Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume II.djvu/25

 ASIA 13 gold fish is a native of China. Of molluscous animals, the pearl oyster claims special notice, found chiefly in the Persian gulf and on the coasts of Oeylon. Russian Asia includes the whole of the continent north of about 50, with considerable southern extensions in the ex- treme east and in the west, reaching beyond 39, the chief of which is a strip between the Black sea and the Caspian, including Cauca- sia and some territory acquired from Persia. Russia is slowly extending her domination among the independent tribes toward India, which it threatens to reach at no very distant date. Chiefly between lat. 50 and 40 lie Turkistan, Mongolia, and Mantchooria, in- habited by tribes which are more or less in- dependent. Chiefly between lat. 40 and 30 lie Turkey, Persia, Afghanistan, and Thibet, with China at the east, extending southward to a little below 20, and the main Japanese islands. Between lat. 30 and 20 lie Arabia, extending southward beyond 18, southern Persia, Beloochistan, and the northern por- tions of Hindostan and Further India. South of lat. 20 are the main parts of the Indian Eeninsulas, the eastern including Burmah, lain, and Anam, with the Malay peninsula, reaching southward almost to the equator. The population of Asia is estimated at abont 790,000,000, or nearly three fifths of the entire inhabitants of the globe. It is very unequally distributed over the continent. China proper and British India, with an area of less than 2,500,000 sq. m., have upward of 500,000,000; while Siberia, with about 5,000,000 sq. m., has less than 4,000,000. At least half the popula- tion of the globe is concentrated in China and India. Ethnologists usually group the inhab- itants of Asia into three great classes : 1. The Mongolian race embraces almost all the peoples of the north, east, and southeast, including Siberia, Tartary, China, Thibet, and the Indo- Chinese peninsula, besides the dominant peo- ple of Turkey. But while the physical char- acteristics of the Chinese are similar to those of the Tartars, so great is the distinction be- tween their languages that many have consid- ered them as of a wholly distinct race. 2. The Aryan race embraces the main populations of Hindostan, Afghanistan, Beloochistan, Persia, and Caucasia, besides Russians, Greeks, Ar- menians, and others in Siberia, Turkey, and elsewhere. 3. The Semitic race includes the Syrians and Arabians, besides Jews in various parts. The Malay race appears on the con- tinent only in the peninsula of Malacca. (See ETHXOLOGY.) Only a small part of the in- habitants of Asia can be properly designated as barbarous, for most of them have from time immemorial possessed a literature and established forms of government. Nor can they be called half civilized with much more propriety than the term might be applied to the ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Greeks, and Romans. Their civilization, however, as- sumes a type presenting marked differences from that of Europe and America. Up to a certain point, and in certain directions, the Asiatics made great advances in every de- partment of thought and culture; but that point once reached, the progress of develop- ment was checked. In China the laws, litera- ture, art, and industry have remained almost fixed for ages. So, too, although in a some- what less degree, in India. The changes which have been wrought have sprung from without, from the pressure of foreign races or the in- fluence of a new religion, rather than from a principle of growth from within. Their very languages show a lack of progressiveness. The Chinese language now is the Chinese of 2,000 years ago. The Arabic of the Koran is the Arabic of to-day. The religions of Asia fall mainly within three great classes: Buddhism in China and Japan, respectively modified by and mingled with Confucianism and Sintoism ; Brahminism in India; and Mohammedanism existing in almost every region, but especially in the Turkish dominions, Persia, and the smaller states of western Asia. The pagans on the one hand, and the Christians and Jews on the other, are too few to be taken into the gen- eral account. The Greek church may nom- inally number 7,500,000, the Roman Catholic 4,500,000, the Protestant 500,000. Religion seems to be almost the only changeable thing in Asia. In two centuries Buddhism became the predominant religion of 300,000,000 peo- ple; in half that time Islamism spread from Arabia to Persia, Hindostan, and Tartary; and within a few years Babism, a new religion, has sprung up in western Asia, and is rapidly spreading in Persia, Turkey, and India. (See BABISM.) The political institutions of Asia present a variety of forms, among which the republican and constitutional are not to be found. Strict absolutism is the prevailing form. In many parts of Arabia and Tartary various nomadic tribes have a patriarchal government, under their own chiefs, although they nominally recognize a higher author- ity. In the true sense, only Turkey, Persia, Afghanistan, China, Japan, Burmah, Siam, and Anam can be called independent coun- tries. All others are more or less dependent upon the great empires of Asia or Europe. In China the government is an absolute mon- archy. More than a third of the continent is under the government of Russia and England. The most extraordinary foreign conquest is that by the British, which in a century and a quarter has made England mistress of more subjects than were ever ruled by any Roman emperor. Compared with the British posses- sions, those of the French in Cochin China and the Portuguese in India and at Macao in China are quite insignificant, while Holland and Spain possess only islands near the conti- nent. Turkey should be considered an Asiatic power with possessions in Europe, rather than a European power with possessions in Asia. Great Britain, Russia, France, and Portugal