Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 01.djvu/51

ABD AL MUMIN ABU MOHAMMED. ABD AL MUMIN ABU MOHAMMED, abd ill iiioTi'iiivii Ulioo inoliaiii'im"'(l (c. 1094-1163). The foumler of the dyiiastv of the Alniohades (q.v. ). He was born at Tajira, in the Provinee of Tlemccn, North Africa, and was a member of the Kiiiiiiva. one of the lierber tribes of the Atlas region. After the deatli of Ibn Tumart. the founder of the sect of the Alniohades, who had shown great favor to Abd al Miimin, ill' was ehosen as his suceessor. lie now as- sumed the title of Caliph, put the Almo- ravides to flight, and conquered the cities of Oran, Tlemccn, Fez. Sale, Ceuta, and finally, after a siege of eleven months, Morocco (1140- 47). He extended his dominion over Al- Maghrib and the other provinces of North Africa, and passed over into Spain, conquered Cordova (1148), Almeria ( U.'>1 I, an4); in short, the greater part of Molianimedan Spain.

ABD-EL-KADER IBN MOUHI AD-DIN, abd'fl-ka'dcr 'b'n mnmic' ad-dOn' (c. 1S07-S;J). An Algerian ruler and patriot. He was born near Mascara, and was educated under the supervision of his fatlicr at the Glietna. an educational institution of the JIarabouts. His father, who was esteemed a very lioly man, exercised great in- fluence over his countrymen, and bequeatlied this inlluence to his son. In his eightli year Abd-el-Kader made a pilgrimage to Mecca with his father: and in 1S27 he visited Egypt, where, in Cairo and Alexandria, he first came in contact with Western civilization. He had a gifted mind, and a character marked by religious enthu- siasm and a tendency to melancholy. He was free from cruelty and sensuality. He studied in the chief schools of Fez. maintained the faith of his people, and used their fanaticism as one of his most important sources of influence. His public career began at the time of the conquest of Algiers by the French. No sooner was the power of the Turks broken, than the Arab tribes of the province of Oran seized the oppor- tunity to make themselves independent. They obtained possession of Mascara and elected Abd- cl-Kader their emir. He established his author- ity over a number of the neighboring tribes. He attacked the French, and after two bloody battles, fought on December .3. 1S.3.'?. and .lanu- ary (i, 1834, against General Dcsmichcls, then commanding in Oran, obliged the latter to enter into a treaty with him. In the interior of the country his power spread rapidly. The cities and tribes of the provinces of Oran and Titeri acknowledged him as their sultan: the more distant tribes sent him ambassadors with pres- ents. Hostilities were soon resumed between him and the French. General Tr^'zel. at the head of a French army, was attacked at Makta, on June 28, 183.;. by nearly 20.(100 Arab cavalry, and suffered a defeat. The tide turned, how- ever, and after a struggle of si. years .bd-el- Kader found himself obliged (18411 to take refuge in Morocco. There he succeeded in organ- izing a religious war against the enemies of Islam, and the arms of France were now turned against Morocco for the support giren to him. After the decisive battle of Isly (1844) the Sultan of Morocco was obliged to give up .bd-el-Kader's cause, but soon found that the latter was al least his equal in power. The end of Abd-cl-Kader's power, however, had come. On the night of December 11, 1847, he made a bold attack on the Moorish camp, in which he was defeated. He fled with his followers to Algeria, where the greater part surrendered to the French. Dis- pirited. Abd-el-Kader surrendered December 22, 1847. to General Lamorici&re and the Due d'Auinale. He was kept a prisoner with his family at Toulon, Pau, and the Chateau d'.Amboise. Liberated in 18.52 by Napoleon III., he lied at Brussa, in Asia Minor, till 18:").'). He then, for a time, lived in Constantinople, and finally made his home in Damascus. For his services during the Syrian mass;(cres of 1800 he received the (irand Cross of the Legion of Honor from Na[)oleon III. In 180;) he visited Paris and England, and was present at the Paris Exposition in 1807. In his retirement he wrote a religious work, a translation of which was published al Piiris in I8:")8, under the title. Uiijijul a riiitclliiiciit: avin u Vindiffiiint. He died in Damascus. Mav 20. 1HS3. See .u:eria: consult C. H. Churchill, The lAfr of Ahd-cl-Kndcr (Lon- don, 1807), described as "written from his own dictation and compiled from_ other authentic sources,'' highly eulogistic, and in no sense a scientific biograjihy: Lam^naire, lie, arcniurra, cnmbntx, amours it jirixc d'AhdclKader (Paris, 1848): Bellemare. Abd-cl-Kadt r, xa vie politiiiue ct iiiilildirr (Paris. 1803). ABD-EL-MELEK, iibd'cl-malgk. See Asmai.

ABD-EL-WAHHAB, abdVl-wJihliab. See Wahabis.

AB'DEMON. A Tyrian who distinguished himself by solving the riddles which had been propounded to his master, Hiram, by King Solo- mon. According to the story, Solomon chal- lenged Hiram and the Tyrians to;i contest of wits, each side sending rid<lles for solution by the other. Solomon had already won in the competition and the;iniount agreed upon as a wager had been paid him. when Abdemon entered the lists, and not only found answers to the riddles which had baffled his countrymen, but also invented others with which to try further the Israelite king. Solomon failed to answer them and returned the forfeit.

ABDE'BA ((ik. A/3(i7?pa). A town on the coast of Thrace between the mouth of the Nestus and Lake Uistonis. It is fabled to have been founded by Hercules on the spot where his favorite. Abderus, was torn to pieces by the steeds of Diomedes. The historical colonization took place in O.'iO B.C. under the leadership of Timesius of Clazomenie. Shortly after its col- onization, the town was destroyed by the Thracians, and in .543 B.C. it was recolonized by the inhabitants of Teos. It was the birthjilace of Protagoras. Democritus. Anaxarchus. the later He(at;cus. and other distinguished nu'ii. Its inhabitants were, however, proverbial for their stupidity, and the term "Alidcrite"' was a term of reproach.

ABD-EB-RAHMAN, IBN ABDALLAH, abd'er-riiii'nu'in 'b'n;ib diil'h'i (?-732). A Saracen governor of Sp:iin. .t the head of about 80.000 men he invaded (iaul in 732, but encountered the Franks under Charles Martel and Eudcs, nciir Poitiers (October. 732). After si.x days of hanil-to-hand fighting, during which .bd- er-Kalunan w;is shiin, the Christians gained a decisive victory, and jiut an ctTectual check to the conquests of the Arabs of Spain.

ABDICA'TION (Lat. abdicatio. renunciation, from nil. aw:iy from + dicarc, to proclaim). The renunciation of an office, generally the office