The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-17
EDUCATION IN TURKEY.
What Is Being Done for the Enlightment
Of People in the Sultan's Empire.
An Almost Insuperable Task Undertaken, and
How 1t Is Carried Porward-The Prot
estants Far in the Lead.
Correspondence Of the Indianapolis Journal.

galrS In the 1urklSn empire. ne was ASKING the
Moslem why the government was so inactive
about the matter. He pointed out how suicidal
Il is for the Turks to neglect the education of
their young men end patiently look en- while the
Christian sects put their educated youth into
places of trust and honor. Thousands of young
men of the Christian population are pressing for
ward ambitously in the pursuit OF knowledge
and are qualifying themselves for future useful
ness. The Turk acknowledged it all with lamen-
tation--"But what can we do about itf' he
said. "The imperial treasury is in no condition
10 advance the money for adequate schools and
there seems to be no inclination on the part of
rich men TO endow schools"
1t manifest that such astate Of things cannot
70 on long The Christian elements in the empire
which are now about Is per cent of the whole
population five millions out of twenty are sure
10 come out ahead in the long run, If they can
fairly beat the Mobammedans in the educational
race. Superior intelligence must win here in
Turkey, as elsewhere. But, despite the general
1ethargy, the governmenthas been spurred on to
greater exertions of late years. There is
special Educational Minister at Constantinople
and there is the faintest shadow of an educa-
cational system. The Koran and Multeka en-
courage public education, and, indeed public
schools have long been established in most of
the larger Turkish towns, while ''medresses."
or colleges, with public libraries, are attached to
the greater number Of the principal mosques.
AS one walks about an Oriental city he fire.
queItiy comes across schools tor the education
Of Mohammedan youth. He recognizes them by
the babel Of voices drouing forth at high key
the portion of the Koran assigned for the day
In fact the Koran is the first and last textbook
in these lower schools. In the ''medresses,'
which are the colleges or schools of the ulemas,
the pupils are instructed in Arabic and Persian,
philosophy, logic, rhetoric and morals founded
on the Koran. Besides this they have o little
instruction in theology and Turkish law. as well
as few lectures on history and geography At
best this is a very meagre showing. It is all
mechanical and the reasoning powers are never
evoked
The University of Cairo with its thousand or
two students. has been pushed into general
notice by the writings OF interested travellers.
The institutions at Constantinople are not 80
well known. but probably present quite as good
opportunities for study At Beyrout there is
another somewhat pretentious institution. At
DAmascus,l the other day. the pasha opened
large schco for youth, which claims to be for
She benef of all classes and sects. but is in real
ity Moslem school In several places as at
Beyrout, where the large majority of the inhab-
itants are Christians, the city government has
taken out Ct the city treasury the funds for the
erection ant equipment of a school. and then mas
turned it over to the Mohammedan influence,
and, of course, no Christian child ever attends.
1t is impossible to get hold of any carefully
prepared statistics on this subject; or, for that
matter, any statistics whatever, When all the
efforts Of the Turks for common or superior
education in the empire summed up. they
look mean and triding. There cannot be said to
be any system, and what few spasmodlc efforts
have been made of late have been called forth by
jealousy of the Christian schools. The Turks
are beginning to see that sooner or latter they
will be pushed to the wall if they do not begin to
do something. Singularly enough. and shame
fully enough, they have made beginning Of
late by systematically shutting up Christian
schools, and antagonizng all external efforts
that are being made to bring modern facilities
for instruction into the empire.
Besides the Turkish there are four strong i'm
pulNs toward higher education at work with
in the empire and these come from ecclesiastc-
al sorgces The Armenians, the Greeks the
Roman Catholics and the Protestants are at
work side by side in most of the large towns, es
pecially on the seacoast, throwing open their
schools and attempting to get hold on the peo-
pie by their superior methods of instruction.
The Armenian schools are found in the north
ern and eastern sections of the empire. At
times they have been large and vigorous. They
are patriotic institutions, whore the Armenian
nationality is cherished, and where the priests
of the Armenian Church are educated. They
exert but very slight influence outside of their
own church.
The Greek schools are much more numerous
and aggressive. 1t is generally understood that
they are backed by Russian influence and Rus
sian money. just how much truth there is in
the stories about Russian money being put into
these schools am not prepared to say. They
certainly are growing IN number and influence,
although the quality Of the institution is very
poor.
The Roman Catholic schools are more aggres-
sive and influential. French influence is recog-
nized as being behind these institutions, espe
ciaily in Syria. and the French government is
said to lend its influence directly and to grant
financial aid. The Jesuits are looked upon with
suspicion by the Turkish government.
In Constantnople and Beyrout, and, in
fact, all the centers, the Roman
lists have growing work. The
college at Beyrout is largely patronized. The
work among the Maronites is pushed vigorously.
The Roman Catholics have larger force in the
field and have stronger financial backing than
the Protestants. and they have the greater ad-
vantage in their unity of design and method.
There are thousands of scholars in their several
schools, and the intelligence of their constituency
is constantly rising.
The fourth class of schools is that under the
control of the Professionals and I think all fair
shat these schools are doing more for the educa-
tion OF the subjects of the Turkish empire than
any other one source. They certainly stand out
eonspicuously. Robert College, at CONSTANT
nople is the pioneer institution pretend
ing to give anything like a thorough
equivalent for life work. The Syrian
Protestant college at Beyrout has followed its
example and vies with it in usefulness. At Har-
poot. Aintal and in lower Egypt are found CEN
tiers of educational light Perhaps it is not
strange. in view of the political scheming TO be
observed in many quarters of the empire, that
all the work of the Protestants is looked upon by
outsiders, and especially enemies as the result
of secret work for England The voluntary
spirit OF missionary is perfectly unintelligible
10 the people, and they are obliged to find some
H9uP0 d
vance of Protestant missions as just so m~sh GO
ing for the British governments.
In previous letter l described Robert Col
lege, and need not repeat With its It's stu
dents. in its splendid building, situated on a
commanding height above the Bosphorus it is
welding unique influence for the elevation of
Bulgarians. Armenians and Greeks Yearly it
sends out ITS scores of graduates to all sections
Of the empire especially the northern part
The Syrian Protestant college at Beyrout is a
annnawhat Younger Institution but ia none the