Part II. Travels into the ILe v a nr. loy 
h ck^ Bui the true ground of theiv divifion is, that the 7mk^s pretend that Aboubeh^T 
was the Lawful SucafTour Mahomet, Omar the Succcflbur of Abouheker^ Ofman of 
Omar and then Aly : whereas the Perfians affirm that Aboubek^r^ Omar and Ofman^ 
were but fo many Ufurpers of the Succcffion of y^/j', who was the Lawful SuccelTour 
of Mahomet 'i^ud that is the reafon the T^urk^ hold tliem to be Hereticks. The Perfians 
believe then, that Aly fucceeded Mahomet, or at lead: that he ought to have lucceeded 
him, and that he was the Hrlt of the twelve Imams whom they much honour, and 
who fucceeded one anotjieri of whom the laft, called Mahomet Mehedy-Sahabze- '^'^"^^^ 
mon, that is to (ay, the Mailer of times, was fnatched out of the hands of thofe ^' 
who would have killed him, and Tranflated as Ewe^ and Elias were, and that he 
will alfo come at the day of Judgment, but only that he may force the world to 
embrace the Faith of Mahomet: that JESUS CHRIST fliall be his Lieutenant, J E S U S 
and that he will Marry i for they look upon it as a great àdcék in his perfon that hè ^ ^ 
was not married. 
Upon thefe Principles of Religion, the Politicks of the Kings of Perfia have 
firmly fecured the Crown to all the Defcendants of the Race that fits at prefent 
upon the Throne : For they have made a ftrong impreffion upon the minds of 
their people, that to have a true Title to Rule over them, one muft be Defcended 
of the Race of Aly, by one or other of the twelve Imams. Chah IJhmael Sofi^ 
lirft King of the Family that Reigns at prefent, had the cunning to infpire the(e 
Sentiments into themi becaufe he derived his Extraâion from one Cheik^Sefioi 
the Town of Ardeville, whom he brought down from the Race of Aly, and who 
befides was held in great Veneration amongft them for his Piety, iit the practice 
whereof he had conftantly lived, according to the Rule of the Sojîs^ of whofe 
ScGt he made profeffion. 
The Perfians call themfelvcs Scbiai, becaufe they think it enough to follow the Schiah 
commands of their Law, and they who follow the Law of the turkj are called 
Sunnij becaufe befides Matters of Obligation, they alfo follow Counfils of Devo- Sunnié 
tion. For example, a Smni being asked if he be of the Law Smni or Schiai^ 
he muft fay that he is Smni^ whatloevcr danger there may be in making that pro" 
fcdîon i But the S chiais think not that a matter of Obligation, and on alike oc- 
cafion, they would frankly fay that they were Smni^ if they faw any danger in 
profeffing themfelves to be Schiais, and foin many other things. Not but that the 
Per^<jHj pradife fome of the Counfils; for inftance, it is aCounfil and not a Pre- 
cept of their Law, that when they fee a Funeral paffing by, they turn at leaft three 
fieps, to accompany the Corps fome time, and that they even lend their Shoul- 
ders to help to carry it, if it be needful-, neverthelefs there is nothing more 
common in perfia, than to fee when any Burial partes, all thofe who meet the 
company, lend their Shoulders, at leaft for ten or twelve ftcps, to help to carry 
the dead body. 
The Months are the fame with the Perfians as with the "Turks^ fave that the for- "^J^^ mooths 
mer begin one day fooner. Not but that they are regulated as well as the 'ïurks by P^'/'P'^nu 
the Moon , but thefe reckon not the firft day of the Moon, but when they fee it, 
which is commonly the fécond day, and the Perfiians who are knowing in the Spe- 
culation of the Siars, and who fail not to make Aftronomical Calculations, regu- 
late themfelves according to the courfe of the Moon v and therefore they begin their 
Month and by confcquence their Ramadan a day fooner. • 
They celebrate their little Bairam or Eajier of Sacrifices, in the fame manner as The Feaft of 
the Turk^, and Sacrifice fome Sheep in memory of the Sacrifice that Abraham would ^'^^ '"m^j^'Î''" 
iiave offered of his Son IJhmael : (for they fay that it was IJhmael that was to have ^dd^erhan 
been Sacrificed, and not Ifaac :) But at IJpahan they Sacrifice a Camel with great The Sacrifice 
ceremonies i they lead him out of the City, and there the King, or in his ablence of a CameL 
the Governour cf the Town, ftrikes him with a Lance, and then all fall upon 
him and hack hiin to pieces with Swords, Axes and Knives. Having vented part 
of their Zeal upon the poor Beaft, they employ what remains of it againft one 
another, fighting fo furioufly, that many are alwaies left dead on the place. The 
caufe of this mad Devotion, is becaufe each quartet of the Town comes to this 
ceremony, with their Banner, and endeavours to have a piece of the CameU all 
are very eager to have it, they quarrel, pull and hale it from one another, and at 
length fall to down-right blows. That which makes the quarrel greater, and gives 
occalîon to bickerings, is that each quarter pretends to a certain part of the Camel, 
P 2 which 
