Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 1.djvu/76

Rh 60 A B U A B U ABU-BEKR (father of the virgin), was originally called Abd-el-Caaba (servant of the temple), and received the name by which he is known historically in consequence of the marriage of his virgin daughter Ayesha to Mohammed. He was born at Mecca in the year 573 A.D., a Koreishite of the tribe of Benn-Taim. Possessed of immense wealth, which he had himself acquired in commerce, and held in high esteem as a judge, an interpreter of dreams, and a depositary of the traditions of his race, his early accession to Islamism was a fact of great importance. On his con version he assumed the name of Abd-Alla (servant of God). His own belief in Mohammed and his doctrines was so thorough as to procure for him the title El Siddik (the faithful), and his success in gaining converts was corre spondingly great. In his personal relationship to the prophet he showed the deepest veneration and most un swerving devotion. When Mohammed fled from Mecca, Abu-Bekr was his sole companion, and shared both his hardships and his triumphs, remaining constantly with him until the day of his death. During his last illness the prophet indicated Abu-Bekr as his successor, by desir ing him to offer up prayer for the people. The choice was ratified by the chiefs of the army, and ultimately con firmed, though All, Mohammed s son-in-law, disputed it, asserting his own title to the dignity. After a time Ali submitted, but the difference of opinion as to his claims gave rise to a controversy which still divides the followers of the prophet into the rival factions of Sunnites and Shiites. Abu-Bekr had scarcely assumed his new position under the title Khalifet-Resiil-Allah (successor of the prophet of God), when he was called to suppress the revolt of the tribes Hedjaz and Nedjd, of which the former rejected Islamism, and the latter refused to pay tribute. He en countered formidable opposition from different quarters, but in every case he was successful, the severest struggle being that with the impostor Mosailima, who was finally defeated by Khaled at the battle of Akraba. Abu-Bekr s zeal for the spread of the new faith was as conspicuous as that of its founder had been. When the internal disorders had been repressed and Arabia completely subdued, he directed his generals to foreign conquest. The Irak of Persia was overcome by Khaled in a single campaign, and there was also a successful expedition into Syria. After the hard-won victory over Mosailima, Omar, fearing that the sayings of the prophet would be entirely forgotten when those who had listened to them had all been re moved by death, induced Abu-Bekr to see to their preserva tion in a written form. The record, when completed, was deposited with Hafsu, daughter of Omar, and one of the wives of Mohammed. It was held in great reverence by all Moslems, though it did not possess canonical authority, and furnished most of the materials out of which the Koran, as it now exists, was prepared. When the authori tative version was completed, all copies of Hafsu s record were destroyed, in order to prevent possible disputes and divisions. Abu-Bekr died on the 23d of August 634, having reigned as Khalif fully two years. Shortly before his death, which one tradition ascribes to poison, another to natural causes, he indicated Omar as his successor, after the manner Mohammed had observed in his own case. ABULFARAGIUS, GREGOR ABULFARAJ (called also BARHEBR^EUS, from his Jewish parentage), was born at Malatia, in Armenia, in 1226. His father Aaron was a physician, arid Abulfaragius, after studying under him, also practised medicine witn great success. His command of the Arabic, Syriac, and Greek languages, and his know ledge of philosophy and theology, gained for him a very high reputation; In 1244 he removed to Antioch, and shortly after to Tripoli, where he was consecrated Bishop of Cuba, when only twenty years of age. He was subse quently transferred to the see of Aleppo, and was elected in 1266 Maphrian or Primate of the eastern section of the Jacobite Christians. This dignity he held till his death, which occurred at Maragha, in Azerbijan, in 1286. Abulfaragius wrote a large number of works on various subjects, but his fame as an author rests chiefly on his History of the World, from the creation to his own day. It was written first in Syriac, and then, after a considerable interval, an abridged version in Arabic was published by the author at the request of friends. The latter is divided into ten sections, each of which con tained the account of a separate dynasty. The historic value of the work lies entirely in the portions that treat of eastern nations, especially in those relating to the Saracens, the Tartar Mongols, and the conquests of Genghis Khan. The other sections are full of mistakes, arising partly no doubt from the author s comparative ignorance of classical languages. A Latin translation of the Arabic abridgement was published by Dr Pococke at Oxford in 1663. A por tion of the original text, with Latin translation, edited, by no means carefully or accurately, by Bruns and F. W. Kirsch, appeared at Leipsic in 1788. ABULFAZL, vizier and historiographer of the great Mongol emperor, Akbar, was born about the middle of the 16th century, the precise date being uncertain. His career as a minister of state, brilliant though it was, would probably have been by this time forgotten but for the record he himself has left of it in his celebrated history. The Akbar Nameh, or Hook of Akbar, as Abulfazl s chief literary work is called, consists of two parts, the first being a complete history of Akbar s reign, and the second, entitled Ayin-i-Akbari, or Institutes of Akbar, being an account of the religious and political constitution and administration of the empire. The style is singularly elegant, and the contents of the second part possess a unique and lasting interest. An excellent translation of that part by Mr Francis Gladwiu was published in Cal cutta, 1783-6. It was reprinted in London very in accurately, and copies of the original edition are now exceedingly rare and correspondingly valuable. Abulfazl died by the hand of an assassin, while returning from a mission to the Deccan in 1602. Some writers say that the murderer was instigated by the heir-apparent, who had become jealous of the minister s influence. ABULFEDA, ISMAEL BEN-ALI, EMAD-EDDIN, the cele brated Arabian historian and geographer, born at Damascus in the year 672 of the Hegira (1273 A.D.), was directly descended from Ayub, the father of the emperor Saladin. In his boyhood he devoted himself to the study of the Koran and the sciences, but from his twelfth year he was almost constantly engaged in military expeditions, chiefly against the crusaders. In 1285 he was present at the assault of a stronghold of the Knights of St John, and he took part in the sieges of Tripoli, Acre, and Roum. In 1298 the princedom of Hamah and other honours, origin ally conferred by Saladin upon Omar, passed by inherit ance to Abulfeda; but the succession was violently dis puted by his two brothers, and the Court availed itself of the opportunity to supersede all the three, and to abolish the principality. The sultan Melik-el-Nassir ultimately (1310) restored the dignity to Abulfeda, with additional honours, as an acknowledgment of his military services against the Tartars and Bibars, the sultan s rival. He received an independent sovereignty, with the right of coining money, &amp;lt;fec., and had the title Melik Mowayyad (victorious prince) conferred upon him. For twenty years, till his death in October 1331, he reigned in tranquillity and splendour, devoting himself to the duties of govern ment and to the composition of the works to which he is chiefly indebted for his fame. He was a munificent patron