Page 23 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

CHAPTER I.

•History of Turkish Arabia: its external relations with Persia,
Mask at and the Wahabis-
(i) Turco-Persian Wars and Relations.
Turkish Arabia, once holding the seat of the Abbasido Caliphs, Baghdad,
the Homo of tho Sunni Mussalmans, and still holding the most sacred of the
shrines of tho Shiah Mussalmans at Kerbclla, Najaf and Kathimain, to them as
sacred as tho holy places in Palcstenc arc to the Christians : such a province as
this could not but bo tho coveted land both of the Sunni and of tho Shiah
Mussalmans. It was thus after the fall of the Abbasido Caliphs in A. D.
1268—a theatre of bloody wars between tho Sunni Turks and Shiah Persians
for several conturics.
2. We shall here briefly give a history of these wars and their connected
events. The first important strugglo for supremacy in these parts between
the Turks and Persians took place during tho reigns of Sultan Selim I of Turkey
(1512-1520) and Shah Ismail of Persia.
Sultan Selim I (1520) a fanatical Sunnitaoaused a general slaughter of
his Shiite subjects, in which 45,000 persons suffered death. This dreadful
massacre only increased the'animosity with which Shah Ismail of Persia already
regarded the Ottoman Sultan and ultimately led for war. Selim inarched
into the Persian territory in 1516 and encountered the Persian force on the
plain of Chaldiran in a fierce battle, in which the Persians were completely
routed. The way was now open to Tabriz, the capital of Persia at tho time;
the Ottoman army continued to advance thither, and entered tho city in
triumph.
2-A. But the conqueror was obliged to retrace his steps after a halt of only
eight days on account of the discontent of his troops and their eager desire to
revisit their homos. As a result of this expedition, the provinces of Diarbeker
and Kurdistan, through which Salim had marched against Shah Ismail, wore
completely conquered and annexed to the Ottoman Empire, and their govern­
ment was thoroughly organized by Idris (thofamous historian).
2*B. Sultan Selim next turned his attent ion to the conquest of Syria, Egypt
and Hejaj, of which t.he Mameluks of Egypt wero the recognized lords. This
great chivalry of the cast drawn from among the slaves, were subdued after a
gallant resistance, and the threo important provinces wore added to the
Ottoman Empire.
2-0. The result of this war were momentous and far reaching,
besides in the acquisition of the vast territory to the Turkish Empire.
The Sultan of Turkey now took tho place of the Mameluk Sultans
as the suzerains and protectors of the holy cities of Hejaj. “Another
important dignity ” writes Creasy in his History of the Ottoman Turks,
“ which the Sultan Selim and his successors obtained from the conquest of
Egypt, was the succession to the Caliphate, and to the spiritual power and pre­
eminence of the immediate Vicars of Mahomet himself. After the deaths of
the four first Caliphs, who had been personal companions of the Prophet, the
spiritual sovereignty of Islam passed successively to the Ommiade Caliphs and
to the Abbassides, whoso temporal power was overthrown by Houlogou Khan,
a grand son of Ginghis Khan, in 1268. But though tho substantial authority of
tho Caliphs as independent princes was then shattered, the name was perpetuated
• Bibliography—History of tho Ottoman Turks by Orooay, History of Portia by Malcolm. History of Portia by
Marbbnm, Precis on tho b'ait Indian Company'/ connection with Turkith Arabia, 164&1846, Selections from the
State Papon in regard to tho Portia and Portion Qulf, 1600-1S00.
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