CELEBRATION OF THE MOHARREM. 
175 
preferable to theirs ; but they will not allow the same in favour of the 
dresses of our men. 
The Grand Vizier refused so positively to pay the first visit to the 
Ambassador, that at length, after a long negociation in which violence 
and conciliation were used alternately, the business was brought to a 
sort of accommodation, by an entertainment given in the Ameen-ad- 
Dowlah’s house by the Ambassador, at which the Grand Vizier was to 
be the Ambassador’s guest. Of course the Grand Vizier gave it out 
that he had been the Ameen-ad-Dowlah’s guest, and the Ambassador 
that he had been his; but notwithstanding the fermentation which 
it excited at the time, when they met they were soon reconciled, 
and parted in great good-humour with each other. No people are 
more punctilious upon the deed wa baz deed, the visit and its return, 
than are the Persians; and it was on that very account that we judged 
it of importance to be strict in keeping up to this etiquette. 
Not long after our arrival the Persians commenced their preparations 
for the celebration of the death of Imam Hossein. This takes place 
during the first ten days of the month of Moharrem, which is the first 
month of the Mahomedan year. Moharrem, in Arabic, means sacred, 
prohibited by law ; and is so called because, even before Mussulmanism, 
it was held unlawful among the ancient Arabs to make open war upon 
each other during that month, as well as during the months of Rejeb, 
Zeccad, and Zilhej. The first ten days of the month of Moharrem are 
called by the Mahomedan s Ay am Almadoodaut, or the reckoned days, 
because they believe that during these ten days the Koran was sent in 
detached portions from heaven to be communicated to mankind. The 
tenth is generally called the Ashoureh by all sects of Mussulmans ; but 
the Persians and the other followers of Ali call it also the Rooz Call, 
or the Rooz Hossein, the day of murder, or of Hossein, because they 
believe that on that day Hossein was killed. 
Hossein was the second son of Ali, and brother of Hassan ; and 
having refused to recognise Yezid for the legitimate Caliph, was 
obliged to quit Medina and to retire to Mecka. The inhabitants of 
Cufa, of which the major part had a great partiality to the family of Ali 
