New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-01
THE MAD MULLAH or HiDDiH.

The present border war in India is not an
other Muiny. nor viii IL be. II has few points
of resemblance to that tragic struggle Of forty
ycars ago. II has no such proyocation. or fan
cied provocation as that had. No such mex
plcablc unreadness is shown in dealing with
If There is no concert # action between Hin
docs and Moslams Indeed. in most respects
there is sharp contrast, not comparison, be
tween the two In one particular. however,
thcrr is resemblance IL" chief public 60
menter of each was a fanatica priest. The
Moulvic of Fyzabad was the vocal harbngrr
of the great Mutiny In the present trouble n
comparable part has been played by the Moul-
vie Of IIaddah. commonly known rs the Mad
Mullah: To whom some passing attention may
profitably he paid.
Generally speaking the Mouvcs, or Mullahs
! the latter term being a mere corruption Of
the former are forces that make for good.
| They are men who can read and write, have
| studied the Koran and belong 10 the llcma 80
or LEARNED 1nos'-and devote heir lives 10
! religious and socially benevolent work. They
serve rs trustees uf property, guardians of chill
| drcr protectors Of women. mrdiators bctW "cn
/ Individuals families and tribes that have quar-
/ relied: they robukc immortality AMI idle strife,
| cylort 10 purity sObricty and truth; ana. nbov"
| all increasingly contend against the too COM
| mon practice of barter and sal" Of women.
! Usually they are bigotcd and fanatical. some
! times covctous. scdtiouS and ominous of evil.
| Yet when the balanc" is justly struck they are
! seen To hc the one native leavcning and re-
dccming element amid an exceptionally dark
! cned and degraded people.
! The present specimen is named Naiam-,Id-
! Din. and calls himself an Akhoond-zada, that
| is. son or disciple Of the AkhOond, he having
/ been n pupil of the famous spiritual and tenn
| moral autocrat Of Swat His home Is AT Had
/ dah near Jcllalabad. Years ago he fell under
| the malign influence of the notorious Mullah
| KhaliI who gave the British much trouble dur
| Ing the last Afghan war. and since that time
! has been either openly or clandestincly hostile
To the British. Ten years ago khalil fomcntcd
| an uprising of the GhiiZais against the Ameer,
and tried 10 persuade Najam.ud-Din 10 do like
wise among the Mohmunds and Bajauris.
| Naiam- I'D Din declined to do so. parted COM
| pany with Khll and gave his services 10 the
| Amer The latter did not trust him. however,
| but locked him up at Cabul and thought OF put
ting him 10 death The Muah was after Il
time released. in response TO the petitions OF his
disciples who are said To number over hun
/ drcd thousand.
: Since his release Najam-ud-Din has devoted
himself TO political agitation hostile TO both the
! Amecr and the British, and has displayed so
much fanaticism and fury as 10 win for him
self the popular title of the Mad Mullah." He
: encouraged the Shinwari revolt against the
Ameer, and was chosen by the rebels 10 be
their Bad-shah. Or King; an honor which he
prudently declined Then he went TO Swat and
: found shelter there from the wrath OF the
Amecr The latter tried TO lure him 10 Cabul,
Offering him honors and the rulershp OF n dis
trlct: but the Mad Mullah was TOO wary 10 he
thus trapped. He fomented the disturbances
in Chitral. which led 10 the British occupation
OF that country couple Of years ago. Beaten
in his plans there he returned 10 his old
friends. the Mohmunds. and reused them 20
begin the present instruction.
The Mohmunds occupy the rugged hill region