478: 
THE MOOLLAHS, OR MAHOMETAN 
PRIESTS. 
(From the Same.) 
The Moollahs, and all the re- 
ligious, even if they have no offi- 
ces, are fond of preaching up an 
austere life, and of discouraging 
the most innocent pleasure. In 
some parts of the country, the 
Moollahs even break lutes and fid- 
dles, wherever they find them. 
Drums, trumpets, hautboys, and 
flutes, are exempted from all this 
proscription, as being manly and 
warlike ; but all other music is 
reckoned effeminate, and incon- 
sistent with the character of a true 
Mussulman. This austerity, how- 
ever, is little practised by the peo- 
ple. The Moollahs are generally 
restrained to censuring the more 
important breaches of religion and 
morality; and, m many parts, 
they have no power at all. 
The Moollahs are very numer- 
ous, and are found in every rank, 
from the chief courtiers and mi- 
nisters to the lowest class in the 
poorest and wildest tribes. They 
are most numerous in proportion 
to the body of the people about 
towns. Whenmentionedasabody, 
they are usually called the Ulima 
(or learned). 
They are generally active, and 
comparatively able men, much at- 
tached to the interests of their 
own body, and careful to main- 
tain its ascendancy. They are in 
possession of the greatest part of 
the learning of the country. The 
education of the youth, the prac- 
tice of the law, and the adminis- 
tration of justice in all parts of 
the country, completely under the 
royal authority, are entirely en- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1815. 
trusted to them; and these ad- 
vantages, together with the re- 
spect which their superior know-: 
ledge commands among an igno- 
rant and superstitious people, en- 
ablethe Moollahs in some circum~ 
stances to exercise an almost un- 
limited power over individuals, 
and even over bodies of men; to 
check and control the governors 
and other civil officers ; and some-' 
times, to intimidate and endanger 
the king himself. This power is 
employed to punish practices con- 
trary to the Mahommedan law, 
when they occur among its ortho- 
dox professors ; to repress Shee- 
ahs, and other infidels ; and, at 
least as often, to revenge the 
wrongs or forward the interests 
of individuals of the religious 
order. Theinfluence of the Mool- 
lahs is often more beneficially 
exerted in reconciling quarrels, 
in parts of the country where there 
are no other means of preserving 
the public peace. Troops of these 
holy personages often come with 
their flowing robes into the midst 
of two ooloosses, drawn out for 
battle. They hold out the Koraun, 
repeat Arabic prayers, exhort the 
people to remember their God, 
and their common religion ; and, 
seldom, if ever, fail to disperse 
them for the time, if they do not 
bring about a permanent recon- 
ciliation. 
The Moollahs are particularly 
powerful about Peshawer, and 
through all the Berdooraunee 
country. In the city of Peshawer, 
the king’s authority keeps them in 
some restraint, and obliges them 
to seek redress for private injuries 
from the civil power, or to wait 
an opportunity of fastening on 
their enemy some charge of heresy 
