The Kanzas news., 1857-12-05
The Kanzas News.
sAArURDAY.:-::::::::DEcEMBER ;, 1857.
The Mohurrim.


The festival of e.the Mohurrim'' has been
frequently alluded to in the reports of the
news from India, but further than the 'tmere
mention" thereof, the reader is left in dark
ness. Probably it has not come within
the reading of one per cent. of those who
peruse the daily papers to learn anything of
this festival, towards which such attention
has been drawn. We doubt not, therefore,
that some account of it will prove interesting.
The festival of the Mohurrim is fast
which is observed by large majority of
the Mohammedan population of India in
commemoration of the death of Hassan and
Hosein, 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 Euphrates, do
not believe in Hassan and Hosein; while
the others eastward, called Sheahes, regard
the deaths of the Prophets relatives as bar
barous murders, emitting them to that rev.
erence which is paid to martyrs. Not sell
dom is the Mohurrim month signalized by
bloodshed, caused by the rancorous rival
ries of these two branches of the followers
of Mohamed.
The occasion brings together immense
multitudes of people. Everything Is calcu-
lated to attract attention. The fast is cele-
brated for ten days; but it is sometimes kept
for much longer period. 1t is recorded
of Nussir U-Deen, King of Dude, that he
kept it forty days, having taken VOW in
early life, that if he ever came to the throne,
he would so deYote himself to the glory of
the faithful in full thankfnlness for their care
of him. Although much given to pleasure
and the cultivation of European manners,
Nussir kept his VOW; living during the Mo-
hurrim entirely with his male relatires-es-
chewing wine, Wassail, and social dinner
parties, pigeon-6ghting, and other merry
pastimes to which he was passionately ad-
dicted. The author of the Private Life of
an Eastern King kept the Mohurrim while
in the service of Nussir U-Deen at Luck
now, and gives very picturesque account
of the magnificent humiliation and gorgeous
sorrow characteristic of the time and Indi-
an life.
AS the Mohurrim commences, the Mo-
hammedan population is, as it were, snatch
ed from all earthly interest. The streets are
silent, and add mystery to the mourning
which we know pervades the interior of ev
cry house. The next day the houses yield
up their mourners, and the streets are crowd
ed with people in the mantle of afaiction,
parading in funeral order to the various
tombs, representations of the Mausoleum at
Kerbela or Meshed, on the banks of the Eu-
pirates, in which Hassan and Hosein are
buried. These tombs are set up-in the
emanbarra of a chief, or in the house of
some wealthy against the wall
facing Mecca, under a 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
ca''-that tomb of tombs. The scene, with
its lustrous chandeliers, sparkling embroid-
cry, glittering bullion -fringes, ornamented
banners, and turbaned and bearded figures,
wrapped in mysterious humiliation and ex-
pressiye grief, calls up to the imagination
the scenic wonders of the Arabian Nights
Entertainments. During the whole period
of the Mohurrim green and red wax-ights
are kept burning, and morning and evening
mourning assemblies are held.
1t is night; the lights are faring upon the
broad turbans; the glittering interior of the
emanbarra, says the ehronicler of the Court
of Lucknow, with chandeliers and wax ia
pers, its gliding and Its banners, its fringes
and its embroideries, is 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 passion
ate bursts of grief. The orator groans aloud
as he recapitulates the disastrous 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 sudden unprecedented
burst, but really at the proper part of the
service, the audience utters forth the names
"HassanP' "Hoseinl' in succession, beat
ting the breast the while in cadence. At
first somewhat gently and in low tone are
the names uttered, but afterward louder and
more loud. until the whole emanbarra rings
again with the excited, prolonged, piercing
wall. For fully ten minutes does this burst
of grief continue-the beating of the breast,
the loud uttering of the names, the beating
ever louder and more resounding, the utter
ance gradually increasing in shrillness and
piercing energy, until, in a moment, all is
hushed again, and silence, as of deep afiic-
ton, falls like pail upon the assembly.
After the exhaustion produced by this
phrenzied demonstration, cheating the breast
with the thermometer at ninety" Sherbet
is handed round; the royal family (if pres
ent) indulge in the hockah-the curling
smoke from which but adds to the magic re-
ahty of the scene-the devotees, resuscita-
ting themselves by chewing saxory stimu-
iant until the service proceeds, and the time
comes round for the renewed humping of
breasts and chanting the names of the mar
tyrs- The Moorsheah is ehanted in conclu
sion, which affects the people highly, being
IN the vernaeular and comprehended by all
AT the close of this funeral dirge the assem-
oily rises. reeapitulates, visa Uoee, the names
OF the true leaders of the faithful, and curse,