Caliphate preserved by Turkish "Lateran Treaty"

[Sir John A.]

What if an arrangement similar to the Lateran Treaty was made between the Turkish government and the last Caliph, Abdul Mejid II, creating a sort of Islamic Vatican? What effect would that have on the development of the Islamic world?

[Flocculencio]

Hmmm...could a Caliph hold spiritual power without temporal power? The office itself wasn't meant as a purely religious one.

[Alexius]

Hmmm...could a Caliph hold spiritual power without temporal power? The office itself wasn't meant as a purely religious one.
They tried it- Abdulmecit II, the first cousin of the last Sultan, was made caliph (but not sultan) by the national assembly. He held office for 2 years despite Ataturk's wish to do away with the caliphate.

The major effect on the Islamic world would be if the Caliph was also allowed to control Mecca and Medina. This would mean a much smaller Saudi Arabia, and possibly less Wahhabism...

[yourworstnightmare]

They tried it- Abdulmecit II, the first cousin of the last Sultan, was made caliph (but not sultan) by the national assembly. He held office for 2 years despite Ataturk's wish to do away with the caliphate.

The major effect on the Islamic world would be if the Caliph was also allowed to control Mecca and Medina. This would mean a much smaller Saudi Arabia, and possibly less Wahhabism...

Mecca and Medina won't happen, before the Saudis conquered it the cities were held by the Hashemites, a British ally.