa, and by what means it has been propagated. I shall then state its more recent growth, so far as I have been able to gather information on the subject. I do not deal with the question of Islam in Egypt. The chief agency in this propaganda has been a number of the Dervish Orders, to many of which lay brothers are attached.'

The Kadiriya Order, founded in A. H. 561 (A. D. 1165), is widely dispersed, and about one hundred years ago small and scattered communities of it were to be found in the Western Sudan. Stirred up by a missionary spirit it became very active in its proselytizing work. Its methods have been peaceful. Speaking of the success of the Kadiriya Dervishes in parts of Algiers, the French Sudan and Senegal, two French writers say of the converts : "Their missionaries become their masters, spiritual and temporal, veritable princes and at the same time priests and warriors." Chatelier says of them: "By the instruction which they give to their disciples, by the colonies

1 A full account of the origin of all the important orders, ancient and modern, working in various parts of the Moslem world, will be found in my "Religious Orders of Islam." (8. P. C. K., Madras. Simpkin Marshall & Co., London.)

* Depont et Coppolani, "Les Confréries Religieuses Musulmanes," p. 311.

they found on every side, the Dervishes multiply in the Sudans their centre of action." Es Senusi was once a

member of this order.

The orders more recently formed are to be found in Timbuktu, Algiers and Morocco, and it is with these we have to do. Many of them are offshoots from the older Shadhiliya Order, founded A. H. 656 (A. D. 1258). Of these the Bakayiya Order has its centre in Timbuktu and has much influence south of Morocco. In the Sahara the Bakayis are in many tribes the real political and spiritual rulers.

The Shaikhiya Order, founded A. H. 1013 (A. D. 1604), is now powerful in the southern part of Algeria, but its influence is more political than religious. It maintains all the superstitious notions and practices of the Marabouts.

The Hansaliya Order, founded A. H. 1114 (A. D. 1702), has great influence amongst the Berbers of the Atlas mountains. The prestige of the order is high, and its leaders are renowned for the devotions and habits peculiar to Dervish saintliness. They live an austere life and are fanatical. Apparently in Algiers they are not disloyal to French rule.

The Tijaniya Order, founded A. H. 1196 (A. D. 1781), is one of the most militant and most active of all the African orders. In 1833 Haji Omer, one of its leaders, went to the Hausa country. The Kadiriya Dervishes were too tolerant for him, and he reproached the ordinary Moslems with their apathy. He made several military expeditions and gained many converts. The influence of the order extended from Senegal to Timbuktu, and as far south as the hinterland of Sierra Leone. It has done much to advance the cause of Islam in Western Africa. Some years ago it was said: "From the mouth of the 1 "L' Islam dans l'Afrique Occidentale," p. 254.