or KHALIF, the sovereign dignitary among the Mohammedans, vested with absolute authority in all matters relating to religion and civil policy. In the Arabic it signifies successor or vicar; the caliphs bearing the same relation to Mohammed that the popes pretend they bear to St Peter. It is at this day one of the titles of the Grand Seignior or Sultan, as successor of Mohammed; and of the Sophi of Persia, as successor of Ali. One of the chief functions of the caliph, in his quality of imam or chief priest of Islamism, was to begin the public prayers every Friday in the chief mosque, and to deliver the khutba or sermon. In after times they had assistants for this latter office; but the former was always performed by the caliph in person. The caliph was also obliged to lead the pilgrims to Mecca in person, and to march at the head of the armies of his empire. He granted investiture to princes, and sent swords, standards, gowns, and the like, as presents to princes of the Mohammedan religion; who, though they had thrown off the yoke of the caliphate, held it as vassals. The caliphs usually went to the mosque mounted on mules; and the sultans Seljucides, though masters of Baghdad, held their stirrups, and led their mules by the bridle some distance on foot, till the caliphs gave them the sign to mount on horseback. At a window of the caliph's palace there always hung a piece of black velvet twenty cubits long, which reached to the ground, and was called the caliph's sleeve; which the grandees of his court kissed daily with great respect. After the destruction of the caliphate by Hulaku, the Mohammedan princes appointed a particular officer in their respective dominions to sustain the sacred authority of caliph. In Turkey this officer is called mufti, and in Persia saddeh.