The Shasta courier., 1868-03-28
Curious History of the yelled Prophet
of khorassan."

Arminius Yambery's "Central Asia,"
which has just appeared in London, is
supplement to his work called ''Travels in
Central Asia" This volume gives inter.
estlng accounts of some new adventures of
M. Nambery while exploring the East in
the disguise of Dervish, and also con.
talns series of chapters on the manners,
characteristics and literature of the Cen
trail Asiatic races. The pages devoted to
the ancient history of Bokhara contains an
account of Mokanna, the original of the
Walled Prophet of Khorassan,n in Moore's
Lalla Rookh." Mokanna occupied him.
self, in early youth, with acquiring all
kinds of knowledge, including enchant.
ments and secret arts. At length he gave
himself out as a prophet, and proclaimed TO
his adherents that he had existed earlier in
the world as Adam, Ibrahim, Moses, Jesus,
and Mohammed, and called upon them to
follow him to Paradise He continually
wore veil to conceal his deformity, as his
features were distorted, and he was one eyed
and bald. He obtained many followers, and
the greater part Of the villages around Sa.
marcand and Bokhara went over to his
party. After contest of many years between
Mokanna and the Mohammedans the prophet
was driven across the Oxus and retreated
into strong fortress on the mountain of
Siam where he finally perished. Mr.. YAM
berry says:
4" Mokanna, the mysterious prophet, kept
himself during this period always in the for
tress, attended by one hundred of the love-
liest women of Transoxania The interior
of the castle was kept only for these with
himself and one male page; besides these
there was no earthly one permitted to pene
trate into his sanctuary. They say that fifty
thousand of his followers lay at the gate Of
the fortress, and earnestly implored him to
show but once his god like splendor. He
refused; sent his page with the message ::
Say to the servants that Musa (Moses) also
wished to see my god head, but the beams of
my splendor be could not support. My
glance kills instantly the earth born' The
enthusiastic adherents assured him that they
would gladly offer their lives as a sacrifice if
| this high enjoyment was allowed to them
When he could not further deny them, Mok-
anna consented to their entreaty, and ap-
pointed them to come at a certain time before
the gate of the fortress, where he would
show himself On the evening of the ap.
pointed day he ordered that his women
should be placed in a line, with look
ing glasses in their hands, as the beams
of the setting sun were reflected in the look
ing glasses, and when everything was ilu-
minated by that reflection, he ordered them
to open the doors. The splendor blinded the
eyes of his devoted adherents, who fell pros
trate and called out: :" God enough for us
of thy glory for if we see it more all will
be destroyedW ~ They lay long in the dust
supplicating him, until at length he sent his
page with the message: God is pleased
with you, and he has given you for your
use, the good of all the world.' Fourteen
long years Mokanna who is reported to have
lived in this fortre s, consuming his time
with women in drinking and carousing.-
The Arab Field Marshal, Said Hersi, had
at last, after hard siege, driven him into
straits. The outer part was taken, and there
was only the inaccessible citadel on a higher
eminence. With the extinction of his as
cendant star, Mokanna was abandoned by
his followers, and when be saw the inevita
BILE ruin nigh, he decided not to fall into the
hands of his enemies, rather to destroy HIM
self with his women and treasure. He gave
to the women at a last carouse a strong dose
of poison in wine, and challenged them to
empty u goblet with him. All drank, but
one, who poured the wine into her bosom.
and. as an eye witness, told later the whole
catastrophe. According to her, Mokanna,
after all the woman had fallen dead, cut off
the head of his faithful page, and quite ma.
ked, burnt himself and his treasures in a
furnace which had been heated for three
days. He announced before that he wished
to go to heaven to call the angels to his help
:" | have long watched the furnace, said the
fortunate woman who escaped, but he never
came back in that fashion, After the death
of Mokanna there were many sects and
creeds, but they concealed themselves from
the ever-increasing power of Islam. Under
the Samandes the doctrine of Mohammed
spread more and more. and Transoxanian
countries became soon famous for their re-
ligious zeal"