ency, and to
make it desirable that the whole truth should be known. Most of the
mistakes of Europe in dealing with the Ottoman empire, during the
present century, have come from a misapprehension of the forces of
Islam, and the position, and influence of the Sultan of Turkey. There is
danger now of such a misapprehension as may lead to the most unfortunate
complications.

The first essential point, which must always be kept in mind by those
who would understand the movements of the Mohammedan world, is the exact
relation of the Ottoman Sultans to the Caliphate. The word Caliph means
the vicar or the successor of the Prophet. The origin and history of the
Caliphate is well known, but it may be well to give a brief _resume_ of
it here. During the life of the Prophet it was his custom to name a
Caliph to act for him when he was absent from Medina. During his last
illness he named his father-in-law, Abou-Bekir, and after his death this
appointment was confirmed by election. Omar, Osman, and Ali were
successively chosen to this office, and these four are recognized by all
orthodox Mohammedans as perfect Caliphs. The Persians and other Shiites
recognize only Ali. It is said that the Prophet predicted that the true
Caliphate would continue only thirty years. His words are quoted: "The
Caliphate after me will be for thirty years. After this there will be
only powers established by force, usurpation, and tyranny." The death of
Ali and the usurpation of Mouawiye came just thirty years after the
death of the Prophet, and this was the end of the true and perfect
Caliphate. The sixty-eight imperfect Caliphs who followed were all of
the family of the Prophet, although of different branches, but they
fulfilled the demand of the sacred law, that the Caliph must be of the
family of Koreish, who was a direct descendant from Abraham. Mouawiye
and the Ommiades, fourteen in all, were of the same branch as Osman, the
third Caliph. The Abassides of Kufa, Bagdad, and Cairo, fifty-four in
all, descended from Abas, the great-uncle of the Prophet. There were
many others who at different times usurped the name of Caliph, but these
seventy-two are all who are recognized as universal Caliphs. Mohammed
XII., the last of these died in obscurity in Egypt in 1538. The power of
the Caliphs gradually decayed, until for hundreds of years it was little
more than nominal, and exclusively religious.

The claim of the Ottoman Sultans to the Caliphate dates b