Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1249

 RELIGION — INSTRUCTION 1 1 27

The population now is estimated at about 9| millions.

The number of Europeans residing in Persia does not exceed 1,200. There are just over 600 British subjects resident in Persia (exclusive of British Indians).

The principal cities of Persia are: — Teheran, with 280,000; Tabriz, with 200,000; Ispahan, with 80,000; Meshed and Kerman, with 60,000; Yezd, with 45,000 ; Barfurush and Shiraz, with 50,000 ; Hamadan, Kazvin, Kom, Kashan, Resht, each with 30,000 to 40,000 inhabitants. Of the nomads 260,000 are Arabs, 720,000 Turks, 675,000 Kurds and Leks, 20,700 Balvichis and Gipsies, 234,000 Lurs.

Religion.

Of the population about 8| millions are Mahometans of the Shi'ah sect, and 850,000 of the Sunni sect ; 10,000 are Parsis (Guebres), 40,000 Jews, 50,000 Armenians, and 30,000 Nestorians.

The Mahometans of the sect called Shi'ah differ to some extent in religious doctrine, and more in historical belief, from the Moslems of the Turkish Empire, who are called Sunni. The Persian priesthood (ulema) is very powerful, and works steadily against all progress coming from Europe. Any person capable of reading the Koran and interpreting its laws may act as a priest (mulla). As soon as such a priest becomes known for his just interpretation of the divine law, and for his knowledge of the traditions and articles of faith, he is called a mujtahid, or chief priest. There are many mujtahids in Persia, sometimes several in one town ; there are, however, only four or five whose decisions are accepted as final. The highest authority, the chief priest of all, is the mujtahid ^ who resides at Kerbela, near Baghdad, and some consider him the vicegerent of the Prophet, the representative of the Imam. The Shah and the Government have no voice in the matter of appointing the mujtahids, but the Sheikh-ul-Islam, chief judge, and the Im^m-i-Jum'ah, chief of the great mosque (Masjed-i-J^m'ah) of a city, are appointed by Government. Under the Imam-i-Jum'ah are the pish namaz or khatib (leader of public prayers and reader of the Khutbeh, the Friday oration), the mu'azzin (crier for prayers), and sometimes the mutavali (guardian of the mosque) ; this latter, as well as the mu'azzin, need not necessarily be a priest. All mosques and shrines have some endow- ments (wakf), and out of the proceeds of these are provided the funds for the salaries of the priests attached to them. The shrines of some favourite saints are so richly endowed as to be able to keep an immense staff of priests, servants, and hangers-on.

The Gregorian National Armenians form two dioceses, each under a bishop. One bishop resides at Tabriz, the other at Ispahan. There are also a few thousand Roman Catholic Armenians in Persia who have a bishop of their own rite at Ispahan, the bishop of the Latin rite residing at Urumiah. There is a wide tolerance exercised towards Armenians and Nestorians, Jews, and Parsis in cities where Europeans reside ; in other places, however, they occasionally suffer oppression from Mussulmans belonging to the lower classes.

Instruction.

In recent years the educational question has played a prominent part in Persia, Many schools of various degrees, entirely on European lines, have been established ; the Ministry of Education has undergone radical refonns ;

1 The last holder ofthis office died on February 20, 1895 ; no successor has yet been elected and four or Ave high functionaries conduct affairs, each one striving to gain supi-emacy. 'The Qne who was on the point of acc|uiring supremacy died in November, 1911,