Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-13
DERvIsHES OF TINE EAST.
Holy Mendicants of Persia-Loathsoms
Begpars of India and China.

beSgaFS OF tuO1d ana tnlHts
The most interesting class of mendicants in
! Persia, and probably in the whole world. are
| the dervishes. These weird Members Of the
mendicant fraternity are met with all over
Persia, on the roads, IN the villages and the
| cities. Their usual dress is the skin OF some
wild animal. preferably tiger skin, thrown
carelessly about their shoulders, and pair
OF white cotton pantalettes. II the derylsh
cannot obtain a tiger skin, he viii, as the
next best choice, secure the skin OF a leopard
or panther, or even the hide OF a deer Or an
telope In addition to this striking make up
he carries huge spiked club or small battle
ak, and an aims holder made from an oblong
gouTd shell or the outer shell Of a cocoanut.
Thus Enthusiastically and even feTociously ar
rayed, the dervish stalks through the thronged
bGzars Of 4 Persian city, shouting out, Hakk,
yah hakkr7 and thrusting his aims holder
right and left among the people.
The dervishes are regarded as holy rlendi-
cants by the common people, and spend the
greater portion of their lives in wandering
about from one distant Central Asian CITY to
another. They might, perhaps, aptly be
compared to the wandering frisrs Of Eng
land and Europe 500 years ago. Everybody
regards it as lucky, as well as nleritorious TO
give aims to the dervishes. The average
Persian gives 4 tenth part Of his Income
away in aims to beggars, the greater part Of
which goes TO able bodied men and dervishes
who are well able to work for their own
living
In India begging is discouraged as far as
possible by the British authorities. and meas
ures of relief similar TO those in vogue among
western nations have been introduced
Among q teeming population Of 2G0, 900, 900
Orientals, however, any sweeping change in
such q tine honored profession Us Tnendicancy
is a question OF time and not to be easily eff
fected. Beggary is far from being so COM
mon rs il IS either in Turkey Or Persia. There
Is a recognized nendicant caste in India,
known as faquirs. The faquirs are regarded
as eIninently holy, and subsist upon the char
ity of the people, Like the Persian der
wishes, they wander about all over the coun-
try, spending most Of their lives making
long pilgrimages to various holy shrines The
Indian faquir is lOathsome looking Great
ure, with long black hair matted about his
head and shoulders with an accumulation Of
filth, and he generally plasters his body with
mud. His sole railueut Is a calico waist
clout, and his face is Enthusiastically streaked
with red paint.
As might be expected, the most abominable
specimens Of the mendicant fraternity are to
be found ia China. The loathsome appear
ance Of the Chinese professional beggar is
beyond the powers OF description All sorts
of horrible deformities are voluntarily en-
dured to work upon the sympathy Of the
people. Eyes are blinded, faces mutilated.
and limbs twisted. All that is done in the
way Of mutilation by the authorities of Per-
STA in the punishment of criminals is inflicted.
By Chinese mendicants upon their own off
spring as tricks of their profession. Horribly
misShaped victims of this atrocious custom
are encountered at the gates of Chinese cities
and in the streets.-Thomas Stevens in Inter
Ocean.