Journal of the Society of Arts : Volume XLVIII, No. 2480 [‎680r] (9/24)

June i, 1900 .]
JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF ARTS.
557
short way of quieting them by a wholesale
massacre, and as the country was left desolate,
towards the middle of the 18 th century, military
colonies of Manchus were formed and Chinese
criminals sent, while large numbers of agricul
turists were deported from Eastern Turkestan.
The last-named became known as tarantchis,
and occupied a position analogous to that of
Russian crown peasants. Although Moham
medans, they lived among their Buddhist
neighbours quite amicably, and the only
difference made by the preponderance of the
Chinese element was in the unveiling of their
women. Another element was added in 1771 ,
when the Kalmuks, hearing that their mother-
country had been depopulated, returned en
masse, taking eight months on the journey,
and suffering much both from want and the
attacks of the Kirghiz. When they arrived
they found the country occupied by the
Chinese, and having no alternative, except to
fall into the hands of Kirghiz or Russians, they
settled down on the pasture lands, became
subject to the Chinese, and devoted themselves
to the breeding of cattle and horses. The
Kalmuks are all Buddhists, and are completely
Mongolian in type and customs. This district,
known, from the name of the Manchu settle
ment which dominated it, as Kuldja, was
annexed by Russia, but returned to China on
her fulfilling certain conditions.
On the western side of Central Asia there
are many different families or tribes of Turko
mans, who are somewhat similar in habits to the
Kirghiz, although some, like the Tekkes, live
partly in villages and are agriculturists. No
race offered more stubborn resistance to the
Russians than the Tekkes, and none suffered
more. In the Turkoman campaigns orders
were given to spare neither age nor sex, and
whole families were slaughtered and entire
districts laid waste.
In most of the cities of Central Asia, besides
these, are found many fragments of other
races—Persians, originally brought as slaves ;
Arabs, believed by some to have been the
original introducers of Mohammedanism ;
Hebrews, who have been settled in the country
for centuries, and who have the characteristics
for which their race is remarkable all over the
world; Hindoos, who come and go for com
mercial purposes ; and also many families of
gipsies, known usually at Liuli, who lead a
nomad life, trading in horses, while their
women tell fortunes, cure the sick, and carry
on a small traffic.
Theoretically nearly all the native peoples of
Central Asia profess Mohammedanism, but
many of the tribes know little more of it than
the name of the prophet, and some not even
that. The nomads retain many practices
which have no connection with Islam, and it is
only in the large cities that there is any
attempt at ceremonial worship. Great religious
laxity prevails all over Central Asia, and the
fanaticism observable among the Dervishes,
who gain a living by exhibiting themselves in
a religious frenzy, and even torturing them
selves at times, is rather a matter of business
than of true devotion.
Education among the native inhabitants is
in the hands of the mullahs or priests, and is
generally limited to such matters as have a
bearing on religion or law. The foundation of
colleges, where the higher religion and law are
taught, has for ages been a favourite form of
piety, and some still exist which were founded
four and five hundred years ago. Both pupils
and professors are supported from the revenues
of the college, the latter receiving in addition
voluntary gifts from parents of the pupils.
There are also primary schools, generally
attached to each mosque, and here the boys
from the age of five are instructed first in the
alphabet, and then in the reading of the
Koran and about seven other books, which
they read and copy without understanding,
as they are written in Persian and Turki
and never translated into the dialect of the
district. To know the Koran by heart con
fers at once rank and sanctity on the happy
accomplisher of that feat. This is usually
an effort entirely of memory, as few are ac
quainted with Arabic, though many have read
illegal translations and know the substance
of what they recite. Superstition is extremely
rife, especially among the nomad tribes, who
attach mystic meaning to such events as the
appearance of crows (as in Western Europe),
magpies, and other birds and beasts. A
favourite method of divination is by roasting
the shin bone of a sheep and watching its
appearance as it burns, from which the future
is predicted by certain signs.
As regards religion, the Russians have
always acted with the greatest wisdom and
tolerance, never in any way interfering with
the worship and practice of the conquered
tribes, except that they have abolished the
native functionaries whose business was to
compel the performance of religious rites.
Missionary projects have been by no means
encouraged, although in the garrisons and
in one or two towns there qre Christian