. The Turk and the land of Haig; or, Turkey and Armenia: descriptive, historical, and picturesque . etaphor—thatof a tent and the four columns which were its I think it best, because of the quaint simplicity ofthe figure, to adopt it in this short sketch, which islikely enough to suffer for want of perspicuity. Thisfigure may be made to stand on all fours without inthe least destroying its usefulness. The first pillar, then, supporting the fabric of thestate, was represented by the viziers, or bearers ofburdens. At the time of Mohammed II. these werefour in number. The Grand Vizier
. The Turk and the land of Haig; or, Turkey and Armenia: descriptive, historical, and picturesque . etaphor—thatof a tent and the four columns which were its I think it best, because of the quaint simplicity ofthe figure, to adopt it in this short sketch, which islikely enough to suffer for want of perspicuity. Thisfigure may be made to stand on all fours without inthe least destroying its usefulness. The first pillar, then, supporting the fabric of thestate, was represented by the viziers, or bearers ofburdens. At the time of Mohammed II. these werefour in number. The Grand Vizier, who was a sort ofminister of state and an executive ofificer, was, next tothe Sultan, the highest personage in the empire. To himwas intrusted the imperial seal, and his was the privi-lege of presiding over the Divan, or Council of theRealm, in the absence of the Sultan. Perhaps thehighest function he enjoyed was the convoking of thiscouncil in his own tent whenever he deemed it neces-sary. The second pillar was represented by two mili-tary judges called cadiaskers, who, with their subordi-. 288 THE TURK AND THE LAND OF HAIG. nates, constituted the legal order of the empire. Theauthority of one was confined to Europe, that of theother to Asia. Immediately beneath them in rank werethe tutor to the royal princes and officers called duty of these imifte was to expound the sacredlaw, and their persons were considered so sacred thatnot even the Sultan was permitted to put them todeath. Yet this restriction was of no value, as theSultan could depose them from their positions at hispleasure, and then execute them as he could any othersubject. In this legal order was also included the Judgeof Constantinople, whose office was created somewhatlater than the others we have mentioned. The thirdpillar, a golden one, yet strong and indispensable,was the deftarders, officers of the exchequer; andlast came the secretaries of state, or nischaiidycs, withwhom the figure is complete
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidturklandofhaigor00azhd
