EAST.
Blashrik, . . . ARAB. Dakshina, . .
Est, Orient, . . . FR. Orient° , Sr Osten, Morgenland, GER. Gbyt121-dOglwrUagU, TERK. II-Levante,. . . .
By the Hindu, who worships the sun, the car dinal points are named with reference to the east: Aspara, the front, or the east, to which he turns in his daily morning worship ; Apara, behind, or the west ; Varna, the left hand, or the north ; and Dakshina, the right hand, or the south. By the Mahomedan, who turns his face to the west, towards Mecca, these terms are exactly reversed, and Daehin, which still means the right hand in Kashmiri, is now used to denote the north.
The east, the Morgenland of the Germans, has been the theme of innumerable writers, on its people and on their customs. Burder in his Oriental Customs, Ward in his llindoos, Hardy in his Eastern Monachisui, Roberts in his Oriental Illustrations of the Scriptures, Bunsen's Egypt, his God in History, Max Muller's Sacred Books of the East, and tho Hebrew Scriptures, have given to the western nations a vast amount of informa tion. The mces occupying the south and east of Asia are of Turanian and Mongol origin, Semitic, Aryan, and African, all various in per sonal appeartuice, habits, and customs.
Tho Shemite, says Layard, whether Ilebrew, Arab, or Syrian, has a brilliant imagination, ready conception, a repugnance to any restraint that may affect the liberty of his person or of his intellect, He conceives naturally beautiful forms, whether they be embodied in his worth or in his works; his poetry is distinguished by them,and they are shown even in the shape of his domestic utensils. This race possesses in the highest degree what we call imagination. The Shemite, says Lapin', shows a ready eloquence ; his words aro glowing and apposite ; his descriptions true, yet brilliant ; his sinules just, yet most ftuiciful. These high qualitimi seem to be innate in him. The best character of the Bedouin, says Burton (Pilgrim age, p. 44), is a gentleness and generosity. The three great monotheistic systems which have divided the civilised world, ORME forth from nations of Shemite origin; among them arose the priests or prophets of all those nations who hold to the unity of God. In the south and east of Asia are representatives of dime three great religions, Jews, Christians, and Mahonsedans. The Aryans of Southern Asia aro in two distinct branches, viz. the East Aryans, a designation
given to the bmhinanic Indians who moved into India, to distinguish them from the West Aryans or Persians, who migrated into the northern country of the Zend.
The Parsec follow the fire-worship which seems to have been a corruption of doctrines taught by Zoroaster. The East Aryan races in India pursue a worship of nature, of spirits, and of demons ; have adopted physiological doctrines as revela tions, are worshipping deified mortals and heroes, and are believing in many incarnations of two deities called Siva and of Vishnu. They are spread all over India, and have imparted to its prior occupants a considerable acquaintance with theirreligious books. These prior peoples constitute the bulk of the inhabitants of British India, and have merely added on to their own nature, and spirit, and devil-worships some of the legends and philosophical views of the East Aryan Hindu ; and amongst them and the professors of Hinduism are a multitude of sects worshipping Siva, or Vishnu, or Bmhma, or all of these, or their incar nations, or deified heroes, or a mere vikrahamu or idol of stone, or wood, or brass, with or without a form.
Another body of religionists, the Sikh, consider able from their activity and their late political power, converts from the Jit or Gete races in the Panjab, have adopted doctrines partly obtained from the monotheistic Mahomedans, and partly from the Aryan Hindu ; but though their faith is only about 200 years in existence, they too have broken up into several sects.
The Mongolian, whether Scythian, Turk, or Tartar, is without iniagination or strong reasoning powers, but is intrepid in danger, steady in pur pose, overcoming all opposition, despising his fellows, a great conqueror. Such has been his character as long as history has recorded his name ; he appears to have been made to command and to oppress. We find him in the infancy of the human race, as well as at later periods, descending from his far-distant mountains, emerging from the great deserts in Central Asia, and overrunning the most wealthy, the most mighty, and the most civilised of nations. He exercises power as his peculiar privilege- and right.—Layard, Nineveh, ii. pp. 239 to 244 ; Burton's Mecca, iii. p. 44.