364 ON THE ROSHENIAH SECT 



ancient edifice, with a dome, where Ba'yezid- formerly resided, and at" 

 ■which the pious Moslems, as they pass by the ruins, generally cast stones, 

 in token of their abhorrence, accompanied with fervent imprecations and- 

 curses on the founder. Though from the circumstances mentioned, I have 



-' not been able to procure any of the original compositions of Ba'yezid, yet 

 I have met: with some pretty copious details of his proceedings, the most 

 impQrtant'of which are contained in the Makliza?i- Afghani, a work in the 

 Afghdii or Piishtulan^-mgey and in the celebrated PersiaJi work, named 

 the Dah'istan-i-Mazdhib , composed by Mohsani-Fani. From the epithet 

 Roshan OY \\\e luminous, which Ba'yezid assumed as a title, his followers^ 

 derivedithe appellation of Roshenian, which hterally s'lgmhes illumifiati. 

 The Rosheniah sect received its origin in Afghanistan, in that dark, turbu- 

 lent and sanguinary period, which preceded the accession of Akbar to the 

 throne of India; a period when an extraordinary ferment pervaded the 

 mind^ of men in the east, and when it is- difficult to say, whether civil or 

 religiiQUfematters weire, iaj-i th^/moet changeful'afid= imcert!aiiT;state. Their- 

 f^x^i^^mr^^^r.V^^'^^^^^^'^ ^^ appears to have hzeni 



a nittn of eixtra0rdjn4ry. naiturat' abilities, -and' extreme subtlety of genius. 

 In his- eaYly yo:U;fe|T,he'aGqQireda taint of the- /sm^iV/j'iT/i' heresy, which, 

 at that time, flou'rished in some of the moiAntamous-vdistricts of Khorasdn 

 ax^irM^war-iil-nalxar; and in his character of" prophet, Ite appears to ha v^e 

 modellM his. .conduct according to, the ideas- of > that sect, concerning a 

 perfect unerring religious guide. The doctrines which he first propagated, 

 seem not td have differed/essentially' from those of the Sufis; but as he 

 proceeded, he diverged'wider and widi^r'FrbhTrtfie "^ife'bf'^^/^ As his 



sect increased in number and power, it assumed a politicalj as wellas a 

 religious: asfxect; and soon made siKhi'ormidaMe 'progress, that, at last, it 



\ embraced nearly, the whole natioii' of the- AfgJrdnSj to whom it was almost 



