Abduction

the taking away of a child from its arents, a wife from her husband, or a ward from ier guardian by fraud, persuasion, or open force. In the case of a woman over 21 years of age, abduction is the taking away of a woman against her will. Various penalties may be inflicted as the gravity of the different cases demands, ranging from two years’ imprisonment to fourteen years’ penal servitude. The abduction of children under 14 is termed child-stealing (q.v.) or kidnapping (q.v.), Abdul-Aziz-Khan, Sultan of Purkey, thirty second of the Ottoman dynasty, the second son of the Sultan Mahomed II. He was born 1830, and succeeded his brother Abdul-Medjid 1861. According to Turkish precedent he had lived up to that time in great retirement; but his education had been conducted under French guidance, and he showed an interest in agriculture, having founded a school at Scutari. His reign began with cortsiderable promise. Riza Pasha, the Finance Minister, suspected of embezzlement, was arrested; the civil list was reduced by four-fifths; the harem depopulated; the Sultan himself looked industriously into the working of all administrative departments; fgreigners were permitted to hold landed estates, and it really appeared as if Turkey were about to be brought within the pale of European civilisation. Omar Pasha sncceeded in crushing the Mon tene grins (1862), and after a more troublesome series of operations, an insurrection in Crete, fomented by Greece, was temporarily snbdued (1866-68). Abdul- Aziz visited the French Exhibition (1867), and extended his tour to London, creating in both capitals A favourable impre ion. On his return he established a Council of State, a college open to Mu almans and Christians alike, and published the first instalment of a Code of Civil Law. All these innovations were not undertaken without str on Oppusition from the conservative Turks. Ignatieff, the Ru ian amba ador, was omnipotent at the palace, national bankruptcy was imminent, Bosnia and Herzegovina revolted, and finally the Sultan was deposed May, 1878. Shortly afterwards he died from the bleeding of a wound in the arm, snid to have been self-inflicted. His succe or, Murad II, the imbecile son of Abdul-Medijia, only reigned a few weeks when he was set aside in favour of his brother, Abdul-Hamid LI. Abdul-Hamid IZ. succeeded Abdul-Aziz- Khan as Sultan, 1876 (see above), in troublous times, Bulgaria, Servin, and Monte negro were up in arms, and in 1877 Ru ia, having a secret understanding with Austria, declsred war, Osman Pasha’s heroic defence of Plevna checked for a few wecks the march of the invaders over the Balkans, but ultimately Constantinople was surrounded and the treaty of San Stefano signed. This was followed by the Berlin Convention. In 1896 there occurred the war with Greece, in which the Turks were entinely succe ful. Abdul was deposed in 1909.