Five Years in a Persian Town

Name: Five Years in a Persian Town
Author: Malcolm, Napier

Malcolm, Napier

Iran -- Social life and customs; Yazd (Iran)

The Yezd district—Desert—Water supply—Villages—The town of
    Yezd—Gardens—Streets—Houses—Furniture—Cleanliness—Undurability
    of buildings—Built for heat—Hill villages—Effect of
    surroundings on intellect and character                         1-35

                               CHAPTER II

    Isolation and insularity—The town the geographical
    and political unit—Extension of citizenship to
    strangers—Bigotry—Oppression and persecution of
    Parsis—Improvement in their position—Position of
    Jews—Fanaticism largely non-religious—Position of European
    colony                                                         36-59

                               CHAPTER III

    Persian Mohammedanism—Mohammed—Founding of Islam—Shiahs
    and Sunnis—Laxity distinguished from infidelity—Central
    doctrines of Islam—The Divine Unity—The prophethood—Behāi
    view of the prophethood—The Bāb—The Behāullah—Behāīism—Its
    prospects—Islam—Predestination—Repentance—Savābs—Eating with
    unbelievers—Charge of pantheism—Effect of Islam on character  60-114

                               CHAPTER IV

    Results of Islam—Untruthfulness—Superstitions—Pilgrimages—
    Divining—Jins and Dīvs—The evil eye—Trivial commandments—
    Entertainments—Islam includes rather than controls the
    life—Two purposes better than one—Ceremonial uncleanness     115-135

                                CHAPTER V

    Character of the Yezdi—Systematised inconsistency—Loyalty
    to causes and individuals—Unreliability of
    evidence—Shame—Humour—Disregard of time—Language—Lack
    of initiative—Courage—The Yezdi soldier—Etiquette
    and manners—Triviality—Pride—Kindliness and
    cruelty—Dishonesty—Difficulty in obtaining anything—Tendency
    to fatalism—Latent strength of Persian character—Family
    ties—The _jus paternum_—Religious liberty—Open-handedness—
    Summary                                                      136-187

                               CHAPTER VI

    Difficulties in dealing with enquirers—Language—Argument—
    Parabolic interpretations—Distrust of evidence—Ignorance—
    Attachment to Islam as representing whole scheme of
    life—The problem of converts—Industrial missions—Employment
    by missionaries—Helpful points—Readiness for religious
    discussion—Quickness in grasping single points—Yezdi
    wants distinctive and systematic teaching—And a concrete
    example—Difficulties in accepting converts—Tests             188-216

                               CHAPTER VII

    Getting into touch with the natives—The missionary’s style of
    life—Visiting and receiving visitors—Philanthropic work—Poor
    relief—School work—Medical work                              217-255

    CONCLUSION                                                       256

    GLOSSARY                                                         265





LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS


    YEZDI TYPES                                            _Frontispiece_

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Five Years in a Persian Town

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