480 
certain gain ; but, many Moollahs 
lend avowedly on compound inter- 
est and with good security, by 
which they multiply their wealth 
to an incredible extent, and have 
got possession of a considerable 
Share of the landed property of the 
kingdom. But, as all do not prac- 
tise usury, it may excite some cu- 
riosity to know how so numerous 
a body can be maintained. 
Besides those who have ecclesi- 
astical offices, or pensions from 
the crown (who will be mentioned 
in another place), and the more 
numerous class of village Imauns, 
who receive a certain share of the 
produce of the crops and flocks in 
their districts, many have grants of 
land from the king and from heads 
of villages; and some have re- 
ceived legacies of land from indi- 
viduals. Some subsist by teaching 
and practising the law ; others 
teach schools, or are tutors to the 
sons of rich men; some preach, 
and are paid by their congrega- 
tions; some live by the charitable 
allowances granted by the crown, 
and by villages, to students, or by 
the alms and hospitality of people, 
through whosecountry they travel; 
and others follow trade or farm- 
ing, or live on their own means, 
and pursue their studies and 
amusements at leisure. 
The character of a Moollah is 
conferred by an assembly of mem- 
bers of that order on persons 
who have gone through the proper 
course of study, and passed the 
requisite examination. The ad- 
mission of a candidate is attended 
with a prescribed form; the chief 
part of which is investing him 
with a turban of a Moollah, which 
is bound round his head by the 
principal person in the assembly. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
The Moollahs are distinguished 
by a particular dress, consisting 
of a large loose gown of white or 
black cotton, and a very large 
white turban of a peculiar shape. 
There are no corporate bodies 
of Moollahs as there are of monks 
in Europe, nor is the whole order 
under the command of any chief, 
or subject to any particular disci- 
pline, like the clergy in England. 
All, except those who hold offi- 
ces under the crown, are entirely 
independent ; and, the co-opera- 
tion among them is only produced 
by a sense of common interest. 
They all marry, and live in other 
respects like laymen. I do not 
know that they have any peculiar 
manners, except an affectation of 
strictness. Some of them affect 
great gravity, and others take 
pleasure in frequenting all com- 
panies, and meddling in all affairs. 
One of these may often be seen, 
with a large turban, and a blue 
handkerchief, a couple of yards 
long, over his shoulder, parading 
the streets at the head of a dozen 
of his disciples, with a long staff 
in his hand, and a large law book 
under his arm ; or sitting in the 
houses of the rich, haranguing 
the company, enforcing his doc- 
trines with his fore finger, and 
shaking his wide sleeve, or amu- 
sing the master of the house with 
his jokes and stories, and handing 
round his enormous snuff-box 
among the rest of the party. 
Moollahs of this sort are reckoned 
very pleasant companions; they 
are great frequenters of Jeergas, 
where indeed their knowledge 
gives the whole order much weight 
in civi] matters. 
One would expect that the 
Moollahs would be great enemies 
