MOEN 267 MOHAMMEDANISM in 1905. During period up to 1920 has greatly developed diocese. MOEN (muh'en), a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, at the S. E. end of Zea- land. It is 20 miles in length. Pop. about 2,300. MCERIS (me'ris) LAKE, the ancient Greek name of a sheet of water in Egypt, now in the province of Fayum, about 50 miles S. W. of Cairo; extreme length from N. E. to S. W., 35 miles. MOERO (mwa'ro), or MERIT (ma'ro) LAKE, a body of water lying S. W. of Tanganyika in Belgian Kongo. Discov- ered by Livingstone in 1868. Rhodesia was founded on its eastern shore in 1892. MCESIA (me'shia), an ancient Roman province, divided by the river Cibrus (Zibritza) into two parts, the E. corre- sponding to the present Bulgaria, and the W. (Mcesia Superior) to Servia. Its original inhabitants were mostly of Thracian race. From the 5th to the 7th century western Mcesia was colonized by the Slav races which still occupy it, and eastern Mcesia by the Bulgarians. MOGADOR (mog-a-dor') , or STJEIRA (swa'ra), a seaport in the French zone of Morocco. It is the best built town in the empire, having been laid out in 1760 by a French engineer. The exports in- clude almonds, olive oil, wool, goat-skins, hair. The manufactures are brass trays, daggers, furniture of arar wood, woolen cloth, etc. Pop. about 20,000. MOHACS (mo'hach), a town and im- portant river-port of Hungary, province of Baranva. on the Danube river. On Aug. 29, 1526, the Turks, under Solyman the Maemificent, completely defeated the Hungarians, who lost 22,000 men. Pop. about 18,000. MOHAIR, the hair of the Angora goat. Also a fabric made from the fine white, silky hair of the Angora goat and allied species; sometimes called camlet. The hair^ is said to be produced in perfect quality in no place excepting Angora in Asia Minor, and has long been a valuable article of export from that place. _ Also a_ wool and cotton fabric made in imita- tion of the above, in mixed colors or plain. MOHAMMED (mo-ham'ed), or MA- HOMET (ma-hom'et),the Arabian proph- et, and the founder of Islam; born in Mecca, Arabia, A. D. 570 or 571. He was the only son of Abdallah and Amina, being of the family of Hashem, the most illustrious in the noble tribe of Koreish, princes of Mecca, and guard- ians of the Caaba. Left an orphan in in- fancy, he was brought up by his uncle, Abu Taleb, who trained him to com- merce. The theory of his high cultiva- tion is now exploded. When 25 years of age Mohammed married Khadija, a rich and noble widow of Mecca, and the fol- lowing 15 years of his life were passed in domestic quietness. From his youth the future prophet had shown a fond- ness for seclusion and serious medita- tion. He began, at 40 years of age. to announce himself as an apostle, and to proclaim the doctrine of Islam (salva- tion), that "There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his Prophet." After three years, he made a more public an- nouncement of his doctrine, especially in- sisting on the unity of God, and de- nouncing all kinds of idolatry; but his followers were very few for years, the opposition of the elders and people of Mecca growing more and more bitter. In A. D. 621, Mohammed lost his faith- ful and beloved Khadija, and soon after, the Koreishites, headed by Abu Sophian, resolved to put the prophet to death. He fled from Mecca, and with his only com- panion, Abu-bekr, withdrew to Medina (then called Yatreb). He made a pub- lic entry into Yatreb and at once as- sumed the offices of king and priest. He also there married his second wife, the beautiful Ayesha, daughter of Abu-bekr, who long survived him. He had, how- ever, many other wives. Persuasion, long tried with little success, at length gave place to force and war, and in the battle of Beder he defeated Abu So- phian and the Koreish (A. D, 623). He was defeated by them in A. D. 625; they unsuccessfully besieged Medina, and a truce for 10 years was agreed on. Wars with Jewish tribes followed; many Ara- bian tribes submitted themselves; and in 630 the conquering prophet marched to Mecca, received the keys of the city, and was acknowledged as prince and prophet. He destroyed its 360 idols, and decreed that no infidel should enter the holy city. The whole of Arabia was soon after conquered. War with the Roman empire was begun; an expedition for the conquest of Syria was prepared; when Mohammed, believed to be immortal by some of his disciples, fell into a fever and died in Medina, Arabia, June 7, 632. See Koran: Mohammedanism. MOHAMMEDANISM, MAHOMET- ANISM, or MUHAMMADANISM, the religion founded by Mohammed (q.v.), During the Caliphates of his immediate successors Abu-bekr (632-634) and Omar (634-646), the Arabs, or Saracens, con- quered Svria. Persia, and Egypt, and
