The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1882-07-01
--t -
The Sultnn's Title.

Tho idea Of q united Islam undor the
rule of single Caliph being funda.
mental conception Of the Mussulman
religion, Is as old as that religion itself,
and was. during moro than century.
practically realized. Under the early
Callphs ISLAM was not merely nm NIB
stract religious system but O highly or.
ganized social and political community.
with a monarchical form Of government
which rapidly developed into an unlIm.
tied despoiism. The known world was
divided into two parts. the Darn ] Is
lam and the Daru 7 Harb-thc land of
the faithful and the land Of the iniidel--
and throughout the whole extent OF the
former the Caliph exercised uncontrolled
temporal and spiritual authority. Such
was the caliphate Of the 0mmayades,
with Damacus as IL capital. With tho
fall Of that dynasty. about 100 years after
the death of tho prophet, the political
unity of Islam caIno 10 nm end. When
the Abbassides seized the Supreme pow
or and removed the seat OF govern
mcnt TO Bagdad. the Moors Of fpain.
refusing 10 recognize the usurpa,ion,
elected q Caliph of their own from
among the survivors Of the dethroned
dynasty. and at later period third
Independent ealIphate was formed In
Egypt by the so-eaIlcd Fatimlte dynasty.
Thus the Mussulman world wns split
into three parts. and since that moment
Il has never been politically reunited.
The Western and Egyptian caliphates
passed through many crises and finally
pcrished. but the Eastern CalIphs could
not profit by the weakness and disasters
Of their rivals. They we're In fact no
longer Caliphs In the old sense Of tho
term. Ambitious provincial govern
ments and insubordinate Tartar chief.
tains had created for themselves and
their descendants scmi-independent
soyereignties. and tho little central
authority that remained was wicld.
ed by band Of Prptorians. OF
by vizier resembling the Mayor Of the
palace In the frankish monarchy. AZ
successors Of the prophet, the callphs
continued 10 enjoy popular vcneration,
and their names were regularly rccifed
every Friday In tho mosques; but they
had lost all real power. and their chief
political functions consisted In legalixlng
successful usurpation by performing ths
ceremony Of lnrelfiiurr for those who
had made themselves practically inda.
pendent rulers. The calphate 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 10 medieval Christendom I'M.
der the spiritual sovereignty Of the
Pope. In this ethcralixed form II has
continued 10 survive 10 tho present
day. Extinguished In Bagdad by the
great Tartar Invasion OF the thirteenth
CENTURY. II was revived Immediately
siterward In Egypt. A mysterious in'
dividnal. protesting n be an Abbassids
who had escaped tho massacre Of BIZ
family In Bagslad. appeared In Carr
and declared himself 10 DO the legiti
mate representative Of the vencrntet
dynasty. The Mamcluke Sultan of th'
time. perccivinR the advantages Of hav
ing q Caliph of HE own. eauscd th'
stranger to be recognized By the Ulema
and thus began . new series Of purps
Caliphs. calling themselves Abbasside<
which lasted for more than two ccntu
ries and . hall fi250-ibiD. WheI
Egypt was conquered BY The Turks !
1871. the Sultan Selim made the puppe
Caliph of the laoment cede 10 him hl
caliphafe rights. and ever sincc ths
time The Ottoman sultans. who have n
prefen.ions 10 being dc=cendants Of n
Prophet. hare hsd he tile q Caliph.-
Cons1sfirspl< Cor. London Times