Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-13
| PERS|A'S RENAISSANCE
Wonderful Influence of the
American Schools.
HIGHER STANDARD CREATED
Silent Revolution Caused by the Up
per Glasses.
REFORMS SUPPORTED BY SHAH
Effect Of the Freedom Of the Press
Parliament More Conservative
Than the Duma.
HIGHER STANDARD CREATED
REFORMS SUPPORTED BY SHAH
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Mr.. g. NJ. Jordan, director of a pros
| porous American school at Teheran, the
most important school in Persia, who spent
a few days In Washington last week, ex-
planned in very interesting manner the
| causes that led up to the great political
transformation scene that occurred in that
ancient land last year. AS 1 told you the
| other day, an absolute monarchy, and one
| of the oldest despotism on earth, was sud-
denly converted into "a liberal monarchy
with constitution and a parliament with
out a revolution and without bloodshed
Mr.. Jordan says that this change has
been gradually approaching for fifty years,
and that the chief causes are the disin-
tegration Of the Mohammedans into diff
ferent sects, and the revival of educa-
ton among the people.
THE ancient histories of Persia have
| recently been revived and republished,' said
Mr.. Jordan, land the people have learned
from them of the ancient grandeur of the
empire in days OF Cyrus and Darius. which
had been forgotten in the ignorance of the
modern generation. This knowledge has de-
veloped the patriotism. ambition and a
spirit of emulation. 1t has created a new
thinking classes generally. 1t has convinced
them that they must keep step with the
| times and adopt the methods Of modern
civilization If they would restore the power
and influence of their nation.
Effect Of American Schools.
1.-The American schools, under the care of
| the Presbyterian board of foreign mis-
| sions, have introduced new standards of
education, which the government and the
Mohammedans have been compelled to imi-
| tate. The government supports an imperial
college, and several other institutions
OF royal foundation employ Euro
| are number of Madrasahs or religious
| schools, taught by Mohammedan priests,
and number Of private schools supported
| by rich patrons and tuition fees but there
| Is no national system Of education and all
| OF these institutions until recently still
chung to the Anticipated oriental methods of
| education until they were compelled to
adopt our modern methods in order to re-
educational policy has done more for the
intellectual, moral and benevolent advance
ment of the people than any other cause,
and it may be credited directly to the in
huence Of American missions.
Another powerful influence has been the
disintegration Of Mohammedanism. The
Persians accepted Islam at the time of the
Arab conquest, but the people belong to
| the Shite sect Of that faith, and acknowl-
edge Ali, the first cousin and son-in-law of
the prophet, as his successor. Persia is the
chief seat of Shiism, and the priests Of that
| country have been largely instrumental in
| the growth of this factional movement
| which divides the Mohammedan world.
Moreover, Shiism has been distracted by
| schisms and reforms which have broken the
| power of the religious despotism and have
| exposed 1t to the invasion of modern ideas.
| Babism, or Behaism, as 1t is sometimes
| called, a powerful religious and moral re-
| form, served as an entering wedge, and
now commands such an influence and has
| assumed such proportions as to actually
endanger the supremacy of Islam in Persia.
During the war between Russia and ia
! pan the attention of the Persian people was
| directed to the extraordinary advance of
| the latter country in civilization and edu-
| cation and military strength. Japan was
suddenly recognized as world power and
| the thinking element in Persia at once rec:
ognized. and that was due to its constitu-
| tional government and free institutions.
Free Press in Persia.
For several years Persia has had prac-
tically free press. The Persian minister
| here in Washington says there are at least
forty newspapers in the country, most OF
them published at the capital-weeklies
monthlies and semi monthlies-and one OF
them, Majeles the Assembly,, has been pub
| lished four times a week. and is now, OF
| soon will be, a daily. These papers have
been permitted to publish liberal articles
| discussing the advantages of constitutional
|
Of the people to participate in public az
| fairs and kindred subjects. They have had
| a great deal of influence and convinced the
aristocracy, nobility and other influential
| classes that constitutional government is
necessary for the salvation Of the country
| to keep them free from Russian or English
domination, to bring prosperity, to extend
| commerce and to restore the ancient infiu-
| ence of Persia in the affairs of the universe
| There has been no insurrection; only an &C.
casional local disturbance caused by col.
| lis.on between the progressive and the non.
| progressive elements The movement has
been gradual and the forces which have
| carried ii along have been invisible There
| has been no conspicuous leader and, con-
trary to precedent. the revolution has been
| promoted by the upper classes rather than
1 by the masses of the people.
| "MuzZafar-ed-Din, the late shah, real.
| lied all this and encouraged the movement
His grand vizier, Prince ed-Dowleh. die
not agree with him and had to resign. The
| new prime minister, Mira Nasrollah Khan
| who had been minister of foreign affairs, IL
| a man of very liberal ideas and wider ex-
| member Of the government. He has been
| ambassador to several European countries
| and has two sons still in the diplomatic
| service. His experience and observation
| had convinced him that Persia must adopt
modern methods IL she proposed to continue
independent, and he had a powerful lnflu.
| ence upon the shah. He may be considered
| the most prominent Of the liberal leaders
|
| litical transformation Persia has recently
| experienced.
| The New Parliament.
| 1.-The members Of the new parliament, al
| though men without modern education or ex
perience in legislation. have been keeping theil
| heads level and have been doing very we'll
| They have shown much more discretion and
| common sense than the members of the
| Russian duma which preceded them a few
| months. They have obtained control of the
| customs houses and the army, and have OBJ.
| tanned from the present shah pledge that
he will not dissolve the parliament for two
| years. Their success and conservative &C.
| ton have been all the more extraordinary be-
| cause hitherto the laws Of the land have is.
| sued from the autocratic authority of the
shah without consulting the wishes Of the
| people. They have never had any voice In
| their government, and now that the consti.
tuition proclaimed last December places the
| law-making power in their hands, It is re.
| markable that they have shown such con.
/ servatism. If this movement had taken
place in Turkey. Egypt or India you nigh,
| expect 1t to be failure, but the Pefsians
have intellects of such unusual quality that
there seems to be a fair prospect of per-
| manent and genuine development of q con.
| stitutional parliamentary government.
1.-The best people are behind the parlia
| ment and are supporting 1.-THE aristocracy