A RELIGIOUS WAR.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 53, 17 October 1911, Page 2

A RELIGIOUS WAR.

THE MOHAMMEDAN CASTE. What It Aims At. The possibilities of a religious war being fanned by the present outbreak ie tween Turkey and Italy, in which p.eccsarily all the Mohammedan • f 'l ilie world would take part, are causing thus early in the trouble some anxiety among the Christian nations. In this connection England as the suzerain Power over the largest Mohammedan area lias the stillest problem to solve. The number of Moslems in the world lias been reckoned at Xo.o-18 per cent of its whole population. For 1900 it was calculated at about 288 millions, but it is only in countries which are under European administration that accurate statistics can bo obtained. More than half this number are Asiatics —about IGO millions—and more than a quarter African, —about 59 millions. Europe is said to have only some five million America perhaps .50,000, and Australia, with Oceania, some 20,000. The total number of Moslems under Christian protection was reckoned in 1900 at about 101 millohs of whom 81} millions are subject to Great Britain, about 29} millions to Holland, about 29.1 millions to France, and some 10 millions to Russia. Next to these comes Germany, with some 2} millions of Moslem subjects in Africa; while Italy, Portugal ,and Spain rule over some 8. 1 , millions in the same continent. The, greatest Moslem communities subject to the English throne are to bo found in the Indian Empire, where, according to the statistics of 1901, 62} million Mohammedans reside, constituting between a fourth and a fifth of the whole popr ulation. “Cod or the Prophet.” The most important part of the Islamic Empires is Turkey, of which the capital ,is Constantinople, in Europe, but which possesses territories in Asia and Africa also. Having been a despotism from, its foundation by Osman, son of Ertoghrul, after whom the nation is called Osmanli, or Ottoman, in the year 1908 it became a limited monarchy. The constitution declares Islam to be the national religion, but provides complete toleration for other religions. The number of Moslems who are subjects of the Turkish Sultan was reckoned in 1910 at 10 millions. He is, however, in virtue of of his title Caliph, officially head of all the Moslems in the world, though not all recognise him as such. This title, which literally means vicar—that is, of God or the Prophet, or of the lastColipli—was handed over to the Sultan Selim I. (1512-1520), when ho conquered Egypt, by its last Arab bolder. The riglits which it confers at one time tonsisted in display on coins and mention in public prayer. The Sultan’s right of coinage, of course, no longer extends beyond the Ottoman Empire; but Ids name is mentioned in public worship by Moslems of some other countries—e.g., in parts of India., The Ottoman Empire owed its rise to the weakening of the Byzantine Empire by the Crusaders, and the destruction of Islamic States by the Mongols. Starting as a vassal of the Seljuks of Asia Minor, the founder of the. Empire secured his independence, and established a raiding State in the north of the Peninsula. The weakness of their neighbours soon enabled the Ottomans to extend their conquests in\ all directions, and after making Brusa their capital for a time, they transferred it to Adrianople, on the European Continent, and in 1453 took Constantinople itself. The conquests of the Mongol Timur, or Tamerlenk, who, in the early fifteenth century devastated the .nearer East, ; evontaully strengthened the Ottomans, theirs being tlie only power there which had suryivied the storm. In the centuries which succeeded the taking of Constantinople, the Ottomans became the terror of Europe, and were involved in perpetual wars with Hungary and Austria ; in 1529 and 1088 they besieged Vienna. They became masters of the whole of Greece, and held the coast of the* Adriatic to well within the neighbourhood of Venice. The decay of their power in Europe is marked by the long war (10401069) with the Venetians, in which the Ottomans finally obtained Crete, over which they still exercise suzerainty; but the efforts required for these protracted hostilities may be said to have ruined both States. In the nineteenth century their territory in Europe contracted* till now little remains. Treatment of Foreigners. In Turkey, according to Sir Charles Elliott, all foreigners enjoy almost the same immunities as diplomatists in other countries. J heir .domiciles cannot bo entered by the Ottoman police without the consent of their respective consular authorities, and notice must be g’ven immediately to the authorities if any foreigner is arrested. Wncnover a foreigner is fried, the Consul of his country or a ' epreseiltativo must ho present, and can protest against the sentence and prevent its execution if he considers it illegal. All suits between foreigners arc tried in their own consular courts, and civil suits between foreigners and Ottoman subjects in mixed courts, at which a representative of tlio foreigner’s Consul must be present. The taxes and dues which can be taken from foreigners are regulated by treaty, and cannot lie increased or modified except with the consent of their Ambassadors or Ministers. Further various treaties give the European concert the right to interfere in favour of the Christian nationalities subject to the Porte. Turkey, says another diplomatist, lias been admitted into the European concert, but remains there in a state of tutelage. Attempts have been made repeatedly by the Ottoman Government to got rid of this tutelage. The Turkish statesmen argued that the capitulations were a free gift of the Sultans, which it was in their power to withdraw, whereas Christian diplomacy insisted that they formed part of a contract. Religion cr Nation. Referring to the Islamic state, Prolessor I). S. Margolionth, in Ids book on ‘ ‘Mohan imedanism,” says that although we are apt to think of Islam as a religion it is probable that the Prophet thought of it as a nation. “Let there he in you a nation summoning unto the good” is a divine order in the Koran. The Arabic word for “sect” used of ’lslam is adopted by the Turks in the sense “nation,” and this seems a justifiable mistake, for in tlie new community all tribal differences were to be sunk, and the theory of the Platonic Republic, according to which the members of the community should share pains and pleasures to the same extent as the members of one body is attributed to the Prophet. And in suite of dissensions and civil wars, some length of time elapsed before the Moslem conscience countenanced any such division of nationalities as we have seen to be characteristic of the Islam of our time, and the spread of one language over the whole of the conquered territory was carried out with greater success and determination than (he Romans ever achieved or displayed. For at one time the Arabic language dominated the whole Islamic

area from Spain and North Africa to Central Asia. The converts all adopted names of the Islamic pattern. If the original purpose of tlie founder be divined it would seem that Ins legislation followed an end similar to that described to Lycurgus, namely, to create a military state. IVars are won in the first place by science, but in the second by discipline, in the third by enthusiasm. Military science is a recent invention. It is clear, however, that the Prophet gladly availed himself of such tactical knowledge of the subject as was current in his time, and highly rewarded strategic talent. Science, however, is in any case the concern oi the organisers and leaders, whereas the other matters arc for all alike. The live daily “prayers” constituted the di ill, the fasting month a test ot cn-j durance and an education therein; enthusiasm was provoked by the magnificence of the claim to form the Lading caste on earth, with the right to tlie possessions to all who did not belong to it, and the. alternative between spoil and Paradise. Probably, however, even more enthusiasm was inspired by the belief that the lighting was in the cause of God. The Soldier Priests. In the main the original Moslem svstem was to make its adherents soldier-priests—that was, to combine the seocrdotal with the warrior caste. Tlie amount of time and effort to he given daily and yearly to the religions exercises rendered each Moslem a priest; no religious orders being necessary. On the other hand, every Moslem was to lie always in readiness for the sacred war ; soldiering was not a career, but a life. Here also there were no orders, commissions being given for tlie particular occasion by the sovereign. Necessity in time caused the Moslem Empire to substitute the organised army for the horde, and though it never developed any institution quite similar to that of the clergy or ministers of religion, tlie growth of learning led to something comparable arising. When a mosque has been erected, public worship must in some way he organised; there must be officials whose duties it is to lead prayer or to preach, and in their selection preference will naturally bo given to the best qualified.