'General information on Persia for any future edition, 1895' [‎88r] (166/211)

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a Mussulman Government, which the Christians must obey without aspiring to have
any post in it.
Any attempt to interfere on the part of the Christians will be put down with the
greatest severity. 1 his, in my humble opinion, is the keynote of the situation, and it is
this exclusion from all share in public affairs which makes the Rayahs throughout this
part of the Ottoman dominions so discontented with their position. But in this respect
the Armenians are no worse off than Rayahs in other parts of Turkey; in fact, the only
reason of.complaint that the Armenians have, above those of their fellow Christian
subjects in other parts, is, it seems to me, their being exposed in certain districts to the
pillaging and outrages of lawless Kurds. This is undoubtedlv a serious cause of
complaint. At the same time it should be remembered that Mussulmans suffer from this
cause not much less than Christians.
It is highly probable that, other things being equal, the Kurds would rather attack
Christians than Mussulmans from their belief that, owing to the exclusion of the former
from all share in public business, the punishment of the offence is less likely to be
followed up with energy than if their victim was a Mussulman with friends or relations
among the local officials, and also from their knowledge that as a general rule Mussulmans
are armed, while Christians are not. But, apart from such considerations, I believe the
Kurds would just as soon rob and ill-treat Mussulmans as Christians.
If therefore, as it appears, it is impossible to induce the Ottoman Government to
allow Christians their due share in local government, it seems to me that the great object
to be aimed at for the improvement of the position of the Armenian population is that
vigorous measures should be taken to prevent Kurdish outrages, and so give the peasants,
both Christians and Mussulmans, that security which will enable them to live in comfort,
and easily pay the taxes which are demanded by Government. At present much of the
discontent is due to the fact that, owing to the ravages of the Kurds, the peasants are in
arrears with their taxes, for which they are constantly harassed by the Government
officials.
To attain this object the most efficient means would be to largely increase the cavalry
patrols in those districts and at those seasons when and where outrages by nomad Kurds
are usually frequent. 1 f those districts were energetically patrolled from June to October,
I believe that an end could very easily be put to such outrages. It would, of course, be a
sine qud non that all offenders caught should be severely and impartially punished. As it
is, the patrols during the summer months are far too few and scattered to have any real
effect; and I fear also that offenders, even when detected, often manage by some means
or other to evade justice.
[ have &c.
(Signed) ’ CHARLES S. HAMPSON.
No. 84.
Acting Consul Hampson to Sir W. White.—(Received at the Foreign Office, October 30.)
Erzeroum, October 10, 1891.
Sir,
WITH reference to my despatch of the 30th May, and its inclosure, I have
now the honour to forward copy, in duplicate, of a despatch received from Acting Vice-
Consul Boyajian, giving a full account of the Armenian movements in Arabkir.
Such events are much to be regretted; for, as long as such intrigues continue to
come to the knowledge of the Local Government, it is hopeless to press upon it any
relaxation of its severity towards Armenian travellers and others.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
CHARLES S. HAMPSON.
Inclosure in No. 84.
Vice-Consul Boyajian to Acting Consul Hampson.
Kharput, September 26, 1891.
Sir,
I HAVE the honour to submit, for your information, the following brief but detailed
account of the affairs connected with the movements of the so-called Patriotic Committee
formed among the Armenians of Arabkir, to which allusion was made in one of my former
despatches and several private letters.