Correspondence and Papers on Persia [‎51r] (88/107)

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from the beaten track, this fanatical feeling is less
evident; but then in many of these the ignorance of the
people is such that they hardly seem to knoAv what a
“ Feringhi ” is, or if they do, to consider it a term
synonymous with that of Russian, the only European
race whose name has penetrated throughout the country.
34. The position held by the Armenian population
amongst their Mahommedan rulers is one of the most
complete subjection. As a rule they are
Armenians. . . - ,
treated with the greatest contempt ; and,
though they may rise to high posts or amass considerable
wealth, they are never on terms other than those of a
subordinate or dependent amongst them, while they are
absolutely devoid of any influence in the conduct of any
thing relating to the national affairs.
It is probably owing to their experience of the
Armenian population, that the general aversion of the
Mahommedan towards the Christians has become so
intensified in Persia, for the Armenians are a race de
voted to commerce, and of exti'emely low principles in
their prosecution of business—their thirst for money, and
utter want of scruple as to the means they adopt in
obtaining it, being almost without parallel in human
nature. They have thus been able to retaliate upon the
Mahommedans, for the scanty respect or consideration
which they meet with at their hands in the course of
their business relations w r ith them ; for the Mahommedan
of rank, being mostly a careless or improvident indi
vidual, with but little ready money at hand, has been glad
to borrow the same of the despised Armenian Christian,
and this has been readily lent him at fabulous rates of
interest. Besides this, the latter are dealers in European
goods, which the ordinary Persian cannot get elsewhere;
these they are in the habit of selling to their ignorant
fellow countrymen at about ton times their real value;
the consequence of these transactions, as may be
imagined, is not conducive to the encouragement of
kindly feelings between the two races.
35. As has been said, the division of the Mahommedan
faith dominant in Persia, and recognised by the State,
Sunnisand is that of the “Shiah Sect.” It is difficult for
Shiahs. Europeans of the present day to understand
what an important point this is for attention, for in
Mahommedan countries the matter of religion is one
which enters into every minutest question of private or
public life ; so much so, that it is absolutely impossible for
the inhabitants to conceive the less important part which
it plays in the general relations of individuals, or in
national politics amongst European races.
As is well known, the two great divisions of the
Mahommedan faith, are those of the “ Sunnis,” and the
Shiahs,” and it is astonishing to observe how intense
appears to be the hatred existing between these conflicting
sects; for great as may be the aversion of the fanatical
members of either towards a Christian, it in no way
exceeds that which they entertain tow'ards their co
religionists of the rival sect.
Though the Shiah sect of the Mahommedan faith is
the prevalent religion in the Persian Empire, several of
the races contained within its limits are followers of the
rival sect of the “ Sunnis,” especially those of Turkish
or Arabic origin ; there is thus a further element of
incohesion introduced into the relations of the various
tribes composing its population towards the representa
tive administration of the country.
1 he fact of the division of those professing the
Mahommedan faith into these two great religious factions
is a point which has always been recognised as an
important one to be taken into consideration in any review
oi estimate of the political condition of Mahommedan