CALIPHATE

CALIPHATE, the office or dignity of caliph: See the preceding article. The succession of caliphs continued from the death of Mahomet till the 655^th year of the Hegira, when the city of Bagdad was taken by the Tartars. After this, however, there were persons who claimed the caliphate, as pretending to be of the family of the Abassides, and to whom the sultans of Egypt rendered great honours at Cairo, as the true

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true successors of Mahomet: but this honour was merely titular, and the rights allowed them only in matters relating to religion; and though they bore the sovereign title of caliphs, they were nevertheless subjects and dependents of the sultans. — In the year of the Hegira 361, a kind of caliphate was erected by the Fatemites in Africa, and lasted till it was suppressed by Saladdin *.—Historians also speak of a third caliphate in Genem or Arabia Felix, erected by some princes of the family of the Jobites. The emperors of Morocco assume the title of grand cherifs; and pretend to be the true caliphs, or successors of Mahomet, though under another name.

See Bary, 10 24, and Turky.