A MAHDI OF THE LAST CENTURY UNKNOWN

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1996, 23 April 1885, Page 4

A MAHDI OF THE LAST CENTURY UNKNOWN

Tms extiaoidinaiy mm wis onainally ,' Catholio pnest ti imul 15')"tti, >vh > w ttwice c\commui icat> d and dii M.ii out fiom the dmicli After miny .ihen tines lie decided upon a loptm.,' tie Mussiiliinii faith ami establishing bun sdf si<* a prophet Visiting IVisia, he glided Ilium If in the ti.i'litional costume ot the Prophets, put oi hi-, head a tiirhm of gieen Mlk on hi s luck a white w >ollfii g.-lUhifh, affected yt-Ho.v .shuts, and jhcoutiul in this niamiet \u> lf!t I'ihu .uid betook himself to the city of AniAilii, in Kuidistau. Arrived theie iv the month of Runadan, the s.ietcd month of the Mmsulm.in^, lie enti-ifl the mosipic, threw liim-iclf on Ins knees, boat ln-> chest, «,ive foitli Knid sighs leseinb ling tile pulFi of .i lion, un 1 hk. to a in ii pow-isi' l In <". d spirits frantically sw.iyi.il Inm-df, !>,.» W ll> ■) till! M.I /''IK I "I" thy t'i|l ot the iiii'iu.fc niLoii'd tho nnti.i-, h< thuw !ns tloiiv oil tli- „'uni'H, an 1 .sti''uJ'ii»4 out hi-. :iiin"J towwiK Mi-cea, adoic It'll gieit l'i.)[..i t \"\\> fi i/ied p Tfoim imv did not hut to attiact t.'ie attention cit tin 1 igno'.int ciMv.d, who roomie I liiiu with lnuvnt cuuosity, ami took linn to be one m" the most f..i v I b'licvcis. \'no slu ik oi<e day said to him : " Who art tlion ?" " I a-n," h" answeied, " th* 1 en\oy of Mahomet ; >ou ttansjricss Ins law, and I mm yon if jon do not soon change you will imin the wrath of the Piophet ' The sheik was silenced, .md IJoetti, emboldened, mounted the pulpit of the mosque, and proclaimed the leligious reform. The crowd was hanging on hiswoi Is, .vid he delivered his address with thundering voice and with the imperturbability of one who knows how to command tlv people. Hl3H 13 preaching was a medley of every docti me, The neo-Tnrk could not in sp.te of himself, foiget. that he waa u Christian, and occasionally fiom that curious compound of barbarism ami fanaticism thicw out jets of the most pure European morality. The nmtuie w.ii a prof i lation, but he hid now lo j ( th" •"MiMmuit ot wliat is just and tru«\ and .is fiom thf pulpit of Triiifi ho coiiti minate.l the btole of the monk with the Bedouin impetuosity, so now from tinheight of the mosque he hetiayed tlu Ijplv prcecpts of his first cducilio'i, and impudently .ivaileil himself of them to entice and seduce a mid and fanatical cioivd This was his teaching: — "You must behove in one <"Jod. Jusus Clnist v."M a man just and holy. Adultery is a vety giave crime; fornication is not a &in; incest is not a sin because it is natura 1 . The Pope tit Home and the Sheik ul Islam of Constantinople are two impostors. A pirl can dispose of her body as she pleases. All men who are just are saved. It 'u a duty to love God above everything, and youi neighbour a? yourself." The Turks of Ainadia enthusiastically embraced the new law, and swore fidelity to him. In the meantime he agreed with his friends to )i,»ve the aims, which he had at Sinope sent to An.adia. The Ainarimn?, believing these ai ins fell fiom the sky, cried out, "A miracle!" and piostrated themselves at the feet of the Holy Envoy of Mahomet. He armed about 100 of the most fanatic, and. headiii!,' his little army, he left Amadia and entered thn village of Zilni, expounded hia law to the astonished iuli ihit mt 4, added the converts to hn tro.ip-*, and without more ado the inori-du lon-! weie put to the .swot d. Kiom Zaku via, Zipui, Kher, Kntom, Tativan, he pioceedtd to Uitlis, pie.iching and cutting of! healn without merry. 13itlis w.u taken aft'rabiii'f siege, anil Boetti, to Ri t a good example, had the Pash v and t!.e pnncipil conrnandei" impaled in the public sijimr. \i an encouragement he piour.sed hn 'olduis three days' plunder, and men women and clhlilkii were inassieicd without pit}'. Wirli his emboldcmd aoldiors laden with booty, ho took the road towards Musii, a city of l'),0D0 inhabiting. ]Jnt the Agi of Mush, in older not to shaic thf fate of tli" P.islu of Uitlis, opcn.j.l tl.f p,ate>? of the city to Ilif \ ictoi tons Pi oplu t ; the population prostratr d tln'm BLl\e»at itß teet, and he, bestowed his bles-tiri-^s on tiiein ; ordered the young to aim thciiselvrB and follow him. And thus he uieieasid hia army like an avalanche, and throughout KurdisUn his name inspiied terror. Fain wonlil the Piophct ha\e marched as far as Erzerum, the capital of Armenia, but he though it lit-tter firat to confiim his fame by a feat, rf arms of great importance, and to shit." in tiie (yes of his people radimt with jmw victories. Coa-shng the Lake of I'm, he passed Lisa, Mel.i/ghirt, Kalabat and Ti7or, wiitiug everywhere a page ol history red with pillage and &laughtei, am 1 , diew near the walls of Akal/ik. Akal/.tk is a town of about 30,000 inhabitants, well fo<. tided, and having a gani»on of r>ooo Turkish solidcrs with a powerful aitillery. But wh.it was this agiinst a fanatical and infuriated horde, ready to die for the gloiy of the Piophet ! Boetti besieged the town and summoned the 1* i«ha to suiiencW-i. Maddened by a 1 1 filial, he ga\ u otd"rs to storm the place, and loosening Ins sanguinary l^tjions, in a short though stubborn fight the citadel was captmed ; 'JOOO Tuiks rema in* fl on trie field, tne others surren deii'il at di-.cictiou, and Boetti, admutat titiuniph.uit acdainations, entered thu town. Tho pi-ha and the other chiefs were, of cours", impaled in the square ; and .ill those who would not embrace thf> new futh wcie put to the sword, Bti angled or (|ii i:t'T->d;and the town t\as taisiel.ed. loljlicd, then burnt. Alter so momoiabl' 1 a vicfoiy, Boctti's soldieis procHunerl him Mausin —tho Victoiious 1 1 is lenown spiead to tlif> most i emote distucts, and \olunteei3 came hurrying from all p.nts to enh'-t nndir his {lag Kigor for firsh coiH|iust«, Jifitisur at the head of 40,0 W men advanced tow aids Er/erum, and the p.islia of that town, taken by surpiise, temfiL'd by t'nc si uighter at Akalzik, ope'K d to the coi'(|ucior the gates of the town and of the citadel, and gate himself into Ins hands. Mansurtook possess ion of the town, restored the fortification** rearranged Ins aimy, 8«-nt agents to ICngland and France to procure cannons, gnus and ammunition, and in the meantime he organised his army on the European Hjstem; nominating commanders, general, colonels, and diillmi.' them himself mo as to have them always ready for battle In older to harden himself by continual military exeicises, he watched, ovei looked, and directed everything peisonally. This extraordiniry man. of imwular appearance, coming none knew whence — vigorous, audacious, intiepid, eloquent — this mysterious In ing. inexoiable in }iis anger, indomital l»»m his will, and ladiant with indcciibahle »w« rtin -s when by his bp^ the name, of the Piophet was pronounced, w.is by Ins followers an a prodigious lev elation of Allah. lie received m< -S' nyn-rs and envoys fioin all paits. They wcie admiftod in the pri s( nee of his people and he ipplied to tho Persian", Turks, Aiabs and Euro [nans in their rtsppt tive idioms; for bi sides the Europeans langnnL'f s, he was convfiaant with man\ of tl.c Asiatic, and just a y he was able to su-tain a controttr v in Lat'ii with tho Patriarchs of the Mission, h« tould nine confound with Ptrsun, Ai.-\lii< oi Turkish ploijufime thr gr< at < 'he rif of M< << a. Am<7l of cxtiaoi dinary ph^ >■!< il and me'it il t'lieigy, who ti' rd live 01 8K Lours d lily, skilful in aicluij, wot km/ lioth 'I ly mid night, he exploreil c\r ty 1./iupi of hia cam]) and ot the ( ltv, and h id lih ejo on evirything ff is h.nehi contaim d tl'c beautio'i of Ciiict n-' and Cfoiiria, but ho kept himself ale f, bccui'-f* he looked upon tlu fair sox as being in general vicious. The halt m foi him w ,is only .1 liom.igo len dued to the Turkish id"ns, and looked upon .is a rr-gal attiibute He was a lu'cn judge of men at first sight. Of a resthss disposition and actne mind, he was, however, generally good natured, although inflexible towards tbosr who disobojel hi-ii or offended his dignity as Piophct. Once he smilingly had a captain strangled, who, in an n,<-Miilt, made a movement that \v 1 not oidcied. At anothei time, he blow out tho 1 lama

>[ I I\lli>, .Ulli Jlli l.A'tl Allotll'M Ullil Hi ) ltl ril.lll, .tit* t iI.VV III!,' Kl-,f.| them, because tlii y had not piajid i< •■oidin^ to the pu'ccpl-. ot his iii w l.iw \ttci having miiolnilrd hi-, .uiny to. i'li/ urn, the M i'l-.ur tin iv (1 Ins inni'l t> i!u> omnies* ot the kingdom ot Gooigii, >vith tiu* li\rd iiite:itii)ii of despoiling Km.' K.i.iulins and tiUini: lim throne lie easily cipturi'd Km md (id\.iiic< d low .mis Till.i, o\ eieonrug, l>y thepiomp MUidt* of Ilia IC3JUIO , tlio diilie<ilti< fi iMic miitered on the lough mad Ivn q Kiaolius, on b'ing infoimed of the <ipi)'o,i''li of " .M.insni," gitiUMcd his aim\ md called to his assistance his ally :ui<t piotcutiuss, Citheunc 11, wlio at oik.(lib him 10,000 men. 'I he encounter <•, the aimics took p'acc on tho pi mi ot Ken. The li.ml lighting lasted thieo lay-, but M.inti'ii', who hid tho eye of n ) eagle, duected tin* moveimnti of hii tuny with lOuiopeui shiewdi>i,«s an I »in// /'urn/, ami fin illy achieved the vie i toiy. Tim uty two thoii'-uid (Jcorgian-. i (in fit il dead on tin: Mold ; two tlioiwnt' 1 siuii ndi'ii d .md weie m nK' ml.iu"> l'ho Mansur pushed on to I'i'li-., t!i apil il of (!i ngui, sacked thi town, ,ini[ .'d !<- 1 to fin* iiiiia of M.ms'ir Die tit* ot "O^lim Oolu," th< meaning ot which is doubtful. Thf L'niice of (iuiel fowv-iMii" that he could not ivist, voluntaiily submitted, einbiMc c 1 th" new law, and Cocaine his tiibut.uy The cntnus a*)in in his fnoui was now rou-ed even among tho Tartaia and Cir-CT.-.1.H15. All hastened to enrol themselves under his Hag, and here we finally behold the wandererandexcommunicated Father Boetti, Mansnr Oglian Ooln, a piophct, a warrior, with an army of quite 80,000 man, and enjoying the title and pieiogatives of King of Georgia. His phnwjinow clearly set forth. It was to much on Constantinople, tuin out the Sultan, ciown himself Kinperorof Turkey ■uid w hen once consolidated, scitter the Mussulman hordes throughout Europe, and finally oveithiow (lie throne of that PontilF who with his excommunicitiotis •vn 1 resciipts, had ciu^cd him so miuli vexation. Tho Su))lime Poi te, alarmed at th<- ripi I piogiess of the piophet, and knowi nt; that the lueio.ising fanaticism of Mussulman-, foi 11 ■«•« • bold adventmer would pai.ilysi' e\cy attempt to put him dow n, ti ifd to app" iv tht: invader, and -.cut to him an omlmsy with rich gift-f B,\L tin* Mansur to >k no heed of tins, and comir.onced his ttiuinphal match on towaid-t Smyrna Tho TurkNli Oovprn-nient.s-'nt him another embassy, he.idfil by a Kapithi l'ashi, with still more munificent piesentq ; I>ut in one of tlio j coiifi'ionces, the Kffuiidi having spoken somewhat haughtily in the mini; of his Government, the Prophet had him impaled wmeele/t/tntein the presence of his soldiers and ambassadors, and by the same Kapishi Pasha he sent back to Constantinople the head of the unhappy KlFendi ; thus trampling under foot the law of nations. The Porte swallowed ; this outrageous insult, and, putting a good face on the matter, sent a third embassy, more submissive and still more laden with presents. The Prophet now, seeming, perhaps, that it was not yet time for his design, had an interview with the envoja, and signed a treaty of alliance with the Porte, although lift thus gave up the free course of his warlike enterprises. Acting in concert with the Poitfi he turned his operations towards thi> frontiers of the Black Sei, thieatened by the f'ussian«. The first feats of aims wcic Li yon i, iblo ; Iho army of Apr.ixin was routed in many encountcis. But the Pi nice of I'otumkin ctmo up with (iiiiiici'iiH foicos and formidable aitillfry. The auny of the Prophet was assailed on o\ 11 y sub', his <anks wctj broken by cunion, and, after a stubborn icsistanco, the Tuiks abandoned thi-msehes to a disistious letieat. The Russians puisiiid and li,uassed the fuijitivps, .•md thu flii'.idcd .standaiil of th<» Piophct fell, alai ! into the hands of the enemy. Mausiu, h.ivinq lost his list hope, abandoned his soldicis to the slaughter of the Russians, and fl>mg, hid himself in the goi/ps of the Ci'icaiiis. Thoio he H'tirii'iod concp •!< d all the wintfr ; m the ->pi niLi time ho c.imn out at the bond of new honlos, attempting to re establish his picstiijf; but lortune had forsaken him ; the Tuiks turned their back upon him ; and he had to content ii'insclf with being proclaimed king and leafier of the savage Circassians. Fiom 178b 1 to 1701, that is, dm ing the five years of his new reign, he continuously molested the Russians, but at last, tired of his piecaiious life, he decided to finally try his foitune, and with Ciicassians. Taitars, TT u aur.iu?, mimbm'ng 15,000 men, lip descended into Aeassia, entrenching himsflf in the forties of Anapa, on thr* Jsl.uk Sea. Here he was besieged by the R'issi ins. and after a desperate fight the fortress wai sci/ed and the prophet taken prisoner. The iciiown of his docdn was so great that Catheiine 11. expressed the desire to see him before sending him to Sibeiia. Once more Boetti's good star was in the ascendant. The Czarina was greatly interested when she heard the prodigious adventures of the unhappy Prophet, and commuted the pnnialnrteiit to cuufiiu ment foi life at SoloMttsk, on the Black Sen, and assigned him an annual pension of 100,000 fiancs. The Man-ur withdrew to the conMMit of the Catholic Aimenians, thus fiiteritit.' for the third time the bosom of that, religion which he so unworthily levilid. Up lived eleven yens longer, viz, till 170S Death ovcitiok him in the full vigour of life, he being then f).~> yeaisof age. The last l.'ttcr he w.oto to his father hoie tne <lat« 1 ."Itli September, 1795, and was wiittou at Solowptsk, ami signed "Fiadiov, B-itt. Boetti dei Piedic itoi i" (of the picichcis). Tims emlud in silence his stiangc existence.