Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-06
THE DEeENERATED pERWsH.
framps and -vagabonds Of the Lowest
observation-disclosures Appearances.

framps and -vaxabonds Of the Lowest
observation-disclosures Appearances.
As everywhere in Moslem countries. in
Persia the dervish has degenerated- For
merly assimilating the noblest thought,
the highest religious and political aspira-
lions of which Islam is capable, the rank
and file of the various religious orders
comprised under the name Of dervish is
today composed of tramps and vagabonds
of the lowest description. Many OF them
hail from northern India, and their type
of features differs quite radically from
that of the average Persian There are
Arabs among them as well, negroes rom
Africa, Koords, Turcomans and Afghans.
All of them, however, OF high ana low de-
gree, are "benghis, j. e., Knockers OK
''bengh" or hasheesh.
AS to their appearance, one can indeed
speak Of it as picturesque raggedness,
and, as rule, they wear their rags
with elegance The outfit OF one OF these
gentry is not very extensive. A more or
less soiled' and torn cottage garment,
tiger or bear skin slung over the shoulder
(bedstead and mattress both, long stick
Of generous dimensions, whose carved
handle frequently forms the Arabic char
acter for ''ya ali" the horn OF an argall,
or mountain sheep TO give notice OF his
approach to the benevolen0; hasheesh
pipe and 'ikaeshkuI' Ia cocoanut shell
to receive his food in); these are about all
his earthly belongings. For the rest he
depends on charity, which never fails
him.
While in a certain town he will always
be found at certain street corner, where
abundant shade and q cool draught OF air
are always to be had. He viii interrupt
his meditatlons. his slumber or his smoke
of hasheesh at any ones approach 10
stretch forth his hand without rising and
say, "Yahakk'' (Oh, eternal truthA, and
then Just as leisurely and impassively
pocket the coin donated. II unsuccessful,
he will, especially if the person be a non
Moslem, howl dismal imprecations after
him. but without in the least flying into
a passion.
This, then, is specimen of the average
begging dervish, the class which makes
up nine-tenths of the fraternity. They
are indolent, happy go lucky, thoroughly
disreputable fellows, who are only pre-
vented by laziness from being midnight
marauders, thieves and murderers. While
they are fanatics, they practice few OF the
rules for behavior and prayers enjoined
by the Koran.
They stream from every part of Persia
into the capital at New Years." the
greatest festival time in Persia. Then
they elect visible head for their order
for the ensuing year, and reap geiden
harvest of aims.
A step or two higher than these men
are those dervishes called ''Ahle Azad'
Gree People,. Like the others they are
eternal wanderers, and likewise are adj
dicted to the noxious drug While there
are many among them who are popular
exhorters and street corner expounders OF
the sacred Scriptures, the bulk OF the
Able Azad are curbstone poets, profes-
sional story tellers and wandering trouba-
dours 1t is claimed that many Of them
are secretly unbelievers, theists or Baab-
ties. 1t is certain, at any rate, that after
the attempted assassination Of the present
shah by several Baabite conspirators there
were a number of these dervishes exc
cuted, along with hundreds of other fol
lowers of Fl Baab.-Wof Won Schier-
brand in New York Commercial Adver-
tiSer