PERSIA 



4593 



PERSIA 



The Persian is more active in mind and body 

 than the Turk, but is a true Oriental, cere- 

 monious and impractical, a dreamer, not a man 

 of action, and religious rather than moral. The 

 ancestor worship and reverence for parents and 



BRITISH AND RUSSIAN "SPHERES" 

 (a) Russia's Influence Is predominant here: 



in the southt-i Hritain inaint 



supremacy, thus protecting its Indian empire. 



ruler, characteristic of the Chinese, arc also 

 Persian traits. In 1913 the population was e>i i- 

 mated at 9,500,000, of which number 2,000 * 



>peans ; there were only fifteen people to 

 the square mile. 



N nifty per cent of the natives are Moham- 

 medans of the Shiite sect. There are about 

 10,000 Parsees, 40,000 Jews ami 80,000 Arme- 

 nians and Christians; many of tip 

 sacred by tin- Turks and Kurds in 1914 ami 

 1915. 



the Tigris-Euphrates 



group of :or a long time has had 



a national system of rduc.it ion. Private tu- 

 tors an- emplov.d by thr richer class. Then- 

 national schools when child! ;nht 



iction in 



MIL- 1 Arabic lan- 



guages, two military colleges, ami 



normal and ; d schools at 



I'mt.d S 



iirmg tin 



I coum-il has been appointed by 



.v schools on European I 

 been opened. Ac. opean es- 



U of both sexes arc cm 

 in Pi IH m schools. 

 288 



Industries. Persia is not an agricultural na- 

 tion. Much of the arable land is not utilized, 

 and the meanc of tillage are primitive; but 

 where the natives are industrious, cereals, peas, 

 ue and indigo are raised, and 

 large quantities of fruits, gums, cotton and Per- 

 sian tobacco, which is of a superior quah 

 exported. Since the suppression of the opium 

 trade in China, Persian poppy fields have 

 yielded an export of opium averaging 6,000 



The natives not living in cities are chiefly 

 a pastoral people, keeping large herds of goats 

 and sheep famous for their fine wool, and ani- 

 mal products constitute a large part of the 

 country's wealth. 



There are no large factories in Persia; the 

 manufacturing is done in private shops or 

 schools where artistic silk and woolen tissues 

 and the famous Kirman goat's hair shawls are 

 woven, and enameled metal filigree work is 

 done. Most important of the manufactured ex- 

 ports of Persia are the handmade carpets of 

 thirty different kinds, each di.Mnct of the coun- 

 try having its characteristic pattern. Th^e nigs 

 are made of a particularly line variety of wool 

 colored by native dyes. The export of Per- 

 sian carpets in 1912-1913. was valued at about 

 $5,700,000. 



The manufacturing arts of Persia for some 

 time have been declining, owing to the govern- 

 neglect of such in poor trans- 



portation, the advent of European products and 

 lifference of the natives themselves. Over 

 sixty per cent of Persia's commerce is carried 

 on with Ixu^ia. twenty ; 

 land, and most of the remainder is with A 

 istan and India. By treaty in 1903, duties upon 

 English and Russian imports were made uni- 

 form. 



Mineral Resources. The mountains of Persia 

 contain great hut undeveloped mineral wealth. 

 The tin. iron, copper, 1< ad and coal of the north- 

 west and central n mon<. and Kirman's borax, 

 nese and marble ft* i to a great 



extent because of the dilliculties and high cost 

 of transportation. The tunjuoiM- mines of 

 Nishapur have l d from ancient times. 



Salt pit- an abundant, ai. 

 works 1 

 in l'< rria. 1 1 



MIII mines is less than $100.0' 



Transportation and Communication. Most of 

 le routes of Persia are narrow camel 

 paths crossing the rough mountainous 



liissia, Afghanistan and India. A high- 



