"ملاحظات ميدانية: بلاد الرافدين. هيئة الأركان العامة في الهند. فبراير ١٩١٧". [و‎‎٤‎٦] (٣٥٠/٩٨)

CHAPTER V.
NOTES ON THE TURKISH ARMY.
Introduction.
Constitution of the Ottoman Empire. Evolution of the present
Army system.
The Ottoman Empire consists of about 7,000 square miles in
the south-east of the Balkan Peninsula; Asia Minor proper, or
the Peninsula of Anatolia; Eastern Turkey in Asia, bordering
the frontiers of the Caucasus and Persia, with Syria and parts
of Arabia.
The territory of the Empire is divided into vilayets (pro
vinces), sub-divided into sanjaks (districts), again sub-divided
into kazas (sub-districts), with a still further division into nahies
(parishes). Each vilayet is ruled by a vali, or governor-general,
assisted by a provincial council, who exercises authority in all
administrative affairs, except legal and military. The dis
tricts, sub-districts, and parishes are under mutesarrifs, kainjp,-
kams, and mudirs, respectively. There ai'e also several in
dependent sanjaks.
Turkey in Europe comprises two vilayets and one independent
sanjak'. Turkey in Asia twenty-three vilayets and four in
dependent sanjaks.
The form of government is now, as the result of the “Young
Turk ” movement of 1908, a constitutional monarchy tempered
by a permanent and irresponsible court-martial, with a parlia
ment composed of a nominated senate and an elected second
chamber. Although, however, the temporal power of the Sultan
has been thus restrained within constitutional limits, his spiri
tual position as the Khalifa, or successor of Mohammed, remains
undiminished. It is true that he is not recognized as such over
the whole Mohammedan world, but his claim is undisputed by
most of the Sunni branch of the faith, and it gives him an enor
mous influence over his own Moslem subjects; it invests the
wars waged by him against Christian Powers with a religious
character, and it is never forgotten by the Turk that his enemy is
not merely a foreigner but an infidel.