Norwich bulletin., 1919-04-10
IN THE DAYS NEWS

Independent Armenia once a
cherished hope, once was a reality, as
shown by an interesting sketch of the
lands history, from d con1munica ton
to the National Geographic society by
Hester Donaldson jenkins.
In a preceding bulletin the Armenian
people and their customs we're de-
scribed. The historical bulletin fol-
lows:
Emerging from tradition, distinct
Armenian people appears about 1000 B.
C., dwelling on the tablelands near
Ararat Having no natural boundaries
the state was seldom independent, but
was subjugated in turn by Babytonia.
the Modes and Persians. the Seleucidae
and the Romans. The ancient Oriental
idea of conquest left, however. good
chance of national DEVELOPMENT. Con-
quest meant little more than tribute
/ The Armenians boast a proud culture
during the ancient period and lines of
noble kings. The Armeians were close
~ allied to the Parthians by religion,
culture, and propinquity, and were one
of the few ancient peoples who were
never Hellenized.
ut is in the early Middle Ages-ages
that we of the West call dark, but
| that to the Near East was a period OF
great culture-that Armenia attain its
| 'iA6 iiNSt pooitlOlis anu II 10 lIlOu
| Christianity that it made its contribu-
ton to the world.
In the year 80 A. D., Is years be-
fore the establishment of the Greek
church the Armenian church was
! founded by krikor or Gregory the
Illumination. and Armenia became the
| bulWark of Christianity in the East.
Gregory was baptized by Christian rel
atives in his childhood. His story is
an interesting one, telling of an early
marriage, the birth of two sons; then
of his vocation and entrance into a
| monastery; of his attaching himself to
| Tiradates, who soon became king;
of Tiradates' persecution of Gregory
| because he would not accept the old
! gods; of years in prison; of his relea Sc
in response to a vision: mis- miracles;
the conversion of rTiradates and the
baptism Of thousand Armenians. IN
til in eight years Armenia was fully
Christianized and the religion was
adopted by the state, The mummied
hand of Saint Gregory is still laid on
the head of every bishop at his conse-
Grafton, thus carrying on the most per-
feet apostolic succession in the world.
The Slories of independent Armenia
quickly passed With the seventh cen
fury there arose d power in the East
more fatal to Armenia than any of her
ancient cnemies-the religion of Islam
Like wildfre. the religion OF Moham-
med spread from Mecca to Gibraltar;
but when it reached the Armenian
people il found substance it coult
not consume; the Armenians could no
be converted to Islam, although theii
kingdom could be burned to ashes anC
their people enslaved. Like fire ant
water, Islam and Christianity met ant
struggled, but neither could destro!
the other until they settled down i'll TIL
same land, sullenly irreconcilable.
The races might long ago have beef
blended, for they are not tempera
mentally anita gonistic, but, on the con
trary, well fitted to be friends; but tn
two c1ashing religions, each claiming
= the world for its kingdom, could ncye
be reconciled.
$ First, as the followers of the Proph
5 ct conquered Syria and the Armenian
provinces of ByZantium. came. tn
Arabs; later came the Seljuk Turk
and subjugated part of Armenia, an
S finally the Ottoman Turk conquered
t vast empire and set up his mosque j
t Alta Sofia.
"Mohammed the Conqueror had nc
= enough Moslen subjects to fill his EN-
2 pire or his conquered city. so he &C
= cepted his great body Of Christian sub
jects with tolerance of their laws, Gus
- toms and religion. He left the Ray
e'I abs, or Christians, contemptuousl
g alone, granting them, however, no civ
Il or military advancement unless the
c accepted Islam.
The Ottoman Empire was organize
h into millets,' religious division, ther