The Sultan reduced to Asia Minor, even if
he retain Armenia and Kurdistan (which is extremely improbable), would
be quite unable to afford himself the expensive luxury of holding his
Arabian conquests and buying the patronage of Mecca. He would be unable
any longer to overawe the Red Sea, or secure the pilgrim routes. The
Princes of Nejd would certainly not tolerate the presence of Turkish
soldiers at Medina, and the Sherifs of Mecca would have to make terms
with them and with the restored Imams of Yemen till such time as they
should find a new protector elsewhere. Above all, the half million of
Wakaf income would no longer be forthcoming, and a Turkish Emir el Haj
arriving empty-handed at Mecca would bring his master to a climax of
derision. Hejaz then would infallibly look out for a new potentate whom
she could dignify with the title of Hami el Harameyn and Emir el
Mumenin; and if there were none forthcoming would herself proclaim a
Caliphate. Let us look, therefore, at the lands of Islam to see in which
of them a competent Prince of the Faithful is likely to appear.
It is possible, though to European eyes it will seem far from probable,
that out of the ferment which we are now witnessing in the Barbary
States, some leader of real power and religious distinction may arise
who shall possess the talent of banding together into an instrument of
power the immense but scattered forces of Islam in Northern Africa, and
after achieving some signal success against the new French policy,
establish himself in Tripoli or Tunis in independent sovereignty.
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