practically superior to that of the sultan’s officials. Consulates are maintained by Great Britain, France, Austria, Russia, Holland, Belgium and Persia. The permanent population is estimated at 20,000, of which less than half are Arabs, and of these a large number are foreigners from Yemen and Hadramut, the remainder are negroes and Somali with a few Indian and Greek traders.
Jidda is said to have been founded by Persian merchants in the caliphate of Othman, but its great commercial prosperity dates from the beginning of the 15th century when it became the centre of trade between Egypt and India. Down to the time of Burckhardt (1815) the Suez ships went no farther than Jidda, where they were met by Indian vessels. The introduction of steamers deprived Jidda of its place as an emporium, not only for Indian goods but for the products of the Red Sea, which formerly were collected here, but are now largely exported direct by steamer from Hodeda, Suakin, Jibuti and Aden. At the same time it gave a great impulse to the pilgrim traffic which is now regarded as the annual harvest of Jidda. The average number of pilgrims arriving by sea exceeds 50,000, and in 1903–1904 the total came to 74,600. The changed status of the port is shown in its trade returns, for while its exports decreased from £250,000 in 1880 to £25,000 in 1904, its imports in the latter year amounted to over £1,400,000. The adverse balance of trade is paid by a very large export of specie, collected from the pilgrims during their stay in the country.
JIG, a brisk lively dance, the quick and irregular steps of
which have varied at different times and in the various countries
in which it has been danced (see Dance). The music of the
“jig,” or such as is written in its rhythm, is in various times and has been used frequently to finish a suite, e.g. by Bach and
Handel. The word has usually been derived from or connected
with Fr. gigue, Ital. giga, Ger. Geige, a fiddle. The French
and Italian words are now chiefly used of the dance or dance
rhythm, and in this sense have been taken by etymologists as
adapted from the English “jig,” which may have been originally
an onomatopoeic word. The idea of jumping, jerking movement
has given rise to many applications of “jig” and its
derivative “jigger” to mechanical and other devices, such as
the machine used for separating the heavier metal-bearing portions
from the lighter parts in ore-dressing, or a tackle consisting
of a double and single block and fall, &c. The word “jigger,”
a corruption of the West Indian chigoe, is also used as the name
of a species of flea, the Sarcopsylla penetrans, which burrows and
lays its eggs in the human foot, generally under the toe nails,
and causes great swelling and irritation (see Flea).
JIHAD (also written Jehad, Jahad, Djehad), an Arabic word
of which the literal meaning is an effort or a contest. It is used
to designate the religious duty inculcated in the Koran on the
followers of Mahomet to wage war upon those who do not accept
the doctrines of Islam. This duty is laid down in five suras—all
of these suras belonging to the period after Mahomet had
established his power. Conquered peoples who will neither
embrace Islam nor pay a poll-tax (jizya) are to be put to
the sword. (See further Mohammedan Institutions.) By
Mahommedan commentators the commands in the Koran are
not interpreted as a general injunction on all Moslems constantly
to make war on the infidels. It is generally supposed that the
order for a general war can only be given by the caliph (an
office now claimed by the sultans of Turkey). Mahommedans
who do not acknowledge the spiritual authority of the Ottoman
sultan, such as the Persians and Moors, look to their own rulers
for the proclamation of a jihad; there has been in fact no
universal warfare by Moslems on unbelievers since the early days
of Mahommedanism. Jihads are generally proclaimed by all
persons who claim to be mahdis, e.g. Mahommed Aḥmad (the
Sudanese mahdi) proclaimed a jihad in 1882. In the belief of
Moslems every one of their number slain in a jihad is taken
straight to paradise.
JIMENES (or Ximenes) DE CISNEROS, FRANCISCO (1436–1517),
Spanish cardinal and statesman, was born in 1436 at
Torrelaguna in Castile, of good but poor family. He studied at
Alcalá de Henares and afterwards at Salamanca; and in 1459,
having entered holy orders, he went to Rome. Returning to
Spain in 1465, he brought with him an “expective” letter from
the pope, in virtue of which he took possession of the archpriestship
of Uzeda in the diocese of Toledo in 1473. Carillo, archbishop
of Toledo, opposed him, and on his obstinate refusal to
give way threw him into prison. For six years Jimenes held
out, and at length in 1480 Carillo restored him to his benefice.
This Jimenes exchanged almost at once for a chaplaincy at
Siguenza, under Cardinal Mendoza, bishop of Siguenza, who
shortly appointed him vicar-general of his diocese. In that position
Jimenes won golden opinions from ecclesiastic and layman;
and he seemed to be on the sure road to distinction among the
secular clergy, when he abruptly resolved to become a monk.
Throwing up all his benefices, and changing his baptismal name
Gonzales for that of Francisco, he entered the Franciscan
monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, recently founded by Ferdinand
and Isabella at Toledo. Not content with the ordinary
severities of the noviciate, he added voluntary austerities. He
slept on the bare ground, wore a hair-shirt, doubled his fasts,
and scourged himself with much fervour; indeed throughout his
whole life, even when at the acme of his greatness, his private life
was most rigorously ascetic. The report of his sanctity brought
crowds to confess to him; but from them he retired to the lonely
monastery of Our Lady of Castañar; and he even built with his
own hands a rude hut in the neighbouring woods, in which he
lived at times as an anchorite. He was afterwards guardian of
a monastery at Salzeda. Meanwhile Mendoza (now archbishop
of Toledo) had not forgotten him; and in 1492 he recommended
him to Isabella as her confessor. The queen sent for Jimenes,
was pleased with him, and to his great reluctance forced the
office upon him. The post was politically important, for
Isabella submitted to the judgment of her father-confessor not
only her private affairs but also matters of state. Jimenes’s
severe sanctity soon won him considerable influence over Isabella;
and thus it was that he first emerged into political life. In
1494 the queen’s confessor was appointed provincial of the order
of St Francis, and at once set about reducing the laxity of the
conventual to the strictness of the observantine Franciscans.
Intense opposition was continued even after Jimenes became
archbishop of Toledo. The general of the order himself came from
Rome to interfere with the archbishop’s measures of reform,
but the stern inflexibility of Jimenes, backed by the influence of
the queen, subdued every obstacle. Cardinal Mendoza had died
in 1495, and Isabella had secretly procured a papal bull nominating
her confessor to his diocese of Toledo, the richest and most
powerful in Spain, second perhaps to no other dignity of the Roman
Church save the papacy. Long and sincerely Jimenes strove to
evade the honour; but his nolo episcopari was after six months
overcome by a second bull ordering him to accept consecration.
With the primacy of Spain was associated the lofty dignity
of high chancellor of Castile; but Jimenes still maintained his
lowly life; and, although a message from Rome required him
to live in a style befitting his rank, the outward pomp only
concealed his private asceticism. In 1499 Jimenes accompanied
the court to Granada, and there eagerly joined the mild and
pious Archbishop Talavera in his efforts to convert the Moors.
Talavera had begun with gentle measures, but Jimenes preferred
to proceed by haranguing the fakihs, or doctors of religion, and
loading them with gifts. Outwardly the latter method was
successful; in two months the converts were so numerous that
they had to be baptized by aspersion. The indignation of the
unconverted Moors swelled into open revolt. Jimenes was
besieged in his house, and the utmost difficulty was found in
quieting the city. Baptism or exile was offered to the Moors
as a punishment for rebellion. The majority accepted baptism;
and Isabella, who had been momentarily annoyed at her archbishop’s
imprudence, was satisfied that he had done good
service to Christianity.
On the 24th of November 1504 Isabella died. Ferdinand at once resigned the title of king of Castile in favour of his daughter Joan and her husband the archduke Philip, assuming instead
