That the Ottoman Government is perfectly aware of this is certain. Even
in the days of its greatest power it always showed its jealousy and
distrust of Mecca, and was careful when any of the Grand Sherifs
acquired what was considered dangerous influence, to supplant him by
setting up a rival. Its physical power enabled it to do this, and though
it could not abolish the office of the Grand Sherifate, it could
interfere in the order of succession. Family feuds have, therefore, been
at all times fostered by the Turks in Hejaz, and will be, as long as
their presence there is tolerated. An excellent example of their system
has recently been given in the episode of the late Grand Sherif's death,
and the story of it will serve also to show the fear entertained by the
present Sultan of this his great spiritual rival. To tell it properly I
must go back to the epoch of the Wahhabite invasion of Hejaz in 1808.
At that time, and for the latter half of the previous century, the
supreme dignity of the Sherifal House was held by a branch of it known
as the Dewy Zeyd (the word _Dewy_ is used in Hejaz, as are elsewhere
_Beni_ or _Ahl_, meaning _people_, _family_, _house_), which had
replaced in 1750 the Barakat branch, mentioned by Niebuhr as in his day
supreme.
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