ETHNOLOGY OF THE PRESENT DAY. 197 



eastern part of the continent. Brahminism extends over India, and the 

 religions of Confucius and Sintoo over South-eastern Asia. The followers 

 of all these creeds have always, with more or less malignity, opposed 

 the Christians and Jews ; at one time entirely crushing, at another at least 

 checking them. 



A great portion of Asia is under European dominion ; the whole of 

 Northern Asia belonging to Russia, and a part of Western Asia to Turkey. 

 We have already referred to the inhabitants of these two sections in the 

 descriptions of the two European nations to whom they belong. The 

 British rule over Hindostan and a few islands ; and the Dutch, Portuguese, 

 Spaniards, French, and Danes, have scattered possessions in Asia also. 

 The remaining countries are partly states with despotic governments, partly 

 inhabited by nomadic tribes possessing a patriarchal form of government. 



The Kurds. 



The Kurds inhabit Kurdistan (land of the Kurds) and several provinces 

 of Western and Northern Persia. Some live also scattered in Mesopo- 

 tamia, Syria, and the eastern districts of Asia Minor. Their language, 

 which is related to the Persian, is intermixed with many Semitic words, 

 which they have received from the Syrians and Chaldeans. The nation is 

 divided into two classes, having different manners of living and different 

 customs. One of these is denominated Guran, in Persian Rajah, in 

 Turkish Konylu, consists of agriculturists, and forms the subordinate class. 

 The second is that of the Assireta or Sipah, and constitutes the class of 

 warriors. The latter seldom or never cultivate the soil, whilst the Guran 

 are never soldiers. The Sipah consider the Guran as created for their 

 special benefit. The dialects of the two differ also. The Sipah are 

 divided into many tribes ; few of which, however, have fixed residences, 

 being wanderers who pitch camps according to the wants of their herds. 



The Kurds are a vigorous, warlike, but also barbarous, and even cruel 

 set of robbers, who belong to the orthodox Mahommedan church, and for 

 that reason are sworn religious enemies of the Persians. Some of them 

 constitute a separate sect, called Jesides, but designated by orthodox 

 Mahommedans as worshippers of the devil. The Kurds live in a state of 

 almost constant warfare with their neighbors, are the most resolute and 

 daring nomads of Western Asia, are continually on horseback, and are 

 considered accomplished riders. A sabre, a pair of pistols, frequently a 

 gun, or a long carbine also, are their weapons ; and their horses are small, 

 spare, but of extraordinary speed and endurance. The Kurds keep 

 together in bands, consisting of from twelve to twenty horsemen, espy the 

 routes taken by caravans, attack the stragglers or even the main body of 

 the caravan itself if it does not appear too strong for them, and massacre 

 indiscriminately, in contradistinction from Arabian and Turkoman robbers, 

 who do not murder travellers that fall into their hands. Danger can onlv 

 be escaped by winning the favor of the chiefs in paying them a heavy 



ICONOGRAPHIC ENCYCLOPEDIA. — VOL. Ill, 24 369 



