assumed by the
Spanish branch of the family who ruled in Spain at Cordova (755-1031),
and the Fatimite rulers of Egypt, who pretended to descent from Ali, and
Fatima, Mahomet's daughter, also assumed the name (see FATIMITES).

According to the Shi'ite Moslems, who call the office the "imamate" or
leadership, no caliph is legitimate unless he is a lineal descendant of
the Prophet. The Sunnites insist that the office belongs to the tribe of
Koreish (Quraish) to which Mahomet himself belonged, but this condition
would vitiate the claim of the Turkish sultans, who have held the office
since its transference by the last caliph to Selim I. According to a
tradition falsely ascribed to Mahomet, there can be but one caliph at a
time; should a second be set up, he must be killed, for he "is a rebel."
(See MAHOMMEDAN INSTITUTIONS.)

CALIPHATE.[1] The history of the Mahommedan rulers in the East who bore
the title of caliph (q.v.) falls naturally into three main
divisions:--(_a_) The first four caliphs, the immediate successors of
Mahomet; (_b_) The Omayyad caliphs; (_c_) The Abbasid caliphs. To these
three groups the present article is confined; for the Western caliphs,
see SPAIN: _History_ (and minor articles such as ALMOHADES,
ALMORAVIDES); for the Egyptian caliphs see EGYPT: _History_ (S
Mahommedan) and FATIMITES. The history of Arabia proper will be found
under ARABIA: _History_.

A.--THE FIRST FOUR CALIPHS

After the death of Mahomet the question arose who was to be his
"representative." The choice lay with the community of Medina; so much
was understood; but whom were they to choose? The natives of Medina
believed themselves to be now once more masters in their own house, and
wished to promote one of themselves. But the Emigrants (see MAHOMET)
asserted their opposing claims, and with success, having brought into
the town a considerable number of outside Moslems, so as to terrorize
the men of Medina, who besides were still divided into two parties. The
Emigrants' leading spirit was Omar; he did not, however, cause homage to
be paid to himself, but to Abu Bekr, the friend and father-in-law of the
Prophet.

The affair would not have gone on so smoothly, had not the opportune
defection of the Arabians put a stop to the inward schism which
threatened. Islam suddenly found itself once more limited to the
community of Medina; only Mecca and Taif (Tayef) remained true. The
Bedouins were willing enough to pray, indeed,