In Turkey the word “Turk” is used only to designate a Mohammedan. A
Greek who had accepted Islam would at once be called a “Turk.” It
would be said of him that “he had Turkofied himself.” In its ordinary
use, therefore, in Turkey it signifies a religious belief and that
alone. The same may be said of the other names for nationality, such
as Armenian, Greek, Jacobite, Yezidi, Koord, etc. Instead of using
the word “Mohammedan” at this point we will consider this part of our
subject under the title “The Turks,” thus keeping the national and
religious parallel intact.
The Turks of Turkey comprise every race that has ever lived within its
territory and has accepted Islam. As the people of the different races
embrace Islam, they come at once into the Mohammedan body and are in a
large measure unified with it by the common customs imposed upon them
through the government and by their religion. These assimilated races
marry and intermarry so that to-day, outside of Arabia, where the race
has been kept more free from mixture, it is difficult to find among the
Turks a clear racial type.
The original Turkish people were invaders, coming into the country
from the north and east for plunder and conquest. As soon as these
conquering hordes accepted Islam, every victory over a foe meant new
women for the harem and added men who chose Islam to tribute or death.
When the country had been overrun and Turkish rule was established,
there was exhibited the spectacle of a Mohammedan body of officials
from every race of the East, scattered over all parts of the empire,
except possibly some sections of Koordistan and Arabia, administering
a government over the other races dwelling among them. The Turks alone
could hold office, serve in the army, collect the taxes, and control
affairs. In Arabia the rulers or Turks (not so called there, however)
comprised the main part of the population and so had things their
own way. In all other sections of the country, other races, and not
infrequently races of strength and energy who had occupied that same
territory for generations before Mohammedanism arose, looked upon the
Turk as an intruder and were not slow to make him aware of the fact.
These were, for the most part, disorganized, and, by Turkish law,
disarmed, so that little could be done to change local conditions.
The Druses of Syria, the Koords in Eastern Turkey, and the Albanians
of Macedonia were reckoned as Mohammedans by their rulers. As these
people had few religious convictions of any kind, and as the Mohammedan
yoke placed upon them did not seem heavy, they fell in with the idea in
so far as it seemed to conserve their interests to do so. Even at the
present time, it is not clear how sincerely these races are Mohammedan.
It is thought by many who have been among them that their Mohammedanism
is largely in name. During recent years, undoubtedly influences have
been brought upon the Koords which bound them more closely to the
sultan, although this is not true of all classes of Koords.
Years of Turkish rule, by which the non-Moslem subject is looked down
upon as a “Raya” who has no rights that a Mohammedan is bound or
expected to respect, has made the Turk selfish and cruel, while it has
hardened the Rayas, and made them hate the government. It has come
to be generally understood that the government exists only for the
Turks, to serve whom the Rayas are permitted to live. Through several
centuries of Turkish rule, when the Raya subjects of the Turks were in
grossest ignorance and widely scattered in the country, they came to
accept in stolid silence the situation as divinely ordained. Something
of the fatalism of their masters seemed to settle down upon even the
Christian subjects and, with little complaint, almost human slavery was
accepted.
If the immediate possessions of Turkey include a population of about
24,000,000, probably 6,000,000 of these are nominal Christians, and
perhaps 1,000,000 are neither Christians nor Mohammedans.
It should be said that among the Turks are found men of great strength
of intellect, and not a few of high character. Every one who has been
in the country speaks of men of this class whom he has met. All would
probably agree with the statement that the Turk as a whole is far
better than his government.
It should also be stated that in recent years the Turks themselves have
been more boldly open in expressing their intense dissatisfaction with
the methods of government administration, especially in the eastern
part of the country. The New Turk Party, so called, has no one knows
how many followers, but undoubtedly it represents the modern spirit of
unrest and progress.