Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎392r] (786/1814)

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THE NORTH-WEST AND WESTERN PROVINCES 545
incurably addicted to mendicancy ; 1 and sixty years of missionary
effort have not taught them that there is any virtue in truth, or
any call for private honour . 2 Since a decree by the Shah in
December 1889, prohibiting the opening of any fresh Christian
schools in Persia, the missionaries have found difficulty in extend
ing their educational programme. The present Prince-Covernor
of Urumiah, Jehansnz Mirza, a cousin of the Shah, has, however,
shown himself friendly and courteous; and it must be avowed to
the credit of the Persian Government, that, with rare exceptions,
they have acted with liberal-mindedness and fairness towards
their Christian subjects in these parts. Between the French
and English Missions there exist the most friendly relations;
for each has a large and independent field of work, and neither
intrudes upon the ground of the other. Between the Americans
and the English it is only natural that there should have been
some jealousy and friction, not merely because the latter are later
arrivals upon an arena over which the former thought that they
had established a monopoly, but because their objects are entirely
1 Mr. Riley in Ms first report says : ‘ To proceed on a begging tour to England
or America is the Mghest ambition of an Assyrian; for many have returned to
their native land to pass their days in comparative wealth owing to the mis
placed zeal of honest and charitable people in England, who are no match for
the subtle Oriental. The appeal is usually on behalf of a school; in rare cases
there is some establishment of this kind in existence, and if the applicant be
more than ordinarily honest he may spend a third or even half of the sum he has
raised in England on his school when he returns. The mixture of honesty and dis
honesty in the Chaldsean character—a combination entirely strange to the English
mind—is calculated to deceive even the most astute, and I can only say that of all
the Assyrians or Nestorians who have visited England during the last few years, I
cannot call to mind one whose word I would believe when his interests were
concerned, or to whom I would entrust with confidence the smallest sum of money,’
2 Again let me quote Mr. Riley: ‘ Out of the whole nation there is not a single
person of any kind whom we can absolutely and entirely trust. All, from the
highest to the boys in the school, are only relatively trustworthy ; the boys, indeed,
are the best, but as they grow up it is no wonder if they develop this untrust
worthy character, when they find their fathers and mothers, pastors, and all
whom they are bound to revere, habitually and shamelessly departing from the
truth whenever it is to their interest to do so. No amount of education will
remove this terrible evil. There is no sign of improvement amongst that part
of the nation which has been under the education of the American Presbyterian
Mission for over half a century—this education is, in some respects, an advanced
one, but it seems rather to sharpen the wits of the recipients and make them
clever rogues than to improve their morality;—those of them that come under the
ordinary education of the French Mission are the same, the only difference being
that the Americans endeavour to trust their people, and get deceived, and the
I rench are very chary of their confidence, and so escape.’
VOL. I.
N N