ry of the world. In the days of her early greatness she
was a veritable queen among nations, unrivaled in civilization, in power
and in splendor. She gave to the world great kings and statesmen, prophets
and poets, philosophers and artists. Zoroaster, Cyrus and Darius, Hafiz
and Firdawsi, Sa'di and 'Umar _Kh_ayyam are but a few of her many famous
sons. Her craftsmen were unsurpassed in skill; her carpets were matchless,
her steel blades unequaled, her pottery world famous. In all parts of the
Near and Middle East she has left traces of her former greatness.

Yet, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries she had sunk to a
condition of deplorable degradation. Her ancient glory seemed
irretrievably lost. Her government was corrupt and in desperate financial
straits; some of her rulers were feeble, and other monsters of cruelty.
Her priests were bigoted and intolerant, her people ignorant and
superstitious. Most of them belonged to the _Sh_i'ih sect,(4) of
Muhammadans, but there were also considerable numbers of Zoroastrians,
Jews and Christians, of diverse and antagonistic sects. All professed to
follow sublime teachers who exhorted them to worship the one God and to
live in love and unity, yet they shunned, detested and despised each
other, each sect regarding the others as unclean, as dogs or heathens.
Cursing and execration were indulged in to a fearful extent. It was
dangerous for a Jew or a Zoroastrian to walk in the street on a rainy day,
for if his wet garment should touch a Muhammadan, the Muslim was defiled,
and the other might have to atone for the offense with his life. If a
Muhammadan took money from a Jew, Zoroastrian or Christian he had to wash
it before he could put it in his pocket. If a Jew found his child giving a
glass of water to a poor Muhammadan beggar he would dash the glass from
the child's hand, for curses rather than kindness should be the portion of
infidels! The Muslims themselves were divided into numerous sects, among
whom strife was often bitter and fierce. The Zoroastrians did not join
much in these mutual recriminations, but lived in communities apart,
refusing to associate with their fellow countrymen of other faiths.

Social as well as religious affairs were in a state of hopeless decadence.
Education was neglected. Western science and art were looked upon as
unclean and contrary to religion. Justice was travestied. Pillage and
robbery were of common occurrence. Roads were bad and unsafe