MADRAS JOURNAL 



OF 



LITERATURE AND SCIENCE. 



No. 9.— October, 1835. 



I. — Observations on the Origin and Cere7no7iies of the 

 Mohurrum. By Mahomed Tjppoo, Persian Inter- 

 preter of the Supreme Court* 



-Thinking that a few particulars respecting the Anni- 

 versary of Mohurrum in the Carnatic, improperly called 

 the Mohurrum festival, with a short account of what led 

 to the celebration of it, may not be wholly uninteresting, 

 I have drawn up the following observations on the sub- 

 ject. 



The history of the successors of Mahomed, recorded 

 by various writers both Oriental and European, com- 

 prises a detail of misfortunes that pursued his descend- 

 ants, and terminated in the death of his grandson Imam 

 Hoosien, in the celebrated field of Kurbula situated in 

 Arabia deserta, and the consequent transfer of his do- 

 minions to a foreign branch. Imam Hoosien was one 

 of the grandsons of Mahomed by his beloved daughter 

 Fatima, and his cousin Alee. It is to commemorate 

 the massacre and sufferings of Imam Hoosein and his 

 unfortunate companions, (who are all considered as mar- 

 tyrs) that the anniversary, which is the subject of this 

 paper, is celebrated. 



* We have much pleasure in giving insertion to this well writ- 

 ten and instructive paper, which although it bears internal evi- 

 dence of European revision, is highly creditable to the talents of 

 Mahomed Tippoo, the able and intelligent Interpreter of the Su- 

 preme Court. The paper as might be ei^i^ected savours not a little 

 of sectarian prejudiccs.---ED. 



