Observations on the Mussulmauns of India Part 2

[2] _Sayyid_, 'lord', 'chief, the cla.s.s of Musalmans who claim descent from Fatimah, daughter of the Prophet, and 'Ali, his cousin-german and adopted son; they are divided into two branches descended from Hasan and Husain, sons of 'Ali and Fatimah.

[3] _Mir_, a contraction of _Amir_, 'lord'.

[4] _Koran, Qur'an_.

[5] 'They who swallow down usury shall arise in the resurrection only as he ariseth whom Satan hath infected by his touch' (_Koran_, ii.

276). But this is rather theory than practice, and many ingenious methods are adopted to avoid the prohibition.

[6] _Begam_, feminine of _Beg_, 'lord', used to denote a Sayyid lady, like Khanam among Pathans.

[7] Here, as elsewhere, _zenanah, zananah_, Persian _zan_, 'woman'.

[8] This is incorrect. The Koran has been translated into various languages, but the translation is always interlineary with the original text. In Central Asia the Musalman conquerors allowed the Koran to be recited in Persian, instead of Arabic, in order that it might be intelligible to all (Arnold, _The Preaching of Islam_, 183).

[9] _Jali_.

[10] _Kurti_, a loose, long-sleeved jacket of muslin or net, among rich women embroidered on the neck and shoulders with gold, and draped down to the ankles in full, loose folds. It is made of red or other light-coloured fabrics for girls and married women; dark blue, bronze, or white for old ladies; bronze or black for widows.

[11] _Khan_, 'lord', 'prince', specially applied to persons of Mughal or Pathan descent.

[12] _Bahadur_, 'champion', a Mongol term; see Yule, _Hobson-Jobson_[2], 48 ff.

[13] _Nawab_, 'a deputy, delegate': the Anglo-Indian Nabob (ibid., 610 ff.).

[14] _Muharram_, 'that which is forbidden', the first month of the Musalman year, the first ten days of which are occupied with this mourning festival.

[15] By his wife Ja'dah, who was suborned to commit the deed by Yazid.

[16] Yazid, son of Mu'awiyah, the second Caliph of the house of Umaiyah, who reigned from A.D. 679 to 683. Gibbon (_Decline and Fall_, ed. W. Smith, vi. 278) calls him 'a feeble and dissolute youth'.

[17] Kerbala, Karbala, a city of Iraq, 50 miles south-west of Baghdad, and about 6 miles from the Euphrates.

[18] Syria.

[19] _Sunni_, Ahlu's-Sunnah, 'one of the Path', a traditionalist. The Sunnis accept the first four Caliphs, Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Usman, 'Ali, as the rightful successors of Muhammad, and follow the six authentic books of the traditions. The s.h.i.+'ahs, 'followers' of 'Ali, maintain that he was the first legitimate Imam or Caliph, i.e. successor of the Prophet. For a full account of the martyrdom of Husain see Simon Ockley, _History of the Saracens_ (1848), 287 ff.; Sir L. Pelly, _The Miracle Play of Hasan and Husain_ (1879), Preface, v ff.

[20] _Imam._

[21] Muslim.

[22] _Qazi_, a Muhammadan law officer.

[23] _Karwan_, a caravan.

[24] al-Hurr.

[25] This term is obscure. Jaffur Shurreef (_Qanoon-e-Islam_, 107) says the plain of the martyrdom was called 'Mareea'. For 'Hurth' Prof. E.G.

Browne suggests _hirth_, 'a ploughed field', or _ard_, 'land'. Sir C.

Lyall suggests Al-hirah, the old Arabian capital which stood near the site of the later Kufah.

[26] Qasim.

[27] Sakinah, Hebrew Shechinah; Koobraah, _Kibriya_, 'n.o.ble'.

[28] The Euphrates is called in Sumerian _pura-num_, 'Great water', whence Purat, Purattu in Semitic Babylonian; Perath in Hebrew; Frat or Furat in Arabic.

[29] 'Abbas, son of 'Ali.

[30] _Mashk_, _Mashak_, the Anglo-Indian Mussuck, a leathern skin for conveying water, in general use amongst Musalmans at this day in India; it is composed of the entire skin of a goat, properly prepared.

When filled with water it resembles a huge porpoise, on the back of the beeshtie [Bhishti] (water-carrier). [_Author._]

[31] _Kora_, the fresh juice of _Aloe vera_, said to be cathartic and cooling.

[32] _Sirki_ (_Saccharum ciliare_).

[33] _Sabil_: see Burton, _Pilgrimage_, Memorial ed., i. 286.

[34] s.h.i.+mar, whose name now means 'contemptible' among s.h.i.+'ahs.

[35] This statement is too wide. 'Among Muhammadans themselves there is very little religious discussion, and Sunnis and s.h.i.+'ahs, who are at such deadly feud in many parts of Asia, including the Punjab and Kashmir, have, in Oudh, always freely intermarried' (H.C. Irwin, _The Garden of India_, 45).

[36] Kufah, four miles from Najaf, the capital of the Caliph 'Ali, which fell into decay when the government was removed to Baghdad.

[37] Confused with Al-judi, Mt. Ararat, on which the Ark rested.--_Koran_, xi. 46.

[38] Najaf al Sharif, or Mashhad 'Ali, 50 miles south of Karbala, the tomb and shrine of 'Ali.

[39] _Ziyarat_, 'visitation', especially to the tomb of the Prophet or that of a Muhammadan saint. The pilgrim says, not 'I have visited the Prophet's tomb', but 'I have visited the Prophet'. (Burton, _Pilgrimage_, i. 305.)

[40] The grave is said to be nine yards long: according to others, much longer. See the flippant remark of Burton, ibid., ii. 273 ff.

[41] Mir Haji Shah.

[42] _Hajj_, 'setting out'.

LETTER II

Celebration of Mahurrum.--The Tazia.--Mussulmaun Cemeteries.--An Emaum-baarah.--Piety of the ladies.--Self-inflicted abstinence and privations endured by each s.e.x.--Instances of the devotional zeal of the Mussulmauns.--Attempted infringement on their religious formalities.--The Resident at Lucknow.--Enthusiastic ardour of the poor.--Manner of celebrating the Mahurrum in opposition to the precepts of the Khoraun.--Mosque and Emaum-baarah contrasted.--The supposition of Mussulmauns practising idolatry confuted.

My former Letter prepares you for the celebration of Mahurrum, the observance of which is at this time going forward here (at Lucknow) with all that zealous emulative spirit and enthusiasm which I have before remarked the Mussulmaun population of India entertain for their Emaums (leaders), and their religion.

This annual solemn display of the regret and veneration they consider due to the memory of departed excellence, commences on the first day of the Moon (Mahurrum). The Mussulmaun year has twelve moons; every third year one moon is added, which regulation, I fancy, renders their years, in a chronological point of view, very nearly equal with those of Europe. Their day commences and ends when the stars are first visible after sunset.

The first day of Mahurrum invariably brings to my recollection the strongly impressed ideas of 'The Deserted Village'. The profound quiet and solemn stillness of an extensively populated native city, contrasted with the incessant bustle usual at all other times, are too striking to Europeans to pa.s.s by unheeded. This cessation of the animated scene, however, is not of long duration; the second day presents to the view vast mult.i.tudes of people parading backwards and forwards, on horseback, in palkies, and on foot, through the broad streets and roadways, arrayed in their several mourning garbs, speeding their way to the Emaum-baarahs[1]

of the great men, and the houses of friends, to pay the visit of respect (zeearut), wherever a Tazia is set up to the remembrance of Hasan and Hosein.