Sketches of Central Asia (1868): Additional chapters on my travels, adventures, and on the ethnology of Central AsiaVámbéry, Ármin
History
Sketches of Central Asia (1868): Additional chapters on my travels, adventures, and on the ethnology of Central Asia
Vámbéry, Ármin
Asia, Central -- Description and travel
As concerns intellectual capacity, I have found that the Turk is
everywhere far inferior to other Asiatic nations, namely, the
Iranian and Semitic; and that, through narrowness of mind, he loses
those prerogatives which his superiority in other respects would
acquire for him. This weakness is denoted by the word Türklük
(Turkdom), of which Kabalik (coarseness), and Yogunluk (thickness),
are synonyms. By Türklük, one understands also rudeness and
roughness in manners; and if here and there this defect is palliated
by the appellation, Sadelik (simplicity), still, for the most part,
they are subjoined to the Turkish name as insulting epithets. As
the Osmanli is over-reached by the Armenian, Greek, and Arab; so is
the Œzbeg baffled by the subtle and yielding Tadjik, and the no
less crafty and avaricious Hindoo. Whether this is to be ascribed
to a national defect or to an extreme nonchalance, it were hard to
determine; still, it is highly remarkable that the Turk in the far
east, as well as in the immediate vicinity of the civilised western
country, shuns meditation, and that nowhere are his attempts at wit
particularly brilliant. This disadvantage is partially the reason
that among the Turks more honesty, frankness and confidence, is to
be met with than among the remaining nations of Asia.
Türklük, by which strangers understand the above-named fault,
is often used by the Turks themselves as a mark of plainness,
simplicity, and uprightness. The lights and shades of Türklük have
been at all times observable and discoursed on, whenever parallels
are drawn between the character of the Turks and of other nations,
especially the Persians. People praise the acuteness, the refined
manners of the latter; but still, he who wants to find a faithful
servant, an attached soldier, or an upright man, will always give
the preference to the Turks. Therefore, we find in earliest times
that foreign princes liked to use Turkish troops; they call them
into their country, and invest their officers with the highest
dignities; and as bravery, perseverance, and love of governing, is
more innate in them than in any other Asiatic people, it is very
easy to explain how they rise from simple mercenaries to governors;
and how they subjugated Iranian and Semitic peoples, from their
home up to the Adriatic, many of whom are still ruled by them. In
my opinion, it is not only superiority of physical powers which has
sustained the Turkish dynasties upon foreign thrones, and still
does so: this is also greatly ascribable to their superiority of
character. They are unpolished, and by nature wild, uncultivated,
but seldom cruel out of malice. They enrich themselves at the
cost of their subjects, but again divide generously the collected
treasures. They are severe towards their subordinates, but seldom
forget the duties that they have to fulfil towards the latter, as
patriarchal heads. In a word, in all deeds and works of the Turks
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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