MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 
to people of other religions, or at 
least would shun their society (as 
I believe they do in Persia), but 
this is by no means the case: I 
have had a great many acquaint- 
ances among the Moollahs, and 
found some of tbem very intelli- 
gent and agreeable. I was parti- 
cularly well acquainted with two 
Moollahs, who were the sons of 
the Khaunee Ooloom (or lord of 
the learned), one of the greatest 
of the Ulima of his time; and I 
found them the best informed and 
most liberal men I ever met, 
either in Afghaunistaun or in 
India. 
It is not easy to say whether 
the Moollahs are, on the whole, a 
useful body, or otherwise. They 
areof eminent utility in most parts 
of the country, from their effect 
in moderating the violence of an 
ungoverned people, by the moral- 
ity which they inculcate, and 
from the tendency of their habits 
to keep up the little science and 
literature which is known: I be- 
lieve the existence of their order 
is beneficial in the present situa- 
tion of the Afghauns; but it is 
more than probable that it ob- 
structs the transition to a better 
state of things, and it is certain 
that neither they vor their religion 
are at all adapted to a high stage 
of civilization, though well suited 
to the rude Arabs, for whom that 
religion was first invented. 
EDUCATION AND LITERATURE OF 
THE AFGHAUNS, 
(From the Same. ) 
All the Afghauns are sent in 
‘their infancy to a Moollah for 
Vor. LVII. 
481 
education. Some learn no more 
than their regular Namauz, and 
other occasional prayers and pas- 
sages of the Koraun, with the 
ceremonies of their religion, and 
the duties of a Mussulman. About 
Peshawer, and among the Doo- 
raunees, the next step is to learn 
to read the Koraun in Arabic, 
often without understanding it ; 
but in other tribes this study is 
reserved for a more advanced 
stage. This is the education of 
the lower orders, of whom not a 
quarter can read their own lan- 
guage. 
The rich keep Moollahs in their 
houses to teach their. children, 
but allow them all the power of 
a common schoolmaster. The 
Moollah who had charge of the 
prime ministers son (a boy of 
sixteen when I saw him), told me 
that he kept him to his book for 
almost the whole day. 
There is a schoolmaster inevery 
village and camp, who is main- 
tained by a piece of land allotted 
to him, and by a small contribu- 
tion which he receives from his 
scholars. His office is sometimes 
united with that of the priest of 
the village; but it is oftener dis- 
tinct, especially in large places. 
In towns there are regular schools, 
like those in European countries, 
where the master is maintained by 
his scholars alone. The sum 
commonly paid to a schoolmaster 
in Peshawer, is about fifteen 
pence a-month, but the payments 
are in proportion to the circum- 
stances of the boy’s father. In 
most. parts of the country, the 
boys live with their fathers, and 
only attend the schoo] during the 
day ; but among the. Berdoorau- 
nees, a boy is sent at a very early 
21 
