'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia' [‎649v] (1300/1386)

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and mother, but collateral branches, are included. It is seldom that a Christian apos
tatizes under this temptation, but it is not uncommon for an enterprising young
Mussulman to seduce or forcibly abduct a Christian girl of well-to-do ami y, to
declare that she has become a Mussulman, and to claim the property ol her amilY-
If the girl has not deserted her religion, it is perfectly easy to get anothm girl to
personate her; she can only be produced in Court veiled. Cases have occurred in
which families have been deprived of their property in this way.
The abolition of this intolerable law, which is an insult to our common aith,
offers a premium to crime, and violates every principle of justice, Divine and human,
might be urged upon the Persian Government, under the consideration that its further
continuance would produce a most unfavourable impression in Europe, and that it
would be advisable for Persia to extirpate so shameful an abuse before external pressure
be put upon her to effect its removal.
In fairness to the Persian Government, I think it right to add that when cases of
forcible abduction are brought under their notice, they are ready to afford redress.
The parties who obstruct the course of justice are not Persian officials, but Persian
priests.
I have had two cases of this kind to deal with within the last two years. In both
instances the girl was restored to her parents and the culprits punished. The last
case occurred a few months ago, and was still pending when I left Tabreez for
Oroomiah. On arriving there, I learned that the culprit, in consequence of the
representations made by Her Majesty’s Minister and myself, had expiated his offence
with three weeks’ imprisonment and a heavy fine. In order to make the punishment
more complete, the Governor of Oroomiah, at my request, exacted a Written guarantee
from the offender, binding him under severe penalties to behave with propriety in
future.
The testimony of a Christian in this country is not received in a Court of Justice
against a Mussulman any more than it is in Turkey ; but Turkey has at any rate
admitted in principle, by the promulgation of various Imperial Hatts, that there is to
be no difference in this respect between the two races; and the European Powers have
thus a solid basis to work upon, by which they are fully entitled to demand as a right
the complete religious and civil emancipation of all the Christian populations in the
dominions of the Sultan. It might be advisable to consider whether, in this respect,
the initiative could not also be taken in Persia by representing to the Government of
the Shah the desirability of their issuing Firmans granting to Christians and Jews the
same status and privileges as those which the dominant race enjoys. I do not suppose that
such orders would be at all times scrupulously carried out, but the voice of England
would carry greater weight when we distinctly demanded as a right the cessation of
abuses against which we are only able at present to speak in the feeble accents of
friendly warning or mild remonstrance.
The Nestorians, as already stated, pay a special poll tax, which exempts them
from service in the army; but the authorities have begun lately to compel them to
serve as musicians in the military bands. They regard with antipathy this system,
which places them in close contact with the Mussulman soldiery, by whom they are
liable to be treated with brutality and contempt, and would be grateful for a complete
exemption in this respect.
It is customary for the Nestorians to resort every year in large numbers to Russia.
Some of them obtain work at Tiflis or in other parts of the Caucasus as day labourers
and artizans; others confine themselves purely to begging, visiting Moscow and Peters-
burgh for that purpose. There is probably no race in the world who are such persistent
mendicants, and they appear to do a thriving business in this respect. It is computed
that 5,000 Nestorians annually visit Russia, that from 300 to 500 go there for begging
purposes, and the remainder to seek for work; that the annual income derived from
the former source represents on an average 4,0001., and from the latter 100,0001.
. 1 he Nestorians are, however, relieved of a large portion of their gains in Persian
territory on their return journeys. The authorities on the Persian frontier, the Kurds,
the Government guards—placed ostensibly to check brigandage, but who resort to acts
ol lawlessness to gain their bread—have lately fleeced these unfortunate people in a
most unmerciful manner.
In justice to the Azerbijan authorities, I must, however, state that they are
invariably ready to redress these abuses committed by their subordinates, when
complaints are made on the subject, and that His Royal Highness the Veli Abd has
ta en most energetic measures to prevent a recurrence of such proceedings. Only
last year, on my representing a flagrant case of this kind, he dismissed the passport