spective of creed, was issued in the hatli-shcrif of November, ISaO. Tliis was followed by lui- meious refoinis in all departments, and in 18r>0 llu- adherents of all religions were deereed equal in llie eye of the law. The good purpose of Ihe-e decrees was obstructed by the illiberal .Moslems, and they remained practically a dead letter. In 1850, the Sultan, in spite of the men- aies of Kussia and .Vu^lria. rctused to >;ive up Kossuth and the other Hungarian refugees. The Sultan had a specially ditheull part to play dur- ing the war with Russia (1S.5:!-.')I>) and the diplomatic negotiations consequent to it. Abd-ul-
- Medjid was the thirty-first sovereign of the race
of ()snnin. He died June 25. 1801. and was sue- ceiided by his brother, Abdul-Aziz (q.y.). See Ottoman Kmpibk.
ABD-UR-RAHMAN, iilid'i.ir-ni'nian (1778-
18.")!l). Sultan uf Fez ami ^loroccu from 1823
to I8.ji». He was the riglitful heir to the throne
when his father died in 17".U, but was super-
seded by an uncle, after whose death he as-
cended the throne. The first four years of his
reign were ocevipied in quelling insurrections.
Austria refused to pay the tribute for safety
against jdrates: but the Sultan wisely adjusted
the dispute by relinquishing tliis s(nt of black-
mail, fcirmerly levied on Kiudpean ships in the
Mediterranean. The war waged by Abd-el-Kader
(q.v. ) against the French in Algeria involved the
Sultan in its events. He was overwhelmed by
liugeaud in the battle of Isly (1844). and forced
to turn against Abd-el-Kader. The Sultan was
a zealous JIussnhnan without the fanaticism
connnon among his countrymen ; as a ruler he
wa> strict and often cruel. He was succeeded
by his eldest son, Sidi-ilohammed ( 1803-187.'J) .
ABD - UR - RAHMAN ( 'Ann al-Raiimax )
KiiAX. iiiin or kiin ( 18.30-inOl) . Ameer of
Afghanistan from ISSO to 1!)01. In the confu-
sion succeeding the death of his grandfather.
Dost Mohammed (q.v.) (1803), he sup])Orted
the pretensions of his father, Afdal, against his
uncle. Shere Ali. who had been named as his suc-
cessor by the late Ameer. The rebellion was
at first successful, and Abd-ur-Rahman was in-
stalled as Governor of Balkh. where he showed
himself a wise ruler. In 180S Sheie Ali over-
threw his rivals and Abd-ur-Ralnnaii took refuge
in Russian territory, living at Samarcand upon
a liberal Russian pension. In 187!) he returned
to his old province of I'.alkh. which had always
been well disposed toward him. Yakub, the son
of Shere Ali, who had been set up as anjeer by
the English, and then left to shift for himself,
was unable to maintain order, and a new war
with the English was followed by his deposition.
Abd-ur-Rahman. in .Inly, 1880, was recognized as
ameer by the leading eliiefs and was confirmed
by the Anglo-Indian Government, from whom
he received a subsidy of £100.0110 a year and
mu<'h in the way of military equipment. It had
been feared from his previous relations with
Russia that he would be favorable to Russian
designs; but he at once resumed the pro-Knglish
j)olicy of his giandfather. and, by a firm and
skillful control of the tribes of his realm, he
preserved the integrity of .fghanistan and
maintained peaceful relations with his powerful
neiglibors. In 1893 the mountainous district of
Kafiristan. in the Hindu Kush, was ceded to him
by the Anglo-Indian Governmcnt, and in 1896
he completed the subjugation of the tribes inhabiting it. He was an intelligent, well-meaning ruler, of a masterly habit, which stood him in
good stead in dealing with his halt-barbarous
people. He was nuide by the British (govern-
ment a (irand Commander of the Bath and also
of the Star of India. He died October 3, 1901,
after a brief illness, and was succeeded by his
eldest son, llabib Ullah Khan, who for some
time had borne an active i>art in the govern-
ment and shown much administrative ability.
See .i'(;ilA.MSTAN. Consult: J. .. Gray, At the
Court of the Awccr (London, 189.5); Wheeler,
The Ameer Abdurrahman (lx)ndon, 1895); Mo-
hammed Khan (Mir Munshi Sultan), The Life
of Ahdur Rahman, Ameer of Afghanistan (Lim-
don, 1900).
ABEAM'. See Beahing.
ABECEDARIANS, a'be-se-da'ri-anz (Lat.
alireciliiriu!<. pertaining to the alphabet, with
reference to the first four letters). Followers in
1522 of Nikolaus Storcli, a clothmaker of Witten-
berg, a disciple of Luther, who imbibed enthusi-
astic views commonly called Anabaptist. They
bidieved it was best not to know how to read,
since the Holy Spirit would convey knowledge of
the Scriptures directly to the understanding, and,
as education might be a hindrance to salvation,
they encouraged pupils to leave the schools and
universities and learn trades.
A'BECE'DARY CIR'CLES. Rings of letters described around magnetized needles, by looking at which friends at a distance were supposed to be able to communicate with each other.
A'BECK'ET, Thomas. See Becket, Thomas.
A'BECKETT, Arthur William (1844—), son of Gilbert Abbott A'Beckett. An English journalist, novelist, and dramatist. He was born in London, and edited various comic periodicals and monthly magazines. In the Franco-Prussian War he was special correspondent for the London Standard and Globe. In 1874 he became
a member of the staff of Punch, and in 1896
editor of the Naval and Military Magazine. He
is the author of several novels and dramas.
A'BECKETT, Gilbert Abbott (1811-56). An English humorous writer, born in London. He became a lawyer, and during the last seven years of his life was a metropolitan police magistrate, in which office he displayed marked ability. He also devoted nnich of his time to literature; was the founder of Figaro in London, the precursor of Punch, and became one of the original staff of the latter. He wrote more than sixty plays, and with Mark Lemon dramatized The Chimes and other works of Charles Dickens at his request. He was the author of the Comic Flistonj of England; Comic History of Home; Comic Blackstonc, and Quizziology of the British Drama.
A'BECKETT, Gilbert Arthur (1837-91). An English journalist and dramatist, son of Gilbert Abbott A'Beckett (1811-50). He was born in London and studied at Westminster School and Christ Church, O.xford. He wrote many successful songs and the librettos of Canterbury Pilgrims and Saronarola, operas by Dr. Villiers Stanford, and was joint author, with Herman Merivale, of the poetic drama entitled The White Pilgrim. During the last twelve years of his life . Beckett was one of the best-known contributors to Punch.
