Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-06-11
aaistsllausous Grading.
THE SWORD OF osMAN.
The Girdins Of II Through Moslem
History.

SWShD VI SomftNs
The Girdins Of II Through Moslem
History.
The ceremonial investiture Of the
Ottoman sovereigns with the sword OF
Osman dates from Mohammed IL and
not, as is commonly supposed. from
Osman himself The strong men who
founded the empire, Ertoghrul, "the
right hearted" and his immediate
successors, did not call themselves sui
tans and had no affection for pomp.
The drum and flag and the horsetails
were their insignia Of power Osman,
when his lieutenants did homage to
him, presented to each a bowl Of kou-
miss. Neither he nor they had forgot
ten the simple life Of the steppe.
1t is related of Bayazid l., "the Thun-
derbolt," that before he went to battle
the privilege Of girding on his sword
was always claimed by his councillor,
Sheik Bokhara, the Emir sultan whose
mosque tomb on leafy knoll at Brous-
sa makes such striking picture. That
is all we hear about q sword before the
taking Of Constantinople, and there
was nothing sacred or sympolical about
1t. Nearly eight centuries before Mo-
hammed H., the Osmayed Khalifs, had
attacked Constantinople in vain. In
one of the sieses, that Of 66S, led by
Yezid, Eyoub Ansari died under the
walls. He was a man held In great
reverence, as former companion and
standard bearer Of the prophet. He had
prophesied that he should fall, and that
one day Mussulman conqueror would
discover his tomb.
An Imam in the suite Of Mohammed
II. had the spot promptly revealed to
him In dream. The discovery was al
most necessity for the sultan. So
there rose first an ornate tomb, then
mosque, then a medresseh or college,
and the sword of the founder Of the dy-
nasty was solemnly worn by Moham-
| med II. and left In the tomb OF Eyoub,
| where 1t has been preserved ever since.
The ceremony was performed by the
lucky Imam who had the dream, by
name Ak Shems ed-din, but 1t does not
appear to be stated that he belonged
to the order of the Mevlevi dervishes.
1t would be interesting to know, since
for centuries It has been the exclusive
privilege Of the chief Of the Mevlevi to
grid the sword Of Osman on every new
sultan. The chief Of the Mevlevi bears
the title of Chelebi (gentleman) Of
Konieh, where the tekke or monastery
is situated-the famous Blue Mosque.
Popular belief has 1t that he only
performs the ceremony by deputy. trav-
cling only as far as Scutari, since II he
were to cross the Bosphorus his rank
| would outweigh that Of the sultan. or
course, this is untrue, but 1t has some
show Of reason, for the office Of Chelebi
of Konieh is hereditary, vested in the
descendants of Jellal-ed-din. who, born
at Balkh in 1902, was Of the royal
Kharezmian house on his mothers side,
and through his father sprang from
Abu-bekr, the first Khalif, one Of whose
progeny was among the conquerors OF
Bactria. So that In the matter Of fam
lily the Chelebi is a person Of some i'm
portance. But that Is his smallest title
to consideration. He represents a
community which arose during the
brilliant period Of the Seljuk sultans Of
Iconium, Of whom the Ottomans were
once the least of the vassals. 1t is re-
lated of Osman that when the Seljuk
dominions were falling into his lap he
placed the Chelebi of that day on his
own throne as an act of homage to his
superiority. Whether the story Is true
or not, Islam has never seen, before or
since, such liberal age nor such en-
lightened prices, and the tradition is
kept alive solely among the broad
minded Mevlevi, the sole evidence left
of the Iconium Of Alaeddin.
| Eyoub lies on the waters edge at
point where the Golden Horn bends to
ward the Sweet Water. Two arrowy
minarets, sharp in their whiteness
against dark background Of cypress
es, shoot up from a coronal Of domes,
semi domes and domelets. That is
the Mosque Of Eyoub; the tomb itself
Is on the west side of the great open
court, a place to dream in beneath the
shade Of its giant plane trees. But no
Christian foot may tread its broad
pavement No Christian is allowed to
dwell in the village. 1t Is the only spot
In Constantinople from which the In
fidel Is barred. Not that the inhab-
itants are fanatical. You may look
through the gateway into the cool spa
ciousness Of the precincts Of the mos
que as you list, and you are welcome
In the village safes. The ground Is his
toric.
Close at hand are the double walls
of Blachernae, with its memories Of the
Paloeologi, and of Godfrey and Bohe-
mund and Peter the Hermit. There
are the shattered turrets Of the prison
of Anemas, where once were heard the
groans Of emperors and the sobs Of cap
tives princesses" Southwark stretch
for mile after mile the triple lowered
walls of the city. That tower yonder
near the Egri Kapou-the Porta Cali
garia of ancient times-is one whence
the last Of the Constantines reconnoi-
tired the Turkish forces on the eve of
that fateful May 20, 1853.
Here was the Xylokerka, where here
tics were made to try conclusions with
wild beasts. All round sleep the dead
in the quiet cypress groves. The spec
tral headstones glimmering in the for
est twilight ask the charitable to say
fatiha for the peace Of those they
commemorate. And over everything
the masonry Of Comment and Crusa-
ders, the trellised mausoleum of some
great Ottoman and the wooden tene-
ments Of the modern inhabitants, trails
ivy, clematis and the wandering vine;
and, at this season the Judas tree on
every hand burst forth into leafiess
blossoms from trunk and limb. Yes, 1t
is q place to dream in; Eyoub wakes up
only with new sultan Even then 1t