'General information on Persia for any future edition, 1895' [‎54r] (98/211)

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the Turks fear them, or that they occupy formidable strongholds, and are strong
enough to resist a military force, and hate their nominal masters; these ideas are
clearly erroneous; the Kurds are not less loyal and trustworthy than other Ottoman
subjects, though in rare parts of the mountain fastnesses they inhabit, the influence of
the Government is scarcely perceptible. As to their 4< hating their nominal masters,”
perhaps, under present conditions, indifference, mingled sometimes with a touch of
contempt, more accurately represents the state of mind of some Kurds. As to their
power of resisting regular troops, I need only quote the “ Ashiret ” disturbances in.
Abagha, or the Sasun affair of the previous autumn, to show that they have none.
And it is notorious that the sound of a bugle, and the sight of a dozen uniforms in
Hekkiari, is enough to restore immediate order. The real fact is that the Govern
ment are very rightly loath to employ military force till every other expedient has
failed.
According to a statement of Armenian grievances published a year ago, these
may he divided into five heads: taxation, character of officials, non-admission of
Christian evidence, plunder and oppression, and political persecution.
1. Taxation.—The Military Exemption Tax. —Twenty-eight piastres is said to he
the-exact sum.
In Van the tax allotted out to the various parishes, and collected by a Mukhtar,
usually an Armenian, the amount is broken up among the families irregularly; thus
one family where there is only one male pays 80 piastres per annum, and another with
three males 55 piastres. The wealthy pay more, of free consent, to make up for the
deficiencies of those who cannot pay. In the villages the system is the same ; it is not
symmetrical, but in Turkey has many good points. No serious objection can he raised
on the score of this tax.
The “ Emlak ” and “ Timettu ” taxes are distributed inequitably; there is a bias, in
short, in favour of Moslems, and, moreover, distraint is cruelly executed and followed by
ruin ; there may be some truth in the former of these allegations without its amounting -
to a crying abuse, but the latter is inaccurate and unjust to the best of my belief.
The Ashar sale of.the tithes, which is the best and cheapest method and the least
repugnant to the peasant, allows of abuse and vexation. Complaints on this head are
heard less frequently, and, personally, I believe the distribution and collection to be
fairly well managed, and to bedmproving.
To sum up, taxes are heavy and the people extremely poor, but the taxation
il grievance ” is for the most part fictitious, nor is the pressure more burdensome on
Armenians than any other communities.
2. Character of Official.—In respect of Van, to form a judgment, officials of a
higher stamp and of better education are being selected; several Albanians are
scattered about the vilayet in divers capacities, and they have generally the national
energy and ardour \ there is distinct improvement in the judicial and financial
Departments, and Van fortunately possesses an excellent oilicer in the Alai-Bey. of
Gendarmerie; even in the Cazas, a good example at head-quarters and closer attention
to duty combined with a demand for the same, is producing some effect.
3. Non-Admission of Christian Evidence. —Here again is nothing but a'record of the
pro-Moslem bias; by way of comment I will only refer to section 52 in Colonel 8 n C.
Wilson’s Deport on the Courts of Justice (“ Turkey No. 8 , 1881”). Since that Report
was written, I think there are sure evidences of gradual progress made in the Courts
in regularity, justice, and honesty.
4. Plunder and Oppression. —Most incidents of this nature which happen to be
brought to my notice, are usually reported to Her Majesty s Consul lor Kurdistan.
The forcible conversion of women to Islam occupies a prominent place in the Armenian
agitation, but during two and a quarter years residence at \ an, I have only heard of
about a dozen cases of Christian women passing into Mussulman households ; some
suggestions were submitted in a private letter to the late Mr. Lloyd on one occasion,
hut it will he observed that in one case a Christian woman who had been united to a
Moslem was restored to the house of her birth.
' 5. Political Persecution, in so far as concerns Van, ceased eighteen months oi*
more ago.
The whole matter of the Armenian grievances may be set down in two words—
Moslem bias.
It must be confessed that the historically-admitted partiality shown in a thousand
ways by the ruling race, to the prejudice, disadvantage, and degradation of the non-
Moslem classes still exists ; but is it not to be stated with equal truth that more than
apparent measures have been and are still being adopted bh the part of the Government
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