CHAPTER VI.
THE SULTAN AND THE SUBLIME PORTE.

CHURCH and State are one and inseparable in
Turkey. The Sultan of the empire is also
Calif of the Mohammedan religious world.
He cannot abdicate either office, if he would, without
vacating the other by the same act. In fact, herein
lies the secret of the present.Sultan's policy, which
seems suicidal on general principles of government.
He has, on the one hand, been lavish in the building
and repairing of mosques, and in establishing Moslem
scl^ools throughout his dominions. On the other
haAd, he has infringed and ignored the ancient rights
and privileges of the Christian Patriarchates which
were guaranteed by Mohammed IL, and have hitherto
been regarded as sacred. He has blocked the erec¬
tion of new Christian schools and churches, and even
the repairing of such as are falling into decay.
There were formerly thousands of non-Moslems in
civil positions, faithfully serving the government;
under the new regime, however, they have been
systematically removed and excluded. And why
has all this been done? Because the Sultan is a
good conscientious Mohammedan, it is only fair to
believe.    Even if he were not a sincere believer, he

87