1503. ] 
for wearing at their orizons an appropriate 
Grefs, which they daily wath with their 
own hands. Their difpofition for trade 
to the exclufion of every other made of 
livelihood, and the government of their 
tribe by a hierarchy,render them alfo a pe- 
culiar fef&t. They are frequently con- 
founded with other feéts, as with the Ali- 
ilahiyahs, who holds that celeftial {pirits, 
which cannot be otherwife known to man- 
kind, have frequently appeared in palpable 
fhapes. God himfelf has been manifested 
in the human form, but efpecially in the 
perfon of Ali Murteza,whote image, being 
that of Ali Ullah on Ali-God, thefe fec- 
tarics deem it lawful to worfhip. They 
believe in the metempfychetis ; and ima- 
gine that Ali Multeza, when he quitted 
this earth, returned to the fun, which is 
the fame with himfelf ; and hence they 
callthe fun AliUllah. This fe& does not 
admit the authenticity of the Koran as it 
is now extant; pretending that it is a 
forgery of Abubecr, Omar, and Oth- 
man; others condemning it becaufe it was 
edited by the laft-mentioned caliph. The 
leading tenet of thi fect is, that, in every 
age of the world, God is manifefted in the 
perfons of prophets and faints ; for in- 
ftance, he was Adam, and afterwards 
Ahmed, and Ali; and, in like manner, 
thefe feétaries believe in the tranfmigra- 
tion of God into the perfons of the Imams, 
Some of them affirm that the manifefia- 
tion of the divine being, in this age of the 
world, was Ali Ullah, and after him his 
glorious pofterity ; and they confider Mu- 
hammed asa prophet fent by Ali Ullah. 
When God, fay they, perceived Muham- 
med’s infufficiency, he himfelf aflumed the 
human form for the purpofe of affifting 
the prophet. 
The Bohrahs are a tribe of the faithful, 
which is fettled chiefly at Ahmedabad and 
its environs. Their falyation in the 
bofom of religion took place about three 
hundred years ago, at the call of a virtuous 
and learned man whofe name was Mullah 
Ali, and whofe tomb is ftill feen at the 
city of Cambayat. 
The converfion of this people was thus 
_ conducted by him: -as the inhabitants 
of Gujrat were Pagans, and were guided 
by an aged prieft, the miffionary judged 
it expedient firft to offer himfelf as a pupil 
to the prieft, and then to one the 
converion of others. He accordingly 
pafled fome years in attendance on that 
Proceedings of Learned Societies, 347 
prieft, learned his language, fiudied his 
fciences, and became converfant with his 
books. By degrees he opened the arti- 
cles of the faitin to: the enlightened pried, 
and perfuaded him to become 2 Meffu!man. 
Some of his people changed their religion 
in concert with their old inftruétor. But 
for a confiderable time they diffembled 
their faith, and fought to keep it concealed 
through dread of the king. 
At length the intelligence of the minif- 
ter’s converfion reached the monarch. 
He repaired to his houfe, and, finding him 
im’the humble pofture of prayer, was in- 
cenfed againft him. The minifter per- 
ceived his anger, and pretended that his 
proftrations were occalioned by the fight 
of a ferpert, againit which he was em- 
ploying incantations. The king caft his 
eyes towards a corner of the apar‘ment, 
and it fo happened that there hie faw a 
ferpent; the minifter’s excufe appeared 
credible, and the king’s fufpicions were 
luiled. Some time aiter the king himfelf 
became a convert to the Muffulman faith, 
and at his death ordered that his bady 
fhould not be burnt according to the cul 
toms of the Pagans. 
The party which retains Imamiyeh 
tenets comprehends nearly two thouland 
families. They always have a pious 
learned man among them, who expcunds 
the law according to their own doétrines. 
Molt of them fubfiit by commerce and me- 
chanical trades, and they tranfmit the fifth 
part of their gains to the Sayyads of Me- 
diney ; and pay their regular eleemolynary 
contributions to the chief of the learned, 
who diltributes the alms among the poor 
of the fect. Thefe people are honeft, 
pious, and temperate. They always fut- 
fer much perfecution, for the erime of 
bearing affection towards the holy fami- 
ly, and are ever involved in the difficulties 
of concealment. 
The Sadikiyahs are a tribe of the faith- 
ful in Hindooftan. They are dreadfully 
perfecuted by the arrogant Hinduis, who 
violate juitice, and jabour to exiirpate this 
harmlefs wibe. Neary thirty thoutand 
perfons of tis feét are tettled in the pro- 
vinces of Hindooltan, mait of whom {ub- 
fift by comme:ce. They pay the fifth 
part cf their gains to the defcendants of 
Sayyad Cabir, who are their prie‘ts ; and 
both preceptor and pupil, priefis and 
laymen, all are zealous Shiahs. 
“Yya, NEW 
