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'File 32/10 (4/18) Muharram Processions' [29r] (57/90)
The record is made up of 1 file (45 folios). It was created in 6 Mar 1939-14 Dec 1944. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
During the first ten days of the month of
Muharram the Shias in Bahrain who constitute over
half of the population hold readings in their Matems
every evening. In Manamah there are about a dozen
large matems^capable of holding several hundred men
and smaller matems exist in every village, A matem
is a building which resembles a church hall in an
English village. It is partly a religious build
ing and is maintained by religious endowments but
it is used on secular occasions and eating and
smoking is permitted inside it. Separate matems
exist for women and for children.
The matems are managed by one or more of the
leading men of the neighbourhood frequently by
members of the man who originally built and endowed
the matem. Each matem has its own patrons who fre
quent it in the same way as members frequent a club.
There has always been, in Manamah, a certain amount
of rivalry between the matems. During the first
seven days of Muharram all the Shias congregate in
the matems at night listening to the preachers who
usually succeed in stirring their audiences into a
state of great excitement and emotion.
On the eighth and ninth nights of Muharram the
men from each matem after the reading go out into
the town in procession, each matem having its own
procession. They carry banners, torches, effigies
and many hundreds of them beat their chests, others
flog themselves with chains and on the last night
they brandish the swords which they use on the tenth
in the day time procession when they cut their heads
open. The largest matem is the Persian matem which
About this item
- Content
This file contains correspondence related to Muharram processions performed by the Shia community in Bahrain. Much of the correspondence relates to the logistics of the processions including details of their routes.
In particular, the correspondence discusses the desire of foreigners resident in Bahrain to observe the processions and the complications that this caused. In this context, the file contains a copy of 'Instructions to be observed by those who wish to be present at future Muharram processions' written by Charles Belgrave, Adviser to the Government of Bahrain (ff 17-18). Also enclosed is a map of central Manama marking the area where Muharram processions occurred (folio 2).
The file also contains an account written by Belgrave of disturbances that occurred during the Muharram processions of 1942 (ff 28-34).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (45 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 45; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 3-39; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'File 32/10 (4/18) Muharram Processions' [29r] (57/90), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/819, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025860868.0x00003a> [accessed 21 November 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/819
- Title
- 'File 32/10 (4/18) Muharram Processions'
- Pages
- 5r:5v, 11r:11v, 14r:15v, 23r:24v, 28r:34v, 39r:39v
- Author
- Belgrave, Sir Charles Dalrymple
- Usage terms
- The copyright status is unknown. Please contact [email protected] with any information you have regarding this item.