Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 373 The Holy City (Part 3)

Harrison offered to have the Governor-General of India send 3000 soldiers, for which Abdullah Pasha expressed his gratitude. With the help of the tribes, he believed they could have an army of tens of thousands.

Rebellion is not something that can be accomplished in a day or two; it requires a long period of preparation. Although the Ottoman Empire has declined considerably, it is still manageable to deal with them.

Abdullah was still making preparations, but something disrupted his plans: Najaf had a descendant of the Prophet declaring that only Nasser al-Din of Iran was the only Caliph in the world.

The descendants of the Prophet were not exclusive to the Hashemite family, to which Abdullah belonged. There were also families in Mesopotamia and Iran with similar lineages, including the Sadr, Saeed, and Hakim families. However, the Hashemite family of the Hejaz were among the most prominent.

These families had pledged allegiance to the Shah after the civil wars or the wars against the Ottomans, and they all had representatives in the Council of Experts, while also being prominent local clans. Nasser al-Din's third wife belonged to the Sa'id family, which was not only a descendant of the Prophet but also of Ali.

Of course, they enjoy a great deal of benefits, so naturally they want to do something for the Shah, such as securing the title of Caliph.

The title Caliph, meaning "representative" in Arabic, originated in 632 AD after the death of Muhammad, when his followers elected Abu Bakr as the first Caliph. Umar, Uthman, and Ali were subsequently known as the Four Caliphs. This period is referred to as the "Age of the Rightly Guided Caliphate."

After the 10th century, the Caliphate gradually became a figurehead under military strongmen, retaining only a religious symbolic role. In 1258, the Mongol conquest destroyed the Abbasid Caliphate, and the last Caliph was killed. Although the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt supported a puppet Caliph, he had lost real power. In 1517, the Ottoman Sultan Selim I obtained the title of Caliph, which has remained to this day.

As the highest title, all Shia Muslims desire it. However, their doctrine stipulates that the Caliphate can only be held by Ali, a descendant of the Prophet, and his descendants. But didn't the Shah marry a descendant of Ali? Look, Ali was a descendant of Muhammad, and he married Muhammad's daughter; Nasser al-Din was also a descendant of Muhammad, and he also married a descendant of Muhammad—it completes the cycle!

The phenomenon of claiming ancestry exists all over the world. If you can have some connection with a powerful figure, you gain legitimacy. Even the rulers of West African countries will attribute their ancestry to a ruler in the Arab world.

As for Naser al-Din's own family's ancestral lineage, this was compiled starting after his accession to the throne. The Qajar family originated from Turkic-Turkmen tribes and lacked the "sacred lineage" of the Safavids. However, his great-grandfather claimed to have intermarried with descendants of the Safavids, which provided some added prestige to the royal family.

At the same time, through funding holy sites and religious sects, the royal family's identity as religious protectors was established. However, they still needed to downplay their nomadic tribal identity, so scholars, from some obscure source, claimed that the Qajar family were descendants of the Sasanian dynasty.

After the fall of the Sasanian dynasty, the descendants of Khosrow II fled to Central Asia and intermarried with local tribes, thus giving rise to the Qajar tribe.

After the tribe migrated to Mazandran, the chieftain intermarried with local prominent families. Their ancestors were the Bavind family, descendants of the Sasanian dynasty.

The combined bloodline of the two great dynasties helped solidify Nasser al-Din's rule. Of course, in tracing history, Iran isn't as far-fetched as Turkey; it simply compiles a record of the various dynasties and separatist forces within Iran itself. These are all important cultural heritages.

However, since the Shah possesses divine blood, it means he is also qualified for the title of Caliph. Moreover, he is more qualified than that barbarian Uthman. "These people are utterly lawless. Don't think that just because they all have the blood of the Prophet, they can support a barbarian as Caliph."

Abdul Rahman thought this was a huge joke; the Caliph was chosen through discussion and election. How could he simply declare that the position would be hereditary?

“The great prophet will not tolerate this situation; we must respond with the strongest possible counterattack.”

"But what should we do?"

One person asked the most crucial question: What should be done? If the Ottomans were to fight, he might be killed as well; if he himself were to fight, he would probably be wiped out before he could even make a move; if the British were to fight, why would they?

"Well... let me think about it, there's always a way."

Pasha then realized that if Hejaz became independent, it would quickly become a pawn of other countries. But things had come to this point, and he had no choice but to go down this path, hoping that Britain would treat him better.

"We have no choice but to go for it. I will declare in Mecca that the Persians' claims are useless."

Not only did Abdullah of the Hejaz oppose it, but religious scholars within the Ottoman Empire also sparked a debate. Scholars, led by the Grand Mufti, believed that the Iranian Shah's self-proclamation as Caliph violated religious doctrine, while Shia scholars argued that the Shah was a descendant of Ali and therefore qualified to be Caliph.

Of course, some Sunni scholars also joined the Shia movement. Their reasoning was that the Caliphate should be held by the one with the strongest military.

From the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt to the Ottoman Empire, the Caliphate was a variable entity. Back then, wasn't it always obtained through blood and sword?
Iran is currently the strongest power, so the Caliph would naturally want the Iranian Shah to acquire it. The Ottoman Empire is no longer the powerful nation it once was; it is merely a state clinging to life by relying on infidels. In terms of legitimacy, Iran is far more legitimate than the Ottoman Empire.

This is also the predicament of the Sunnis. The Ottoman Empire has declined, Egypt has been reduced to its original state, and only Iran is thriving. The Shiites within the country are also becoming more assertive. If the Sunnis do not change, they may be physically eliminated by the Shiites.

Furthermore, Iran's proposal to revive the Abbasid Caliphate has a touch of dark humor. It was originally a Shia uprising, which was then usurped by the Sunnis. Why do the Sunnis feel a chill now that revival is being discussed?
Within Iran, the idea is quite welcomed. The Shia religious council believes that Mecca and Medina should be administered by Iran. The Ottoman Empire has lost the ability to protect the holy cities, and Iran must replace the Ottomans as the protector of the holy cities and all believers.

Furthermore, the Caliph is not the religious-political leader as Sunnis perceive him to be, but rather the Imam's secular representative. And now, the Shah is the Imam's chosen representative. If he isn't the Caliph, then who is?
Furthermore, Iranian newspapers launched a full-scale attack on the Hashim family, using every possible word to describe them: decadent, alcoholic, lecherous. Such people must be eliminated!
(End of this chapter)