[115] Heir-Apparent of Persia; Azerbaijan is his hereditary province.
[116] This was the Rev. Benjamin Labaree, of the American Presbyterian Mission, Urmi, who was murdered by the Seyyid Nur-ed-din, on account of some personal grudge that he had (or fancied he had) against another member of that mission. The Seyyid was little better than a madman; though, of course, not the less of a holy man or of a dangerous scoundrel on that account. It appears (though there is not absolute certainty in the matter) that Mr. Labaree was offered life if he would renounce Christianity by repeating “the kalima,” and died as a martyr on his refusal.
[117] Even Bibles used to reach their destination with the word Armenia neatly obliterated; but we feel there was some excuse for the censor who confiscated a batch of hymn books on the ground that “Onward Christian Soldiers” was a sort of Armenian Marseillaise!
[118] i.e. Governor. The rank is intermediate between kaimakam and vali.
[119] “I’ll tell you what it is,” cried an irritated British Consul to an Armenian petitioner, “if ever we did undertake the administration of your country, you fellows would have to pay your taxes.” “What!” exclaimed that gentleman in dismay, “every year?”
[120] The criminals who were not sentenced must have been far more numerous. The Vali must have felt like the old Lord of Perugia, who had to grant a general amnesty lest he should depopulate the town!
[121] The word “Fedai” is Persian, and comes from a root that means sacrifice, and implies “one who sacrifices himself for a cause.” Thus a volunteer in a forlorn hope would be a Fedai; and the term was originally applied to the devoted Assassins of the “Old Man of the Mountain” in crusading days. Ottomans usually called the revolutionaries simply “brigands.” A third society, the Huntchak, was worked on the same lines as the Tashnak, and was incorporated with it later.
[122] Tashnak means a banner.
[123] Some were found in the writer’s own residence; a Tashnakist having taken service with him for the express purpose of securing a good cache! The soldiers were hugely delighted with their haul, and gave us some packets of dynamite as mementoes!
[124] Otherwise “Bashi-bazouks.” This word of formidable memory means merely “rotten-heads,” and is barrack slang for a civilian mob.