uoJtmiJtFvjoHunnji!! THE NEARERAND FARTHER, BAST I OUTLINE STUDIES OF MOSLEM LAEDS SIAM BURMA AND KORB.A S AMUE I^- M: . Z WEME R. /\.:RTHXJBL, a, BR-OWN nitwtwwawipmiiiu i iiiK)i:<»iwii»»«ww ^ ./S^,o^. PRINCETON, N. « J. 'k Purchased by the Harnili Missionary Fund. BV 3150 THE NEARER AND FARTHER EAST THE MACMILLAN COMPANY NEW YORK • BOSTON • CHICAGO ATLANTA • SAN FRANCISCO MACMILLAN & CO., Limited LONDON • BOMBAY • CALCUTTA MELBOURNE THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd. TORONTO Copyright^ 1907, by Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions. Miap sh-o-wing tlie PRESENT EXTENT OF ISLAM Witb lueallon of principal Hlsslou Statious to reaeli Moslems Moslem Population or Influenoe. Pagan Tribes , Direction of Moslem Advance, s • >- Principal Mission Stations Bombay P. 156 THE NEARER AND FARTHER EAST OUTLINE STUDIES OF MOSLEM LANDS AND OF SIAM, BUEMA, AND KOEEA BY SAMUEL M. ZWEMER, F.E.G.S. AXD ARTHUR JUDSON BEOWN, D.D. NebJ gotk THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1908 AU rights reserved COPTEIGHT, 1908, By the MACMILLAN COMPANY. Set up and electjrotyped. Published April, 1908. PUBLISHED^R THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE ON THE UNITED STUDY OF MISSIONS. NorfajooO ^Pv£gs J. S. Gushing Co. — Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. y FOREWORD This, theyeffghth text-book issued by the Central Commit- tee on th^^nited Study of Missions, while it begins a new series, is closely allied with the seven volumes previously published under Latin titles. These are now issued in library " edition with English titles, as follows : The Beginnings of Missions," Louise Manning Hodgkins ; "India," Caroline Atwater Mason; "China," Arthur H. Smith; "Japan," William Elliott Griffis ; "Africa," Ellen C. Parsons ; "The Island World of the Pacific," Helen Barrett Montgomery; "Missions and Social Progress," Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay. Our present volume, " The Nearer and Farther East," consists of two parts, — "Moslem Lands," by Rev. Samuel M. Zwemer, D.D., and " Siam, Burma, and Korea," by Rev. Arthur Judson Brown, D.D. Dr. Zwemer presents the terrible need and marvellous opportunity of the vast almost untouched Mohammedan fields, while Dr. Brown paints a picture of progressive mis- sionary effort in comparatively small but important countries. The study offers greater variety than those heretofore presented, while maps, charts, pictures, and library issued by the Central Committee will afford much illustrative material. Dr. Zwemer has edited the book and furnished valuable assistance on maps and charts. Mrs. henry W. PEABODY, Beverly, Mass. Miss E. HARRIET STANWOOD, Congregational House, Boston. Mrs. DECATUR M. SAWYER, Montclair, K.J. Mrs. CHARLES N. THORPE, WHhersj)oon Btiilding, Philadelphia, Pa. Miss ELIZABETH C. NORTHUP, Walt/unv, Jfass, Mrs. a. V. POHLMAN, 51U3 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Miss OLIVIA H. LAWRENCE, 35 East S2d Street, Neio York City. Miss GRACE T. COLBURN, Secretary and Treasurer, Newton Centre, Mass. V OUTLINE STUDIES Moslem Lands Siam, Biirmah, and Korea VI CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAGE Islam : its Character and its Conquests . 1 The scene around the Kaaba — Many races and many languages — A world-wide religion — The extent of Islam from Sierre Leone to Canton — Present numbers and distribution — The situation in Africa and its peril — The strength of Islam in Asia — In India — The Philippines — Russia — Languages spoken by Moslems — Bible translations — The govern- ments under w^hich Moslems live — The signifi- cance of this fact — Turkish misrule — British rule in India — How Islam became a world re- ligion — Causes — Mohammed's great commis- sion — Moslem conquest — No caste — What Moslems believe — The man and the book — The Moslem idea of God — The spirit world — Jinn — The Books of God — The Koran — Verses — Its defects — The prophets major and minor — Jesus Christ — Denial of Atonement — Mohammed — The day of judgment — Heaven and hell — Predestination — Every -day religion — The confession of the creed — Prayer — The Moslem Lent —Legal alms — The pilgrimage — A Mohammedan funeral — Without Christ and without hope. CHAPTER II The Social Evils of Islam .... 37 Why missions to Moslems — Mrs. Bishop's testimony — Low ideals of conduct and char- acter — Moslem ethics — Untruthfulness — Vlll CONTENTS PAGE When a lie is justifiable — Livingstone's testi- mony — Lying a fine art — Immorality — The seclusion and degradation of women — Poly- gamy and divorce — Women regarded as a chattel — Laws of divorce — Slavery — The slave market — Cruelty and intolerance — Igno- rance and illiteracy — Paucity of literature — General ignorance — Superstition and quackery — Charms and amulets — Tree worship — The Gospel the only remedy. CHAPTER III The Story of Missions to Moslems . 71 The centuries of neglect — Lull's complaint — Hemy Martyn — Dr. Jessup's classic — Islam passed by — Typical pioneers and typical fields — Need of brevity in treatment — Occupied lands — Three great pioneers — Raymund Lull — His birth and early life — Call — Service — Martyrdom — Henry Martyn — His character and call — Voyages — Controversy — Death — Pfander — A master of languages — At Ker- manshah — Expelled from Russia — His method and success — The Gospel in North Africa — Marks of early Christianity — The North Africa Mission — Morocco — Algeria — Tunis — Tri- poli — Converts in these lands — Egypt and the Christian Crusade — The Church Missionary Society — The Nile press — The Cairo Confer- ence — The Turkish Empire — Moslems neg- lected — But much accomplished — The Arabic Bible — Present status — Arabia — Long neg- lected — Keith Falconer and the Scotch Mission — The Danish Church — Bishop French — The American Arabian Mission — Peter J. Zwemer — Other martyrs — Missions in Persia — Early efforts — Growth of the C. M. S. Mission — The American Presbyterian Mission — Work CONTENTS ix PAGE for Moslems in India — Results — Converts Gospel triumphs in the Dutch East Indies — Sumatra and Java — Hester Needham — Saint and martyr — Converts in Sumatra — Java. CHAPTER IV The Work that Remains to be Done . 113 The nnoccupied fields — Where work has be- gun — Where it has not yet been attempted — Darkest Africa — The Sudan — Its call to-day — The Moslem peril — Islam or Christ — Pastor Wurz's testimony — Uganda — Moslem women in the Central Sudan and their condition — Immorality — Darkest Asia — Neglected oppor- tunities — Kafiristan — Afghanistan and Balu- chistan — Neglected Arabia — Russia and Bokhara — A pen-picture — Victory is certain — Mohammedans in China — Long neglected — Early entrance — Present numbers — Tur- kestan — The land and the people — A mar- riage ceremony — Difficulties of work for Moslems — Divorce between morality and re- ligion — Intolerance — Persecution — Objec- tions to Christian teaching — The temporal power — No free press — Encouragements — Change in the Moslem mind — Thirst for a Mediator — Many opportunities — A trumpet- call from Algiers — A challenge to faith — Fling out the banner. CHAPTER V SiAM 157 Siam — Boundaries — Area — Climate — Physical Geography — Flora — Products — Ex- ports and imports — Races — Population — The people of Laos — Chinese the strongest ele- X CONTENTS PAGE ment in Siam — Characteristics of the Siamese — Remarkable progress — Police — Schools — Railroads — Desire for education — Government — Unstable foundation of society — Intemper- ance — Gambling — Bangkok, the capital — Lack of sanitation — Population — Roads and canals — Commerce — The white elephants — Ayuthia — Important cities and towns — His- tory and government — Boasted antiquity — Early wars — Enlightened policy of present king — His commissioners — Constitutional features of government — Protestant missions — Period of beginnings — First missionaries — The Congregational Mission — Early discour- agements — Lack of apparent success — With- drawal of mission to China — American Baptist Missionary Union — Converts — Disasters — Closing of mission — Permanent results — Pres- byterian Missions — Difficulties — End of oppo- sition — Progress — Proclamation of religious liberty — Stations — Scope of the work — Be- ginnings in Laos — Persecution — Religious liberty — Present status — Work at Chieng Mai and Lakawn — Results of missionary effort — Social reforms — Favorable testimony — Indif- ferent attitude toward religion a great obstacle — Encouragements — Religious expectation — Great opportunity. CHAPTER VI Burma 209 Area — Position — Physical features — Cli- mate — Flora — Population — Characteristics of the race — No caste — Dress — Comparative freedom of women — Vices — The Karens — Their traditions — Ready acceptance of the Gospel — The Talaings, or Mons — The Shans — The Kachins and Chins — Demon -worship- pers — Chinese — East Indians — Rangoon — CONTENTS xi PAGE Commercial importance — Other cities — Gov- ernment — Wars — British rule — Keligions — Buddhism — Missionary Societies — China In- land Mission — Missionary Society of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church — Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society — Society for the Propaga- tion of the Gospel — Their work among the Karens — Results — American Baptist Mission- ary Union — Persecution — Heroism of mis- sionaries — Success of work among the Karens — Difficulties of Buddhism — Work among Te- lains, Shans, and Kachins — Converts among the Chins — Medical missionaries — Educa- tional work — Efficient service of women mis- sionaries — Hopefulness of the field. CHAPTER VII Korea 257 Korea — Physical features — Soil and scenery • — Population — Important cities — Language — Characteristics of the people — Position