There would then be two powers
at Constantinople, a Maire du Palais who would reign, and a Caliph who
would be head of religion;--a separation of offices which would
certainly facilitate the sort of reform that Midhat and his friends
desire. But to the world at large the event would only signify that
Constantinople had formally abdicated her claim to leadership, and Islam
would never acknowledge as Caliph the mere puppet of an irreligious
clique of officials, because he happened to be a member of the Beni
Othman. His political power is the only thing that reconciles Islam with
an Ottoman Caliph, and without sovereignty he would be discarded. In
whatever way, therefore, that we look at it, there seems justification
in probability for the conviction already cited that after Abd el Hamid
a new order of Caliphal succession will be seen.
It seems to be an universal opinion at the present day among those who
think at all upon the matter, that whatever change may be impending for
Islam, it will be in the direction of concentration rather than of
extension. All parties see that the day of outside conquest is at an
end, and that the utmost that Islam can look forward to politically is
the maintenance of its present positions, and as an extreme possibility
the emancipation of its lost provinces in India and North Africa from
Christian rule.
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