File 3579/1916 'Turkey: the future of Constantinople' [‎52r] (112/530)

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his Mahomodan subjects would dislike tho iaot thut wo wex^Ti^jxtin^;
the Turks so much the t trouble t*.nd revolution might break out,
iaot that the Moslem world as a whole would be outraged at the idea
of our being ,.ar with tho Turk* Bo fc.r as I uiow those ex
pectations have been falsified. \Vhen we ccme to India, about
wldoh Sir Hamilton Grant h^s out in a very powerful plea as to tho
feelings of the Indian Mnhomedana and their great sonso of outrage
an! indignity if tho Turks ware turned out of Constantinopie, v/ith
all respoot I do not agree the least in the world. I believo th..t
the Moslem sentiment about Constantinople is one of purely modern
creation, I do not believe that it existed fifty years ago.
It wes largely the fuss we ourselves nuc.e about Turkey at the time of
the Crimean tfar ^nd the fact that our policy was so much indeatified
with that of Turkey that first induced tho Mahomedans of India ^
to begin to look towards Constantinople and to regard tho Sultan
as tli ; ir Spiritual Chief*. I wu.s in India when the Tur .s w.re at
War with Greecej and all sorts of apprehensions wore expressed .3 to
the possible attitude of the Moslems in India. They did not turn a
heir. In the Same way when the kirst ft n Second Balkan o/ars took place
end Turkey wan gradually being driven back and Constantinople was
at one time in danger, I do not a ay that anxi,ty w s not expressed
in India; but nothing serious took uk.oo. In this war, again
where the strain h-s boon immeasurably greater u .on Moslem sentiment
thaoi it ever h: 3 b.-jon before, is it not a most nk rtling and rom^rk-
able fr et th t the Moslems of Indie have acoeptec tho ^ositie,* with
the loyalty .nd equanimity they hc.voV If Bir Hamilton Gr^nt refo-s,
as he may do, to more recent nnnifo’t tions, I would reply to him
that tho H .iondist Moalem movement in India is much
more oonoernoc in sym ^thizing with tho Young Turk because the
Young Turk is nti^British, th.n bec.uoo he is a Moalom.
It is some ye rs sinoo I loft India, end I s jg. k with soma diilie
dence on tho matter. If I wore c-sked how over to give my opinion for
what it is worth I,s to whether. If tho Turk wore turned ott of Con-
st.ntinoplo thora would bo t rre,^. rotulsion of fooling or .ny sonens