'Travels in Beloochistan and Sinde; accompanied by a geographical and historical account of those countries, with a map.' [‎234] (276/476)

234 SHUHRE' BABIC.
ones; but in general they were all on one floor, with a large apart
ment in the centre, and recesses on each side. I went into several
of them, under pretence of purchasing barley and forage for my
cattle, and found they were kept in the filthiest state imaginable.
The population seemed to have been formerly larger, as there were
many caves unoccupied. The inhabitants of Meenan are not ortho
dox Moosulmans, but of a sect known by the name ot Alioollyahs *
who hold, as the leading tenet of their faith, that the Almighty
deigned for the benefit of mankind, to appear upon earth in the
person of Allee, the son-in-law of Mohumud; they believe the lat
ter to have been an inspired person, but regard almost all the doc
trines of the Koran, as interpolations of the Imams f, who had it
transcribed in its present shape. This sect meets with greater tolera
tion in Persia, than in any other part of Asia, owing to the reverence
with which the Sheeas are used to consider the character ol Allee ; but
even that does not entirely protect them, and they are often perse
cuted, and always spoken of with detestation and abhorrence. Their
habits are pastoral, and they keep vast flocks of goats and sheep.
30//? May, A westerly march of twenty-six miles, oi which ten
were over a continuation of the range of mountains, and the re
mainder a fertile, though chiefly uncultivated plain, brought us at
eleven «. m. to Shuhre Babic J or Bababeg, which has formerly been
a very handsome city, though now gone entirely to ruin. The
avenues into the town from all parts, are planted on either side with
orange, lemon, mulberry, almond, walnut, cherry, and pomegranate
trees ; and the profusion of those fruits, beside grapes, apples, apri
cots, peaches, nectarines, quinces, currants, plums, figs, and pears,
produced here, is so incredible, that the natives make a proverb of
• This cannot be translated literally. It means people who believe that Allee is God.
t The immediate successors of the Prophet were called Imams, or leaders in a reli
gious sense.
% The city of Babic or Bababeg.