S70 ON THE ROSHENIAH SECT 



religion, he appears to have encountered few obstacles in gaining the 

 confidence of the ruler ; and would probably have succeeded equally well 

 with the tribe of Mohmand, had it not been for the second class of inha- 

 bitants, termed TV/ziCo^ -■'■ ' ■ "•' '^''- ■ " ' :-,..;.,,. 



The term Tdjic, in the Moghul language, is said to signify a peasant; 

 but is generally applied by the Moghuls to the natives -of Iran, who are 

 neither of Arab nor Moghul extraction. In Persian, the term Dc'gan, 

 which is said to-be a corruption of 'Dehkdn, villagers 'or country people, is 

 used to denote the, same nation or race.* It is, however, certain, that the 

 terms Tdjie and Degau are general appellations given to the peasants or 

 cultivators of the ground, by the more ferocious and hardy tribes, who 

 live' by war and pasturage in 'Khoras an and Mazvar-al-nahar; countries, 

 which like the greater part of modern Persia znd Asiatic Turkey, exhibit 

 a "singular contrast of manners and inhabitants, in the same territory, 

 between-the tribes which follow the pastoral and agricultural modes of life. 

 This mixture of races has continued, with little variation, from the earliest 

 period of L/jmyin these countries ; and prevails in every country, where the 

 Moghul or Turkman tribes have been able to maintain their footing. The 

 Tdjic of great and little Buchari a rese-mhlQ the peasants of Asia Minor, 

 Egypt and modern Persia, in almost every point of view, which concerns 

 their civil or political situation. More civilized, polished and intelhgent 

 than the fierce nomadic pastoral tribes/ which rove through the country, 

 and hold the plains in a state -of oppressive vassalage ; or the rude and 



, * j4ccording to4lie Farha^ig Ibrahim ShaJiU the terxn ,-Ta//c. isapplied to ail wI)o are not 

 Arabs, and consequently, in this sense, it may' be considered as eqiuVaknt to^yem/. It is 

 *added, onlhe HulhoriJy ol";^HAHAB-E,D-mN Cikmani, that it is also applied to the Turkish 

 tribes. 'Tuzic and Taric are also said lo be forms of the same word, aiid are applied to the 

 y4!^sc€m\ar\U ioH Arabs^ whojiave attained eminence iii JJein. The term VclJuin is sometiixifs 

 applied to liie inhabitants of i>fljYaOT. ' ' 



