The majority of the inhabitants are fanatical Sunnite IMohammedans, who hate the Shiites even more than they do the Christians. But the number of Armenian, Jacobite, and Nestorian Christians is also considerable. The Armenians chiefly live in the northern part of the country. One section of the Jacobites has its centre near Mardin, under a patriarch, who resides in the con- vent of Safarani. AVcstern Kurdistan is the seat of the Nestorians. See Nestorians. The Kurds show Uttle disposition to embrace Christianity. Among the Arme- nians and Nestorians the missionaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign IMissions have met with a great success. The mission at Harput for the Armenians commenced in 1853. In 1859 a theological seminary was established for the training of men for the pastoral oflice, and in 18G1 a female seminary for the training of their wives. In 1870 seventy out-stations were connected with the Church of Harput, ten with that of Bitlis, and twelve with that of Mardin. The number of members connected with Bitlis and the out- stations was 84 ; of Harput and out-stations, 602 ; of Mardin and its out-stations, 245; and the total number of registered Protestants in these stations and out-sta-
KURIA
1V3
lOJRTZ
tions Tvas upwards of GOOO. At Mardin the buildings for a theological school and other purposes are completed. The flourishing ijiissions among the Nestorians, embra- cing more than sixty congregations, are chiefly in Per- sia, and are now under the charge of the Mission Board of the Presbyterian Church of the United States. Of the Jacobites and Nestorians a considerable portion have recognised the supremacy of the pope. The former are called the United Syrians, the latter the Chakteans. The United SjTians have a patriarch in Diarbekir, and the Chaldeans a jiatriarch at El-Kush, near Mosul, in the convent of St. Ilormisdas. The sect of the Yezides, or Shemsieh, who are dcscentled from the Parsees, though they follow at the same time some jMohammedan and Christian practices adopted from their neighbors, are fire-worshippers, live south of Mardin. See Shiel, Notes on. a Journeii from Tahris to KoorcUstan (1836), in the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society (London, vol. viii) ; Rich, Nan-ative of a Journey through Koordistan (London, 1836, 2 vols.) ; Wagner, Reise nach Persien mid dem Lande d. Kurden (Lpz. 1852, 2 vols.) ; Somdreczkh, Reise nach Persien und durch Kurdistan nach Urumiah (Stuttgard, 1857, 4 vols.) ; Layard, Nineveh, etc., with an Account of a Visit to the Chaldean Christians of Koor- distan, etc. (London, 1850) ; Grundemann, Missionsatlas, Asien, p. 39 ; Badger, The Nestorians and their Ritucds, with Narrative of a Mission to Mesopotamia and Coor- distan (London, 185J:, 2 vols. 8vo). (A. J, S.)
Kuria or Kyria. See Electa.
Ktirma (called also Kurmaratdra, i. e. the "avatar of the tortoise"') is the name by which the second incar- nation of Vishnu is designated. It is related in Hindu mythology that Kurma took the form of a tortoise so as to furnish a support to Mount Jlandara while the gods and Asiirs chiu-ned the ocean. The mountain being the chum-stick, the great serpent Scsha was made use of for the string. It may be proper to observe that in lit dia churning is usually performed by causing a body termed the churn-stick to revolve rapidly in the cream or milk by means of a string, in the same manner as a driU is made to revolve. In some of the Hindu pic- tures of the churning of the ocean the gods are repre- sented as standing on one side of jNIount ^Jlandara and the Asurs on the other, both grasping in their hands the serpent Sesha, which is wound round the mountain. This rests upon the back of the tortoise (Vishnu). At the same time, the preserving deity, in consequence of his ubiquitous character, is seen standing among the gods and grasping Seslia, and also as dancing on the top of ilandara (see Plate 49 in Moor's Hindu Pantheon^. Tlie churning of the ocean is one of the most famous and popidar fables related in the mythology of the Hin- dus. It resulted in the production of the fourteen gems, as they are called, namely, 1. Chandra (the moon) , 2. Lakshini, the incomparable consort of Vishnu; 3. Sura- devi,or the goddess of wine; 4. Uchisrava, a wonder- ful eight-headed horse; 5. Kustubha, a jewel of inesti- mable value; 6. Parijiita, a tree that yielded whatever one might desire ; 7. Surabhi or Kamadhenu, a cow sim- ilarly bountiful ; 8. Dhanwantara, a wondrous physician ; 9. Iravata or Ira vat, the elephant of India; 10. Shank, a shell which conferred victory on whosoever sounded it ; 11. Dauusha, an unerring bow; 12. Vish, a remarkable drug or poison ; 13. Kembha (or Rambha), an Apsara possessed of surpassing charms; 14. Amrita, or Amrit, the beverage of immortality. See j\Ioor, Hindu Pan- theon ; Chambers, Cyclopwdia, ix, 814.
Kurschner, Conrad. See Pellican.
Kurtz, Benjamin, D.D., LL.D, a prominent min- ister of the Lutheran Church, was born at Harrisburg, Penn., Feb. 28, 1795. He was a lineal descendant of one of tlie Halle patriarchs, the grandson of Rev. John Nich- olas Kurtz, who came to this country in 1745 as an as- sociate of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg. When quite young Benjamin exhibited remarkable fitness for study, and great quickness in the acquisition of knowledge.