petitor. The emirs-al-omra depofed the commander of the Faithful as often as their intereft

or caprice prompted them to.

This new dignity, though formed from the ruins of the califate, appeared fo important in the empire of Mahomet, that about the year 450 of the hegira, 1058 of Jefus Chrift, under the caliph Kaiembar Illah, Trogrudbek, grand-fon of Seljioud, founder of the dynafty of the Selgieucids, conqueror of Irac, Syria, Mefopotamia, Natolia, and several other provinces, after having vanquifhed the emir-al-omra, would be emir-al-omra himself, in order to divide with the caliph the right of being named in public prayers, to ascend into the pulpit of Mahomet, in short, to see himself afsociated in the priesthood, which all the Muffulmen ftill looked upon as the foundation and fupport of the fovereign power. The new lieutenant powerfully protected the Abbasian caliph. Monftafer Billah, caliph of Egypt, had fucceeded to chafe away his competitor from Bagdad, and had gotten himself acknowledged in almost every part of Arabia for the fole commander of the Faithful. Trogrudbek overran these provinces at the head of a numerous army; he vanquished in feveral battles those who perfifted to call Monftafer Billah chief of the religion. He brought back Kaiembar Illah to `Bagdad, where he himself graced the triumph of the caliph, by holding the reins of his mule in a

entry, and replacing that prince in the pulpit of Mahomet.

As a reward for this fervice, Trogrudbek asked the daughter of Kaiembar Illah in marriage, whether he loved her, or that he thought this alliance would fecure him on his throne. The haughty caliph refused at first to mix the blood of the Abbafians with that of the Turks, whom he confidered as barbarians in proportion as they were become more powerful. Trogrudbek, irritated, invested the palace of the commander of the Faithful, and fwore he would not let any one go in or come out, 'till the caliph fhould have confented to make him his fon-in-law. Kaiembar granted through weakness what he had refused through pride. Trogrudbek carried his new spouse to Rai, in the Perfian Irac, where he had established the feat of his poffeffions, and left a governor in the refidence of the caliphs.

We fhall not undertake to relate all the wars which happened between the ufurpers of the empire of Mahomet; but finish this sketch of the history of their religion, at the time when their power ended. After Trogrudbek, the califate was nothing but a vain title. The Selgieucid Turks tore this empire to pieces in order to plunder the wreck.

We have intended folely to give an insight into the Muffulman religion; to fay what power it had given its minifters, how these ministers lost

it, how opinion yielded to force, in fine, how the
Turkish princes ufurped the fceptre, which, 'till
then, had never been feparated from the Alcoran.
We shall neither mention the crufades, fo fatal to
Europe and Afia, they are written by a crowd of
hiftorians of every age and country; nor the con-
quefts of Saladin, who came from Perfia to over-
turn the throne of the Fatimite caliphs, by mak-
ing himself master of Egypt, after having had
Adhud, the last of them, ftrangled; and to take J.C. 1171

1

from the Crusaders, in Palestine, what had coft Heg. 567.
them fo much blood; nor of Zengiskhan,
who came from the extremity of Corea, to
conquer half the univerfe, and destroy these
Turks who had fubjected the fucceffors of Ma-
homet. These great events merit a particular
hiftory, an undertaking for them alone.

We

fhall folely remark, that, after the caliph Kaiem-
bar, eleven princes of the houfe of Abbas languished
fucceffively on the throne of Mahomet at Bagdad;
that they did not preferve, even the appearance of
power; that the laft of thefe pontiffs having dif-
covered a defire to shake off the yoke of the Mo-
guls, prince Houlagoukhan, the grandfon of
Zengis, facked Bagdad, and took from the caliph
both his title and life, in the year 656 of the he-
gira, 1258 of Jesus Christ.

After this period, there were no more caliphs
at Bagdad. Saladin had deftroyed under his
reign the Fatimite caliphs in Egypt. Bibar,

fultan

fultan of Egypt, three years after the deftruction of the califate of Bagdad, picked up a branch of the Abbafians, which exifted and preferved this title 'till the conqueft of Egypt by Selim I. in 1517 of Jefus Chrift, 923 of the hegira. But these caliphs, without a fhadow of power, were fubjects of princes who received the inveftiture from them, because the pretended fucceffors of Mahomet, in giving the people the example of fubmiffion, seemed to render the authority of their masters more facred.

THE

HISTORY

OF THE

Turkish, or Ottoman Empire,

From its Foundation in 1300, to the Peace of
BELGRADE in 1740.

T

to 1 326, of

of the He

HE Ottomans, whofe hiftory we are about From 1300 to write, are, according to the opinion J. C. of the most learned in Oriental dynafties, 700 to 726, defcended from the Ogufian Turks. Being dri- gira. ven from their abode on the borders of the Cafpian fea, by inteftine wars, they took shelter among the Selgieucid Turks, fovereigns of Iconia, and received their name from Ottoman, their first chief who became fovereign. 'Till then their hiflory is confounded with that of the other Turks it is only at this period that it became peculiar to them. We fhall unfold, by what