INSURRECTION IN CENTRAL ARABIA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 62, 5 March 1902, Page 3

INSURRECTION IN CENTRAL ARABIA.

BBVIVaL of wahabi troubles. PEH "BESS ASSOC'ATKH". Received 4.5 pm. London, March 3. Abdul Binfeysul, a descendant of the Wahabi Amirs, with an army of 2000, a. captured the city of El Rio in Central Arabia. Abdul with 50 followers, by stratagem, enteied the city during the night, killed the Governor and 30 of the guard, and the garrison then surrendered their arms and admitted the army into the city. Abdul hopes to conquer Nej4. Th<> tribes are flocking to his standard. An intercepted letter shows that Seooussi is urging the new Sultan of Darfur in the E-stern Soudan to hold aloof from the British.

[The Wahabis were a Mahommedan flees fcundtd by Abd-el-Wahab about the middle of the eighteenth cntury, whose mission was to reform the corruption of doctrine and practice prevalent amongst the professed sons of Islam. T<>ey soon grew into a power, and the Nejd became the chief peat. From 1804 elfcrts were made to crush their powe>', and much fighting took place, the fanatic* being fina'ly dis-j I~ttised in 1818. Gradually, however, they regained their influence, but since 1870 their power hue been on the dedine. Durfur is pirt of the Eastern botdan, which under the agreement with Franc? in 1899 after the Fashoda incident came under British influence.]