CHAPTER V.
THE GOSPEL AND TEMPORAL IMPROVEMENT.
The Assyrian houses were one story, low flat roof, and built of mud. Mohammedan law was opposed to Christians building houses of more than one story. The houses were poorly kept, dark and unfurnished. This was the case even when a man was well-to-do and could have afforded something better. Families were large, numbering from ten to forty. It was the custom when sons married to raise their families, for a time at least, under the parental roof. The mother or father was supreme authority in the home, but they could not always control the sons, daughters and grandchildren, and there is much quarreling and frequently fighting. However, custom demands that a son bring his bride to the father's house. If he does not he is called mean. When the writer married his wedding ceremony was performed at the preparatory school where he was then teaching, and he did not take his bride to his father's home. He remembers that his good mother was grieved and shed tears at this breaking away from custom. Men in the street were inclined to look upon him with scorn.
The house that accommodates a large family is usually divided into several rooms. There are often four beds in one large room. The reader must understand that these large families do not give rise to immorality. Men may be wicked in other ways, but this vice is very uncommon.
Christians were compelled by Mohammedan law to wear poor grade clothing. They could not wear any garments commonly worn by lords. Men wore coarse home-made clothing something like American blue jeans of earlier days. Women dressed in plain cloth, usually colored red. Lords objected to their subjects wearing nice clothing. They suspected the spirit of pride was growing underneath, and might some day resent their authority. Christians were compelled to wear red braid on their clothing to distinguish them from Mohammedans. It was a sin for a Mohammedan to give the same salutation to a Christian that was given to his own sect, so it was necessary to mark the Christian's clothing. Only bishops and some few prominent men were allowed to ride a horse, while other Christians must walk or ride a donkey, for the Moslems said: "God created horses for us and donkeys for you." If a Christian, who was riding a horse, met a Moslem, he should dismount, bow to him, and remain off the horse until the Moslem had passed.
The per cent. of death in infancy was very large. Mothers did not understand how to nourish the delicate life during the most trying period. The infants were not dressed warm enough in many instances. In other instances the clothes about the child bound it helpless and injured it, sometimes causing death. Ignorantly, they exposed them to contagious disease. Before the missionaries introduced vaccination, hundreds died with smallpox. The women of the mission have taught the natives a great deal about caring for young children, and now many a mother dresses and cares for her babe after American custom.
TEMPERANCE.
The Assyrians were a great nation for drinking wine. Many men owned vineyards and made from the fruit some of the best wine. One man was known who made 100 barrels of wine one year for his own use. Wine and not water was the drink. Grapes were very cheap and the poor man could be supplied with wine.
Nearly all forms of industry and business were suspended in winter, and the time was spent in trying to get joy from the cup. They said wine was love and good fellowship, which is a common notion in many nations of the earth to-day. When a man had a guest from a distance, he would invite forty or fifty neighbors to his home where the entire day would be spent in eating and drinking. Next day one of the neighbors would entertain the company, and so the feast would continue for a week or more. By the end of the debauch perhaps one or more of the number would have met death. Falling by the wayside at a late hour, or tumbling from a housetop as he was journeying homeward, he would die from cold or from the shock. In those degenerate days idleness, extravagance and drunkenness were praised in a man. When such a one died, an engraving on his tombstone would show that his table was always spread and provided with wine for his friends. Many a man was brought to poverty by these habits of extravagance and drunkenness. The women were required to let wine alone that they might cook much food for these degenerate Christians. On such occasions the master of the house demanded that the very best food be put before his guest.
The missionaries have completely broken up these customs. The evangelical church forbids its members to make or taste wine or to sit among drinkers. Any who disobey this rule are dismissed from membership. Rev. E. W. Pierce, one of the most beloved of all missionaries, spent one winter in preaching temperance. Many were converted to his views on the subject and brought their wines, many barrels, and poured it into the streets. They believed it would be a sin to even sell it. The old Assyrian church-members have given up their former ways and are now temperate. Formerly it was the glory of a man to be idle and drunken, but now public opinion has been entirely reversed. The drunkard is looked upon as an object of shame.
The Assyrians used to observe many saint's days. At times as many as four thousand men and women would gather in the yard of some building built in honor of an ancient saint and would there spend several days in eating, drinking and dancing. Sometimes quarreling, fighting and even murder would result from these gatherings. Moslems often mingled with the crowd and sometimes kidnaped some of their fairest daughters. Instead of places of worship these gatherings became places of sin. All of these vicious customs have now vanished before the influence the true gospel.
More than half the days of the year were days of fasting with the old Assyrians. On these days they ate no meat, milk, butter, cheese, eggs or fish; some very religious old people would eat nothing before noon. All has now been changed.
Members of the evangelical church do not fast and but few of the old Assyrians do. There is no longer faith in the virtue of fasting.
CONVERSION TO MOHAMMEDANISM.
Before the missionaries came many beautiful girls and ladies were converted by force to the faith of Moslems. Girls were often stolen when alone in the fields and vineyards. Mothers feared for their daughters, and advised them not to wash their faces, nor put on nice clothes lest a Mohammedan would be attracted by their beauty. When a Mohammedan saw a beautiful girl he would say, "God created her for us and not for these infidels." When girls were converted by force, it was not much use to complain to the government, as the government is Mohammedan and it is in the Mohammedan doctrine that when a man converts a Christian he has done a good thing and all his sins will be forgiven. The method of making the convert is not questioned. The conversions now as compared with the number when the missionaries came are very few. Kidnaping is not easy now as parents can telegraph to the king, or the prime minister, or even to Europe and cause much trouble.
A few years ago a prince had a beautiful Armenian stolen from her home, and tried to get her to consent to be a Mohammedan and become his wife. But the woman stood firm, and denounced him and his faith. Her friends, and the missionaries of all denominations, were making an angry search for the missing woman, and the prince ordered his servants to return her to her native village. When a girl has been stolen and complaint is made to the government, officers bring the girl into court, if she can be found, and ask her if she had been taken by force, or whether she was willing to become a Moslem. If she says she was taken by force, she is returned to her parents. There are a few cases where women willingly go to the Moslem but this is from their wickedness or their poverty.
MORALS ELEVATED.
Not many years ago a Moslem would enter the private homes of the Assyrians without an invitation. The husband and father did not want him there, but so long had his rights as a man been ignored that he did not have the manhood to drive him away. Then, too, he feared if he offended the Moslem, that the latter would secretly destroy some of his property. These uninvited visits gave the stranger an opportunity to become acquainted with the family, and perhaps an attempt to kidnap a daughter would follow. But this has changed. If a stranger enters an Assyrian home to-day he behaves like a gentleman or he is ordered to leave. The manhood and independence of the old Assyrian has been aroused.
In a national conference of the Protestants, Catholics and Old Assyrian churches held a few months ago, rules and plans for the development of the nation and the uplifting of morality were adopted. Among other things, Christian girls and women are prohibited by these rules from working for Mohammedans; second, no girl nor woman can go to a city of Mohammedan merchants to do trading. This is the first conference of this kind that has been held by Assyrians for 400 years.
Many of the native young men who have been educated by the missionaries have become able men and influential citizens. There are some of them who can stand before the king and speak with greater power than any of the government officers. This is in great contrast with the condition of Assyrians before the missionaries came. In those days leading Assyrians could not stand before even a low court to plead their cause.
In 1893 a general, third in the government, visited Oroomiah college. When he saw the training of the young men he was impressed and afterwards, in a conference of lords, said: "The young men who are being educated in the mission schools would become leaders in the political affairs of our nation if they had a chance. I believe a time will come when they will hold high offices, and the sons of lords will be ruled by them, unless you do something for the future of your children."
The Shah has given the title of count to some of the graduates in medicine. He sees their useful work and says they are helping his people. The royal family and some officers favor indirectly if not directly, modern education; and they have confidence in Christians. The occupation of selling merchandise is being entered by Christians; they have much prejudice to overcome but will likely succeed gradually.
Thanks to God, many of the old oppressions have passed away. Assyrians can now build any kind of house they want; Moslems can no longer say that they must walk or ride a donkey; they can wear clothes of any style or quality they choose. No longer are Christians required to trim their clothes in red to mark their inferiority. All these are the fruits of the blessed gospel.
CHAPTER VI.
MISSION WORK AMONG MOSLEMS.
Mission work indirectly and slowly spreads among Moslem. The Koran forbids Christians to preach to Moslems, and no Christian dared discuss questions of religion with Moslems before the time of missionaries. To attempt to show Christ's superiority of Mohammed was forbidden. If a Moslem should say, "Mohammed was a greater prophet than Christ. Ours is the true religion. You are infidels." The Christian with a timid, downward look would reply "Yes sir, you are right." But the answer to this assertion to-day is a firm "No sir." The Christian now sees truth clearly and feels it his duty to uphold it. There is now free discussion of religious questions. A Christian discusses with Moslem priest if he chooses. And sometimes they call at the homes of Moslems and read the Bible to them. The Christian feels it his duty to discuss with any one who approaches him, as he possesses light which that one needs. There is in one city an evangelical church in which all of its members are Mohammedan converts, while many other churches have a few. The spirit of these converts is that of martyrs. The Koran teaches that any Mohammedan who denounces the faith deserves death, and that one who kills the deserter has done a noble deed. Some of these converts have suffered martyrdom and one who was killed after great torture, prayed as his last words: "O Jesus we thank Thee that Thou hast made us worthy to be Thy martyrs. Our supplication is that our blood may become as seed to Thy church." No doubt God will answer this prayer in due time. The seed is sown; the leaven is mingled and will in time, no doubt, leaven the 9,000,000 Mohammedans.
The writer, a representative of the evangelical missions, wishes to express his deep gratitude to the American Board who started mission work in Persia, and to the Presbyterian Church, which, in 1871, assumed the responsibility of the work and has since so nobly carried it on.