Part 8 (1/2)
[92] Both the above instances are taken from C. S. Cooper, _The Modernizing of the Orient_, pp. 339-340 (New York, 1914).
[93] An ”Unbeliever”--in other words, a Christian.
[94] Quoted by A. Woeikof, _Le Turkestan russe_ (Paris, 1914).
[95] B. L. Putnam Weale, _The Conflict of Colour_, p. 193 (London, 1910).
[96] Quoted from H. H. Powers, _The Great Peace_, p. 82 (New York, 1918).
[97] L. Bertrand, _Le Mirage oriental_, pp. 441-442 (Paris, 1910).
[98] On this point see the very interesting essay by Meredith Townsend ent.i.tled ”The Charm of Asia for Asiatics,” in his book _Asia and Europe_, pp. 120-128.
[99] Townsend, _op. cit._, p. 104.
[100] H. Spender, ”England, Egypt, and Turkey,” _Contemporary Review_, October, 1906.
[101] Bertrand, pp. 209, 210.
[102] For discussion of this Hindu att.i.tude see W. Archer, _India and the Future_ (London, 1918); Young and Ferrers, _India in Conflict_ (London, 1920). Also see Hindu writings of this nature: H. Maitra, _Hinduism: The World-Ideal_ (London, 1916); A. Coomaraswamy, _The Dance of Siva_ (New York, 1918); M. N. Chatterjee, ”The World and the Next War,” _Journal of Race Development_, April, 1916.
[103] Archer, pp. 11, 12.
[104] Cromer, _Political and Literary Essays_, p. 25.
[105] Townsend, _Asia and Europe_, p. 128.
[106] I have dealt with it at length in my _Rising Tide of Colour against White World-Supremacy_.
[107] Townsend, p. 97.
[108] Rev. C. F. Andrews, _The Renaissance in India_, p. 4 (London, 1911). For other similar accounts of the effect of the Russo-j.a.panese War upon Oriental peoples generally, see A. M. Low, ”Egyptian Unrest,”
_The Forum_, October, 1906; F. Farjanel, ”Le j.a.pon et l'Islam,” _Revue du Monde musulman_, November, 1906; ”Oriental Ideals as Affected by the Russo-j.a.panese War,” _American Review of Reviews_, February, 1905; A.
Vambery, ”j.a.pan and the Mahometan World,” _Nineteenth Century and After_, April, 1905; Yahya Siddyk, _op. cit._, p. 42.
[109] A. Vambery, ”An Approach between Moslems and Buddhists,”
_Nineteenth Century and After_, April, 1912.
[110] For the effect of the war on Asia and Africa, see A. Demangeon, _Le Declin de l'Europe_ (Paris, 1920); H. M. Hyndman, _The Awakening of Asia_ (New York, 1919); E. D. Morel, _The Black Man's Burden_ (New York, 1920); F. B. Fisher, _India's Silent Revolution_ (New York, 1919); also, my _Rising Tide of Color against White World-Supremacy_.
CHAPTER IV
POLITICAL CHANGE
The Orient's chief handicap has been its vicious political tradition.
From earliest times the typical form of government in the East has been despotism--the arbitrary rule of an absolute monarch, whose subjects are slaves, holding their goods, their honours, their very lives, at his will and pleasure. The sole consistent check upon Oriental despotism has been religion. Some critics may add ”custom”; but it amounts to the same thing, for in the East custom always acquires a religious sanction. The mantle of religion of course covers its ministers, the priests forming a privileged caste. But, with these exceptions, Oriental despotism has usually known no bounds; and the despot, so long as he respected religion and the priesthood, has been able to act pretty much as he chose. In the very dawn of history we see Pharaoh exhausting all Egypt to gratify his whim for a colossal pyramid tomb, and throughout history Oriental life has been cursed by this fatal political simplicity.
Now manifold human experience has conclusively proved that despotism is a bad form of government in the long run. Of course there is the legendary ”benevolent despot”--the ”father of his people,” surrounded by wise counsellors and abolis.h.i.+ng evils by a nod or a stroke of the pen.
That is all very well in a fairy-tale. But in real life the ”benevolent despot” rarely happens and still more rarely succeeds himself. The ”father of his people” usually has a pompous son and a vicious grandson, who bring the people to ruin. The melancholy trinity--David, Solomon, Rehoboam--has reappeared with depressing regularity throughout history.