CALIPH (Fr. calife, Ar. kliallfa, calif, suc cessor), is the name assumed by the succes sors of Mohammed in the government of the faithful and in the high-priesthood. Caliphate is therefore the name given by historians to the empire of these princes which the Arabs founded in Asia, and impelled by religious en thusiasm, enlarged, within a few centuries, to a dominion superior in extent to the Roman em pire. The title is still borne by the Sultan of Turkey. Mohammed, in the character of the prophet of God, made himself the spiritual and temporal ruler of his people. In the following account the dates both of the Hegira and the Christian year are often given. The difference in the mode of computing the Mohammedan year has caused considerable divergencies among authorities in regard to the exact dates of the particular events of Mohammedan his tory.
After the death of the Prophet the election of a successor occasioned considerable excite ment, Mohammed having left no son and nom inated no successor. Abdallah Ebn Abu Koa fas, called Abubekr, that is, father of the virgin (because his daughter Ayesha was the only one of the wives of Mohammed whom he had married as a virgin), obtained the victory over Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of Mo haMmed, and became the first caliph, 632 A.D. (year of the Hegira 11). Victorious over enemies at home, by the aid of his general, Khaled, ((the Sword of God,* he proceeded, as the Koran directs, to spread the doctrines of Mohammed by arms among the neighboring nations. With the watchword, conversion or tribute, a numerous army, consisting entirely of volunteers inspired with zeal for the holy war, penetrated into Syria and Mesopotamia, but before much could be done, Abubekr died after he had filled the place of the Prophet two years and four months.
Omar, another father-in-law of the Prophet, now became second caliph, and under him the war was continued. The Moslems having once acquired a strong footing in Syria by the treacherous surrender of Bosra, they under took, under Khaled, the siege of Damascus, and having repulsed two large armies, sent by the Emperor Heraclius to the relief of the city, they obtained possession of it by a capitulation (635 A.D.), the terms of which were perfidiously
broken Khaled pursuing and slaughtering the retreating Christians. By him and other gen erals, though not without a brave resistance on the part of the Greeks, the subjugation of Syria was completed (638 A.D., of the Hegira 17). Jerusalem having been compelled to sur render (636 Heg. 15), Omar proceeded thither in person to fix the terms of capitula tion, which subsequently served as a model in settling the relations of the Moslems to the subject Christians. These terms were carefully observed by the conscientious caliph. The new Persian empire of the Sassanidm was also over thrown, and Mesopotamia and other extensive regions overrun. Equally successful . was the Mohammedan general, Amru, in Egypt, which was subjected to the caliphate in two years (641). Omar was the first who bore the ap pellation of Emir al Moumenin ((Prince of the FaithfuP)— a title inherited by all suc ceeding caliphs. Many of these conquests were over Christian populations who readily changed their creed and adapted themselves to the new rule.
After the murder of Omar by a revengeful slave (644 A.D., Heg. 23), a council, appointed by him on his death-bed, chose Osman, or Oth man, son-in-law of the Prophet, passing over Ali. Under him the empire of the Arabs con tinued to expand. From Egypt the tide of con quest advanced westward along the northern coast of Africa, as far as Ceuta. Cyrus too (647 A.D.), and Rhodes (654 A.D.) were con quered; but the former was lost again two years after. An agitation against Othman now arose, partly owing to the fact that he favored and aggrandized his own family connections in every way, and entrusted the provinces, not to the most capable, but to his favorites. To many also the claims of All to the caliphate were deemed superior to those of Othman. The dissatisfaction thus excited occasioned a gen eral insurrection in the year 656 (Heg. 34), which terminated in Othman's death.