Tawareks has been directly traced to the machinations
of a religions sect known as the Senoussia
which has played an important part in the past
history, not only of the Sahara, but of many other
Mohammedan countries during the last half-century
.T
he Senoussia sect, though one of the newest,
bids fair to become one of the most powerful in all
Islam. It was founded in 1835 by Sidi Mohammed
Ben Ali es Senoussi—or Sheykh Senoussi, as he is
usually called—an Algerian Arab born near Mosta-
ganem during the last days of the Turkish dominion
of the country.
He aimed in the foundation of his sect to free the
Mohammedan religion from the abuses which had
crept into it, to restore it under one universal leader
to its former purity of faith, and more especially to
free all countries containing a Moslem population
from the rule of the infidel.
He insisted upon his followers adhering to the
strictest letter of the Mohammedan law, and stretched
the interpretation of these laws to an extreme which,
in some cases, was almost ridiculous. Some idea of
the lengths to which these fanatical Moslems carry
their puritanical orthodoxy may be gathered from
the fact that they refuse to eat white crystallised
sugar on the ground that the animal charcoal which
is sometimes used in its refining process may have
been made from the bones of some animal not killed
in exact accordance with the Moslem law.
Sheykh Senoussi enjoined on his followers the
greatest simplicity and austerity of life. The whole
sect, with all its resources, devotes itself body and
soul to the- attainment of its ends. All the slaves
and beasts belonging to it are branded with the
word ¿131 (Allah), to show that they are consecrated
to the service of Islam. On entering the
order the novice is called upon to renounce the
world. Gold and silver ornaments, rich clothing,
and all personal adornments whatever are forbidden
to him; his weapons alone may be decorated, as
being intended for use in the holy war against
infidels.
Sheykh Senoussi first commenced his preaching
in Mecca, but the success which attended upon his
efforts caused so much jealousy in the holy city that
he was compelled after a time to leave Arabia, and
to retrace his steps to North Africa, where, making
Tripoli and Benghazi his field of operations, he continued
his teaching with even greater success than
before. So rapidly did the sect increase, that in
1886—only fifty-one years after its foundation—no
less than a hundred and twenty-one of its zawias
or monasteries, established in almost every Mohammedan
country, were known to be in existence.
The Mahdi of Khartum, seeing the great advantage
which the co-operation of this sect would give
him, made the most strenuous and repeated efforts
to win this powerful faction to his side. Fortunately
he was unsuccessful: all his advances were treated
with the utmost contempt and disdain.
Sheykh Senoussi died in 1859. He was succeeded
as head of the order by his son Mohammed,
whom he upon his deathbed declared to be the long