Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/203

 Among peoples recently converted to Islam, on the contrary, this feeling is usually the first characteristic of Mohammedanism which sinks in to their very marrow, retaining its influence all the longer in proportion to the slowness of their growth in civilization and knowledge of the world.

The requirements of Islam for the conversion of unbelievers are very small, and the new converts to that creed adopt such of its doctrines as soothe their vanity and such of its rules of conduct as are in harmony with their own ancient customs. To these peoples, in whom the savage is as a rule not yet extinct, nothing can be more attractive than the idea that they as Mohammedans are the lords of the world and that all infidels stand far below them, while the privilege or obligation of depriving certain of the latter of life or property merely gives a new turn to their favourite pursuits of fighting and pillage.

Now among the Achehnese none of the moderating influences just mentioned have ever prevailed to any important extent. They were never before subjected to a foreign supremacy, and being slow to emigrate to other lands and so extend their horizon, they were able to cherish a belief in their own supremacy.

Even Mohammedan strangers such as the Arabs are often vexed by the frank conceit of the Achehnese, who will allow no discussion as to the excellence of their adats and of all their country contains, and the worthlessness of all that belongs to other countries and peoples. From this we may easily conclude how little disposed they are to learn anything from infidels.

Nor were the political relations which Acheh has occasionally formed with foreigners as the result of her trade and for its advancement, of such a nature as to awake any consciousness of inferiority in the Achehnese people. These relations were very transient; not one of the rajas considered himself bound by the concessions of his predecessors, while to their subjects it has always seemed impossible that infidels could possess any rights in Acheh.

A temporary attitude of friendship towards foreigners was confined to the port-kings and those in their immediate neighbourhood. In edicts of the sultans we find strict prohibitions of the harbouring of kafirs by the Achehnese, the only exception to which was in favour of the Hindus, who are regarded as little better than slaves.

When we consider that it is a common saying in Acheh, in spite