Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 2.djvu/28

 12 NORTH-WEST -AFRICA. the " saint," who summoned them to follow the " way of salvation," flocked to his standard and were well received. New monasteries were established in other parts of the country, and their inmates soon exchanged the character of guests for that of masters. They soon became so jjowerful that already in 1831 the traveller Hamilton had to defend himself against their fanatical followers. At present the most important person in the province of Barka, and even in Benghazi, where the flags of the European consuls are hoisted, is not the mutessarif, appointed by the Sullun, but the wakil, or agent of the Sheikh of the Senusiya, to whom the Govern- ment has even granted the right of exercising justice. In the district over 25,000 cavalrv and infantry are at his disposition, over and above the Khwan, or brethren and their retainers, who reside in the twenty zawyas scattered over Cyrenaica. Everywhere are met slaves and animals branded with the name of Allah, the mark of the brotherhood. Yet the Sheikh himself no longer resides in the country. In 1855 he prudently withdrew beyond the range of European influence to the Faredgha oasis, which, although oflicially belonging to Egypt, lies on a borderland surrounded by solitudes, where neither sultan nor khcdive exercises any authority. Here he first took up his abode in a necropolis excavated in the live rock. But in his capital, Jarabub, he is now master of convents, barracks, arsenals, depots and other extensive struc- tures, which are mirrored in the brackish waters of Lake Faredgha. Here is the centre of the religious empire, which stretches on the one hand as far as Senegal, on the other to Mesopotamia, comprising not less than 1,500,000 subjects, all "in the hands of their Sheikh, as the body is in the hands of those who lay out the dead." The son of the founder, who succeeded him in 1859, has become the undisputed head of the sect, blindly obeyed by all the Khwans of the Moslem world, who see in him the Mahdi, the "guide," or rather the " well guided," destined to restore the ])ower of Islam. Doubtless the Senusiya aspire outwardly to no special political aim ; their ideal is to confederate all the orthodox religious orders in a single theocratic body, independent of all secular auth(}rity. They discountenance violence, and recommend to their oppressed brethren, not revolt, but voluntary banishment from the districts subject to Christian sway, and withdrawal to the independent zawyas. But while ostensibly condemning political agitation, the Senusiya none the less aim at absolute independence, and their compact organisation has rendered them far more formidable enemies than many restless tribes always ready to revolt. The Mussulman solidarity has brought them more conquests than they could have hoped to achieve by arms. Thus they have already secured Wadai by ransoming a gang of slaves en route for Egypt, and sending them back to their homes as missionaries of the holy cause. At present the Sultan of Wadai is a mere lieutenant of the Mahdi of Jarabub, and all his subjects are affiliated to the order. But it is probable th it evil days are in store for these zealous Panislamists, and that their troubles will begin as soon as European influences make themselves directly felt by the open or disguised occupation of the land of Barka. The official sway of the Turk and secret authority of the Senusiya run the risk of a^ joint