The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-11-01
The Sultan's Title.

The idea of united Islam under the
rule of a single Caliph being funda-
mental conception of the Mussulman
religion, is as old as that religion itself,
and was, during more than century,
practically realized. Under the early
| Caliphs Islam was not merely an abb
stract religious system but highly or
ganized social and political community,
with q monarchical form of government
which rapidly developed into an unlim-
tied despotism. The known world was
divided into two parts, the Daru u Is
lam and the Daru u Harb-the land of
the faithful and the land of the iniidel-
and throughout the whole extent of the
former The Caliph phcxercised uncontrolled
temporal and spiritual authority. Such
was the caiphate of the Ommayades,
with Damacus as its capital. With the
fall of that dynasty, about l20 years after
the death of the prophet, the political
unity of Islam came TO an end. When
the Abbassdes seized the supreme pow
er and removed the seat of govern
ment to Bagdad, the Moors of Spain,
refusing to recognize the usurpation,
elected Caliph of their own from
among the survivors OF the dethroned
dynasty, and at later period third
independent caliphate was formed in
Egypt by the so-called Fatimite dynasty.
Thus the Mussulman world was split
into three parts. and since that moment
it has never been politically reunited.
The Western and Egyptian caliphates
passed through many crises and finally
persisted, but the Eastern Caliphs could
not profit by the weakness and disasters
OF their rivals. They were in fact no
longer Caliphs in the old sense of tho
term. Ambitious provincial govern
mcnts and insubordinate Tartar chief
tains had created for themselves and
their descendants scmi-independent
sovcreignties, and the little central
authority that remained was WELD
ed by band of PrHtorians, or
by Vizicr resembling the Mayor of the
palace in the Frankish monarchy. As
successors of the prophet. the Caliphs
continued to enjoy popular vcneratlon,
and their names were regularly reclfed
every Friday in the mosques; but they
had lost all real power, and their chief
political functions consisted in legalizing
successful usurpaion by performing tho
ceremony of inveStiture for those who
had made themselves practically inde-
pendent rulers. The caliphate had be-
come, in fact, loose confederation OF
practically independent States under
the nominal sovereignty of spiritual
head and might be compared in some
respects TO medieval Christendom un-
der tho spiritual sovereignty of the
Pope. In this ethcrealized form it has
continued to survive to the present
day. Extinguished in Bagdad by tho
great Tartar invasion Of the thirteenth
century, it was revived immediatel.
aiterward in Egypt. A mysterious in
diyidual, protesting to be an Abbassid
who had escaped the massacre of hi
family in Bagdad, appeared in Cair
and declared himself 10 be the legiti
mate representative of the venerate'
dynasty. The Mameluke Sultan of tn
time, perceiving the advantages of hav
ing Caliph of his own, caused tn,
stranger 10 be recognized by the Ulema
and thus began new series of puppe
Caliphs, calling themselves Abbassides
which lasted for more than two centu
ries and half Q250-l5lO. WheI
Egypt was conquered by the Turks ii
1917, the Sultan Selim made the puppe
Caliph of the moment cede to him hi
caliphatc rights, and ever since tina
time the Ottoman Sultans, who have NJ
pretensions to being descendants Of tn
, Prophet, have had the title of Caliph.-
= ConStantinoDle Cor, London Times.