Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1876 — The Turkish Softas. [ARTICLE]

The Turkish Softas.

It is fair to compare the Turkish Softas to the students of a complete American university, such as Ann Arbor, Yale, Harvard, or, still better, to those of a German university in a smalltown, say Heidel berg or Jena. They are the theological, legal and literary students of, the Turkish metrofiolis, connected with some well-en-dowed Mosque, for instance that of Mehmed, Achmed or St. Sophia, and are to Turkey what “ Young America” is to us. Bchig connected with the established law arid theology, they enjoy some ]>opularity and are usually the leaders of popular* movements and upheavals in Constantinople. Some mosques have as many as 500- Softas, and the city of Constantinople contains thousands of them. Tlie word Softa is derived from the Persian, and •Yn&ans burned, Ixjcause tlie bearers of this •appellation are supposed to have a*burning desire for knowledge, wisdom and holiness. Tlie Softas then have no constitutional share in tlie Turkish vGpvqpjinent, but, by their accurate information,' influence anil daring, can carry a measure which it would be difficult to enaqt in the ordinary manner. They compelled the late Sill tan, a few days ago, by person sir threats to dismiss his principal officials, the Grand Vizier and the Moofti or Spike-ul-Islam, the heads of the Administration and the Islam, and demanded that lie should give up at least 25.000,000 of the hundreds he had appropriated. They are now supporting tlie new Vizier, Midhat Pasha, who has been mainly instrumental in deposing Abdul-Aziz. Ordinarify the Softas are fanatic Turks, but in the last revolution their steps . b«ve been at the same time radical, successful and wholesome. The Softas illustrate the political axiom that a despot is more dependent the opinions Of the common people than is a oonstitutional Kinger a republican President, Jourpgl. /it ,j