Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-11-14
The MOhurriin.


ssmere mentien" thereof, the reader is lef
; in darkness. Probably it has not como
: within the reading of one per cent. of those
who peruse she daily papers to learn any.
i thing of this festival, towards which such
| attention has been drawn. We doubt not,
therefore, that some account of it will prove
interesting.
The stfestival'' of the Mohurrim is fast
which is observed by large majority of the
AIehommedan population of India in COM
memoration of the death of Hassan and Ho-
sein, two early leaders of the faithful and
$ near relatives to the Prophet himself
, Some Of the Mohammedans, called the
Soonies, and living chiefly west of the Eu-
pirates, do not believe in Hassan and IIo-
sein while the others eastward, called
Sheahes, regard the deaths of the Prophets
relatives as barbarous murders, emitting
them to that reverence which is paid to mar
tyrs Not seldom is the Mohurrm month
signalized by bloodshed, caused by the ran
corous rivalries of these two branches of the
followers OF Mohamcd.
The occasion brings together immense
4nultitudes of people. Everything is calcu-
lated to attract attention. The fast is cele-
brated for ten days; bat it is sometimes
kept for much longer period. ct is re
corded of Nussir J-Deen, King of Dude,
tfa.iho kept it forty days, having taken a
VOW in early life, that if he ever came to
the throne he would SO deHeto himself tie
the glory Of the faithful in fall thankfelness
for their care of him. Although much Civ
en- to pleasure and the cultivation of Euro
pean manners, Nussir kept his vow; living
during the Mohurrim entirely with his male
Misunderstanding wine, wassail, and So
elal dinner-parties, pigeon-fghting, and
other merry pastimes to which he was pas
sionately addicted The author of the Pri-
rate Life of an Eastern King kept the Mo-
hurrim while in the service of Nussir u
Deen at Lucknow, and gives very pictur-
esque account Of the ma 1ri3iccnt humiliation
ard gorgeous sorrow characteristic Of the
time and Indian life,
AS the Mohurrim commences, the Mo-
hammedan population is, as it were, snatch
ed from all earthly interest. The streets
ing which we know pervsdes the interior of
every horse. Tie next day the houses
yield up their mourners, and the streets are
crowded with people in the mantle of afllic-
ton, paradiug in funeral order to the vari-
Gus tombs, representations of the Mausole-
UNI at Kerbela or Meshed, on the banks oil
the Euphratcs, in which Hassan and Hose
in are buried. These tombs are set up-in
the emanbarra of a CHEF or in the house of
some wealthy Messulman-srainstt the wall
facing Mecca. under canopy, which, in
the royal emanbarra, was made of green
velvet with gold embroidery Opposite to
the tomb is pulpit or rostrum, on which
the officiating priest stands his back to the
tomb and his face "evermore towards Nee
caa-that tomb of tombs. The scene, with
its iustrous chandeliers, sparkling embroi-
derry, glittcring bullion-finges, ornamen-
ted banners, aad turbaned and bearded fig
ures, wrapped in mysterious humiliation and
expressive grief, calls up to the imagination
the scenic wonders of the Arabian Night $
Entertainments. During the whole period
of the Mohurrim green and red wax-lights
are kept burning, aud morning and evening
mourning assemblies are held.
1t is night the lights arc fariug upon
the broad turbans the glittcring interior of
the cmanbarra, says the chronicler of the
Court of Lucknow, with chandeliers and
wax tapers, its gliding and its banners, its
fringes and its embce;deries, is u blaze of
light The preacher is reciting an account
of the death of the two chiefs, his keen
black eyes glowing with animation as he
proceeds his audience, at first so solemn
and so quietly sad. being gradually wound up
to passionate bursts of grief. The orator
groans aloud as lie rccapitulates the dsas-
trous story his audience is deeply moved.
Tears trickle from the eyes of more than
one bearded face, sobs and groans issue
from the others. At length, as if with a
sudden unprecedented burst, but really at
the proper part of the service, the audience
utters forth the names 'Kassan" ~ Hose
in !" in succession, beating the breast the
while in cadence. At first somewhat gent
ly and in a low tone are the names uttered,
but afterward louder and more loud, until
the whole emanbarra rings again with the
excited, prolonged, picreiag wall For full
ly ten minutes does this burst Of grief con-
: tinue-the beating of the breast, the loud
uttering ef the names, the beating even
louder and more rcsounding, the utterance
: gradually increasing in shrillncss and pier
, cling energy, until, in mement, all is hush
' ed again, and silence, as of deep aflliction
e falls like a pail upon the assembly.
After the exhaustion produced by this
: phrenzied demonstration, beating the
!, breast with the thermometer at ninety
e Sherbct is handed round the royal family
t Gf presently indulge in the hoekah-tht
I curling smoke from which but adds to thu
, magic reality of the scene-the devotccs
:, resuseitating themselves by chewing save
e ry stimulant until the service proceeds, and
g the time comes round for the renewed
: humping of breasts and chanting the name
9 of the martyrs. The Moorsheah is chan
: ted in conclusion, which affects the peopl
n highly, being in the yernacular and com
h pretended by all. At the close of this flu
: neral dirge the assembly rises, fecaptulatcs
: riea eoee, the names of the true leaders 0
i the faithful, and curse, loud and deep, thu
usurping caliphs of the Soonies. Such i
: an outline of the daily and nightly service
n during the Mohurrim, which, in other res
poets. is kept with becoming humility -th
. sheah families discountenancing luxury
: the hardest charpoys or simple mats bein!
substituted for the luxurious cushions, an,
e barley, rice, and boiled peas, taking tn
/ place of hot curry and savory pilaw.
al. T.