The Myth of the Caliphate

The Myth of the Caliphate The Political History of an Idea By Nick Danforth NOVEMBER 19, 201

 Abdulhamid II, who would become one of the last last Ottoman sultans and caliphs, as a prince in 1867. (W.&D. 1867. (W.&D. DOWNEY / Jebulon)

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n 192 1924, 4, Tur urkis kish h le le!er !er "e# e#ll $% $%%u %urk rk o' o'il ill l bo bolis lishe! he! %he

O%%o#n 'lih%e. To!, #os% Wes%ern !is'ussions o* %he Isl#i' +%%e +% %e o* Ir Ir  n n! ! ll-+h +h# # (I+ (I+I+), I+), %he e e%r %re#i e#is% s% r rou ou %h %h%% hs !e'l !e 'lr re! e!  ' 'li lih h% %e e ' 'rros oss s #u #u'h 'h o* Ir Ir  n n! ! + +ri ri, , be bei in n b re*er re *eren' en'in in %hi %his s e0e e0en% n% s i* i% er ere e  r ro*o o*oun! un! %ur %urnin nin  oi oin% n% in

Isl#i' his%or. +o#e 'on%e#orr Isl#is%s %hink o* i% %his , %oo %here3s  reson, *or e#le, %h% Lion Cub, %he usli# 5ro%herhoo!3s 'hil!ren3s ubli'%ion, on'e r!e! %he 6Jeish7 6%ri%or7 $%%urk #ul%ile 8rs% ries in i%s 6"no %he Ene#ies o*   Your :eliion7 'on%es%. E0en i* %o!3s Isl#is%s re*eren'e %he O%%o#ns, %houh, #os% o*  %he# re #u'h #ore *o'use! on %rin %o re-'re%e erlier 'lih%es %he er o* %he *our :ih%l ;ui!e! <lihs, ho rule! i##e!i%el *%er uh##!3s !e%h in %he se0en%h 'en%ur, *or e#le, or %he $bbsi! 'lih%e, hi'h eis%e! in one *or# or no%her *ro# %he nin%h %o %he %hir%een%h 'en%uries (be*ore bein o'ill bolishe! b %he onols). 5 'on=%in %he nine%een%h'en%ur O%%o#n rol *#il i%h %hese 'lihs *ro#  #illenniu# o or #ore, Wes%ern un!i%s n! nos%li' usli# %hinkers like h0e buil% u  nrr%i0e o* %he 'lih%e s n en!urin ins%i%u%ion, 'en%rl %o Isl# n! Isl#i' %houh% be%een %he se0en%h n! %en%ie%h 'en%uries. In *'%, %he 'lih%e is  oli%i'l or reliious i!e hose rele0n'e hs e! n! ne! ''or!in %o 'ir'u#s%n'e.  The 'lih%e3s #ore re'en% his%or un!er %he O%%o#ns shos h %he ins%i%u%ion #ih% be be%%er %houh% o* s  oli%i'l *n%s > blnk sl%e ?us% s nebulous s %he 6!i'%%orshi o* %he role%ri%7>%h% 'on%e#orr Isl#is%s re lrel #kin u s %he o lon. (I* i% eren3%, I+I+ 'oul! no% so re!il use %he s#e %er# %o !es'ribe %heir roue n! bloo! s%%ele% %h% usli# 5ri%ish business#en use %o r%i'ul%e %he i!e o* n ele'%e! n! !e#o'r%i' le!er *or %he Isl#i' orl!.) Wh%3s #ore, %he s%or o*  %he O%%o#n 'lih%e lso sues%s %h% in %rin %o relie l#os% n 0ersion o* %his *n%s, 'on%e#orr Isl#is%s # ell 'on*ron% %he s#e 'on%r!i'%ions %h% be!e0ile! %he O%%o#ns  'en%ur o. OTTO$N :E5:$NDIN; When %he O%%o#n E#ire 'onuere! E% n! %he $rbin @eninsul in 1A1B, +ul%n +eli# %he ;ri# o'ill 'li#e! %he %i%le o* 'lih *or hi#sel* n! his heirs. In !!i%ion %o %kin 'on%rol o*  %he 'i%ies o* e'' n! e!in, +eli# bols%ere! his 'li# b

brinin  'olle'%ion o* %he @rohe%3s r#en%s n! ber! hirs b'k %o Is%nbul.
 ?us%i8e! %he 're%ion o*  !iFeren%, $rb 'lih%e b uo%in uh##! s sin %h% %he %rue 'lih nee!e! %o be  !es'en!n% o* %he @rohe%3s Gursh %ribe. (The O%%o#ns, i% see#s, ''e%e! %he 0li!i% o* %his uo%e bu% h! %heir on in%erre%%ion  o* i%, in hi'h %he @rohe% '%ull #en% %h% %he 'lih !i!n3% nee! %o be  !es'en!n% o* %he Gursh %ribe.) 5u% in ei%her 'se, %he 0iolen% oli%i's o* %he erl %en%ie%h 'en%ur ui'kl ou%#%'he! %heolo. Desi%e his bes% eFor%s s !e*en!er o* %he *i%h, $b!ulh#i! ke% losin %erri%or n! oli%i'l oer %o
orl! s  hole. n usli#s, r%i'ulrl %hose in In!i *or ho# n-Isl#i' s#bols su'h s %he 'lih ere n i#or%n% r% o* n%i'olonilis#, ro%es%e!. O%hers ere #ore in%eres%e! in #neu0erin %o 'li# %he %i%le *or %he#sel0es. os% *#ous s usn ibn $li, sheri* o* e'', ho is knon %o ren'e o* $rbi *ns *or his le!in role in %he $rb :e0ol%. $s %he lo'l le!er i%h 'on%rol o* e'' n! e!in>n!  suose!l 'ler line o* !es'en% *ro# %he @rohe%3s %ribe>usn belie0e! %h% *%er !ri0in %he O%%o#ns ou% o* %he i!!le Es%, he 'oul! be'o#e n $rb kin, i%h ll %he reliious n! %e#orl oers o* %he 'lih. In ursui% o* %his ol, hen $%%urk eile! %he O%%o#n sul%n, usn in0i%e! hi# %o e''. (The eile! #onr'h soon !e'i!e! he re*erre! %he I%lin :i0ier.) +e0erl ers l%er, usn3s son $b!ullh>*oun!er o* %he  Jor!nin #onr'h>oul! !e'lre  %h%, in en!in %he 'lih%e,  Turks h! 6ren!ere! %he re%es% ossible ser0i'e %o %he $rbs,7 *or hi'h he *el% like 6sen!in  %eler# %hnkin us%* "e#l.7 O*  'ourse, usn3s lns !i!nH% 'o#e oF e'%l s ee'%e!. Desi%e e%%in 5ri%ish b'kin *or his s'he#e erl in %he r, he *#ousl *ell *oul o* %he +kes-@i'o% $ree#en%. The ren'h !ro0e his son ou% o* +ri, n! be*ore lon, %he +u!is !ro0e hi# ou% o*  %he $rbin @eninsul. 5 %he %i#e usn o'ill !e'lre! hi#sel* 'lih, suose!l % %he insis%en'e o*  sele'% rou o*  usli# le!ers, his oer h! !in!le! %o %he oin% here %he !e'lr%ion see#e! like n '% o* ure !eser%ion.  The E%in #onr'h, #enhile, h!  'li# o* i%s on %o !0n'e. Desi%e bein 'losel line! i%h %he 5ri%ish n! !es'en!e! *ro#
+u!i $rbi3s "in +u!, !esi%e e0en%ull seiin %he ol n! *ro# usn, s one o* %he *e le!ers ho ne0er u% *orr!  'li# %o %he 'lih%e, l%houh %he i!e s 'er%inl !is'usse!. +u! s line! i%h %he Whhbi #o0e#en%, hi'h rose s  rebellion ins% %he suose! !e'!en'e o* %he O%%o#n o0ern#en% in %he eih%een%h 'en%ur. Ironi'll, l%houh his oosi%ion %o %he O%%o#n-s%le 'lih s shre! b o%her $rbs, his r%i'ulr brn! o* reliiosi%s %oo r!i'l *or hi# %o e0er %hink he h! #u'h 'hn'e o* be'o#in 'lih hi#sel*. In %he en!, %houh, %he unsee#liness o* su'h oli%i'l rnlin s ?us% one o* %he *'%ors %h% hele! u% %he 'lih%e !is'ussion %o res% *or %he ne% se0erl !e'!es. n usli#s h! reson!e! %o i%s boli%ion b re!oublin %heir eFor%s %o buil! se'ulr 'ons%i%u%ionl o0ern#en%s in %heir on 'oun%ries. In!ee!, so#e o*  %he s%rones% oosi%ion %o %he E%in kin3s 'lihl sir%ions '#e *ro#E%in liberls ho oose! n #o0es %h% oul! in'rese %he #onr'h3s oer. E%in s'holr $li $b! l-:i, in his *#ousl 'on%ro0ersil 'ri%i'is# o* %he 0er i!e o*  'lih%e, e0en en% so *r s %o 'li#  %h% %he "orn 'on%ins 6no re*eren'e %o %he 'lih%e %h% usli#s h0e been 'llin *or.7 This s lso %he erio! here  nu#ber o* %hinkers, se'ulris%s n! reliious usli#s like, ben !is'ussin %he ossibili% %h% %he 'lih shoul! be  urel reliious 8ure, like n 6Isl#i' oe,7 unen'u#bere! b n %e#orl oer. $ O@E $ND $ @:$YE: I% oul! be  #is%ke %o %hink %h% %en%-8rs%-'en%ur Isl#is% #o0e#en%s %rin %o re0i0e %he 'lih%e re !oin so in %he n#e o*  'ler, ell-!e8ne! Isl#i' #n!%e. :%her, %he re ?us% o%her lers in  'en%uries-lon !eb%e bou%  'on'e% %h% hs onl o''sionll %ken on i!esre! rele0n'e in %he Isl#i' orl!.  The le' o* erlier roun!s o* %his ru#en% 'n s%ill be *el% %o!. I% is no surrise %h%, s  his%ori'l insir%ion, %he O%%o#n 'lih%e hol!s #os% s #on Turkish Isl#is%s, hose nos%li oes *r #ore %o %he  Turkish n%ionlis%s h0e lori8e! %he e#ire %hn i% !oes %o %he ie% o* %he sul%ns.
'en%ur 'ri%iue o* %he O%%o#n s%%e, 'o#bine! i%h %he oli%i'l le' o* #ore re'en% n%i-O%%o#n $rb n%ionlis#, i0es len% o* non-Turkish Isl#is%s #le reson %o re*er %he re'e!en% o* n $rb 'lih%e. 5 %re%in %he O%%o#n 'lih%e s %he 8nl his%ori'l re*eren'e oin% *or h% 'urren% Isl#is%s sire %o, Wes%ern un!i%s 'on=%e %he 'on%e#orr !re# o*  oer*ul, uni0ersll rese'%e! usli# le!er i%h %he l%e O%%o#n sul%nHs *ile! !re# o*  be'o#in su'h  8ure hi#sel*. The 'ir'u#s%n'es uni%in %hese !re#s>n! %he el o* s%ron reliious oer in %he *'e o*  Wes%ern oli%i'l, #ili%r, n! e'ono#i' oer># be %he s#e. 5u% so re %he 'hllenes.