The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-10-08
THE LEARNED MEN.
MoIIAHS or THE INDIAN FRONTIER
aNS THEIR INFLUENCE.
Expounders Of the Mohammedan Law.
Given Credit For Supernatural Powers.
Jealous Of the Dignity of Their Positions.

How a Village Got a Sacred Shrine.
During the spring of 1857 accompanied
a surveying party which set out from Pesh-
awur 10 penetrate the country north Of the
Khyber and examine such routes as would
be available in the event of the pass being
held by powerful enemy During that
time had many opportunities of studying
the manners and methods of the mollahs
those remarkable men who use their in
fluence over their fanatical followers to
drive them 10 revolt against the encroach-
ments OF the Feringhces.
The visitor To the towns of the indie
pendent tribes will often see venerable,
white bearded old man, followed by
crowd OF young Pathans, who show every
sign of respect for their leader. In his
right hand the venerable figure carries
staff and in his left large volume of the
law according 10 Mohammed. When the
procession reaches public place, the lead
er seats himself; his disciples stand round
or sit at his feet, and the general public
assemble at a little distance TO hear the
gems of wisdom that fall from the holy
mans lips, or TO roar at the worldwide
"chestnuts, not always of the most de-
corous character, which ne sometimes UNI
bends sufficiently to tell. Such man is
mollah, one Of a class that exercises an in
fiuence over the inhabitants of the Afghan
hills 50 passionate and wide that to Euro
peans il is beyond belief.
The mollahs are collectively known as
the Ultima. or learned They are the
schoolmasters, lawyers, judges, as well as
the priests, many of them being men of
great ability and scholarship, and as they
are all passionately devoted 10 their order
il cannot be said that their influence is al
together evil. They are great peaccmak
ers in "a land where fighting is the breath
of mans nOStrils. i once saw one of
them in LalpoOrah rush between two bod
les Of MOhmunds who were drawn up To
attack each other, and, by passionate
prayers 10 them 10 remember their COM
mon God and their common country,
make those desperate men forget their
purpose and 90 away as quietly as fright
ened schOOlbOys.
The position OF mollah is conferred on
such candidates as have undergone "A spe-
cial course of study i'm the intricate Mo
hammedan law and successfully passed an
examination therein. The principal part
Of the ceremony consists of the most saint
ly mollah present investing the novice
ton and the peculiarly shaped turban.
The mollahs marry and live like the
laity in most particulars, though some of
them assume the most ridiculous austeri-
ty, frowning on the simplest amusements
and even condemning all music, except
the warlike drum and trumpet, as being
effeminate. To such men the merry fid-
die or the signing lutte is as the horns of
the evil one.
One rich source of revenue with the
priesthood is its fine collection of charms
and nominations. 1t is no uncommon
sight TO see an ancient Afridi or Mohmund
sitting with "a mollah and vigorously re-
peating charm or performing u subtle
incarnation TO enable him to fix the affcc-
tions of some fair lady who is not enam-
ored of his gray hairs.
A mollah' 5 most sensitive point is the
dignity of his office. When that is out
ragged, there is trouble in the land. He
calls the brethren to IA council. They sus-
pend all the rites of public worship, de-
nounce their enemy as "a dog and an inf
del, cover him and his people with their
maledictions ana practically excommuni
cate him. If this does not bring the I'M
happy man to his senses, the mollahs don
their sacred robes, and, carrying the green
standard of the prophet, go up and down
throughout the land proclaiming the Mo-
hammcdan warcry and calling on the
faithful TO avengc the honor OF the apostle
of the prophet. To those who flock to their
side they promise eternal bliss; to those
who ignore their appeals, everlasting tor
ture. The mollah voice is not raised in
vain. He soon has a frantic army follow
ing the green flag willing To go anywhere
and do anything its leader pleases.
When "a mollah dies, the place of his
death becomes u sacred shrine at which
miracles are worked. There is not viii
lage throughout the whole Pathan coun
try which has not its holy spot to which
the sick, the halt and the blind resort for
relief. In this connection curious story
is told of one of the sections of Boncryals
1t had long been source of grief to the
inhabitants of the village that no holy
man had ever been good enough to die
among them. The consequent absence of
a miracle working shrine had degraded
them in the eyes of their neighbors, who
looked on them as a set of wretches SO
abandoned that no saint would end his
days in their midst. The men of the
village determined to put an end to this
degrading suspicion in n characteristic
oriental method. There was living in a
distant town mollah with the highest
reputation for holiness. A deputation
from the benightcd village waited on this
mollah and implored him to shed the light
of his countenance on them for few days
The priest was so flattered at this testi-
mony 70 his piety that he gladly consent
ed He was entertained on his arrival to
a considerable feast. When the banquet
had ended, the chief rose and solemnly in
formed their guest of the sad condition of
the villagers through no holy man ever
having died in their midst, adding that
they intended to end SO unfortunate a
state of things by killing their visitor As
his soul would at once pass to paradise,
and as the scene of his death would be-
come miracle working shrine, they did
not consider he had anything to complain
of.-St. James Gazette.