S7S ON THE EaSHENIAH SECT 



levied contributions, propagated his doclrines by force of arms, massacred 

 the learned who opposed him, and soon extended his power so much as to 

 strike even princes with terror. BA'7;EZdD-, was now fpllowed by great 

 multitudes both of men and v^omen, who revered him as a prophet and 

 divine teacher. It is said, however, that his most ardent votaries were the 

 female sex, who, says our author, are a sex naturally prone to pleasure, and 

 addicted to voluptuousness. .These females, the crafty impostor employed 

 as lures, to seduce the young men of the Afghd?i tribes, whom this Tdjzc 

 pronounces, a race extremely prone to be led by the inchnation of women : 

 now he that trusts to a woman, his eyes are dazzled, so that he sees dou- 

 ble, and as the prophet observes, " there is no fitter sovereign, for such a 

 people, than a woman."* — In the first stages of their initiation, the young 

 men and young women were classed separately^ and had separate hours 

 allotted for religious instru6lion. As they advanced in illumination, 

 however, these restri6lions were removed, and he suffered them to mix 

 again in promiscuous assemblies, forgetting, says Akhu'n Derwe'zeh, that 

 young women are fire, and young men like cotton. In these public 

 assemblies, his followers amused themselves with the recitation of poems 

 and narrative stories ; with singing, dancing, and clapping their hands in 

 tumultuous acclamation. I am informed, by Amir Mu^'ammed, of Peishd- 

 wer, that in the traditions of that distri6t, Ba'yezid and his. followers, are 

 accused of practising the abominations of the unchaste se6t, termed 

 Cherdgh-cush; but had this been the case, it is probable that the animad- 

 versions of Akhu'n Derwe'zeh, would have been still more severe ; for 



* Those who came to attend 13 AYEZXD, were first of all ordered to seat themselves, men 

 and women, promiscuously!; a practice says Akhu'n Deuwe zeh, which led to great ex:ces&es;> 

 by inflaming their passioiis, though it increased the number of his disciples. When they 

 entered on a course of devotional exercises, the sexes were separated ; but they were agaLa 

 permitted to mix in promiscuous assemblies, after they were initiated. 



