Excursions to Cairo, Jerusalem, Damascus, and Balbec From the United States Ship Delaware, During Her Recent Cruise: With an Attempt to Discriminate Between Truth and Error in Regard to the Sacred Places of the Holy City — John Shaqi
Excursions to Cairo, Jerusalem, Damascus, and Balbec From the United States Ship Delaware, During Her Recent Cruise: With an Attempt to Discriminate Between Truth and Error in Regard to the Sacred Places of the Holy CityJones, George
History
Excursions to Cairo, Jerusalem, Damascus, and Balbec From the United States Ship Delaware, During Her Recent Cruise: With an Attempt to Discriminate Between Truth and Error in Regard to the Sacred Places of the Holy City
Jones, George
Middle East -- Description and travel
is of irregular shape, with high walls on one side, and on the others
steep ascents or precipices, surmounted by ramparts, above which again
are heavy buildings, and among them the ruins of Saladin’s palace. It
was a place well chosen for such a butchery, and the whole plan of
operations was strikingly characteristic of the man.
It will, perhaps, be recollected by the reader that the Mamelukes, as
a distinct body, owed their origin to Saladin, who, distrusting his
native troops, formed a body-guard of slaves, procured by purchase
or capture from the countries bordering on the Caspian. They rose
gradually under successive sultans, and all the fortresses at length
being trusted to them, they concluded to turn the power to their own
use, and through their Beys became the governors of Egypt. Various,
after this, were their changes of fortune; the hardy soldiers, being
generally successful in the field, but circumvented by their cunning
adversaries in the council-room. The French found in them most
obstinate and determined opposers; and when, at the close of this
war, the British arms were triumphant, Lord Hutchinson demanded of
the Sultan of Constantinople, to whom the country was yielded, the
restitution of the Mamelukes to their former privileges. He promised
compliance, but had determined on the extinction of this race of
dangerous subjects. The Turkish admiral, who was sent for this purpose,
first enticed a great number of them to a pleasure excursion in boats
off Aboukir, and his ships opening fire upon them, the greater portion
were destroyed. War with their race being thus declared, Mohammed Ali,
then first rising into notice, was sent with a force against them,
but was defeated and compelled to retreat. This was the origin of the
inveteracy of Mohammed Ali towards the Mamelukes.
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