'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎226] (259/1024)

Book V.
The Persian Travels
. CHAP. XI.
Of thefecond Order, containing all that belong to the Ec.
clejiaflical Law, and their Courts of Juflice; and, in general
of all the Gown-men ; fuch as are chiefly the Officers of th t
Chamber of Accounts.
' • - 1: " \ o' ' /-': • i
' ' ■ ' . o'" . X ■ ' ': y '
T H E fecond of the three Eftates of Ftrfvt comprehends the Gown-men,
as are the Dodors of the Law, the Officers of Juftice, and thofe of the
Chamber of Accounts.
As the Athmat-doulet is the Prime Minifter in Temporals, the<Wreisfhe
Prime Minifter in Spirituals, and the High-Prieft of the Law. However, he does
not pretend to take place before the Athemat-doukt either in Council, or in the
publick Ceremonies. There is this difference between the Sedre and the Muflm
Turkey, that in Perfia, Ecclefiaftical Dignities are no bar from Civil Employments -,
fo that the Sedre is many times made Athemat-douht.
The Dignity of Sedre is not limited to one fingle perfon, but may be divided
between two, in regard there are two forts of Legacies, the one from the /Cing's
otPerfia, the other from particular perfons. Therefore for the more careful
Supermtendency over thefe two forts of Legacies, there -are fometimes two St-
dres appointed. The one is calfd particular or peculiar Sedre who
manages all the Revenues of the Royal Foundations, and dtributes them to the
Mullakf and Students according to their merit. The other is call’d Sedn-d-mm-
kpufat, who has the management of private Foundations. In the year 1667 the
King created two Sedres, and marri’d them to two of his Sifters.
The Sedre has two men under him, whofe Authority is almoft equal to
theirs. The one is call’d Sheil^el-felom, and the other Cadi: and thefe are
they that decide all controverfies in Religion, judge of Divorces, make Confra&s
and publick Ads. Thefe two Dignities are in the King’s nomination: and in all
the principal Cities of the Kingdom there are two of thefe Eccleftaftical Judges
for all matters that concern the Law.
To every Mofquee there belongs a Pichnamaz, who is always firft there before
Prayers begin *, and he teaches the people to Pray by learning of him, having their
eyes always fix’d upon him to that end. This Pickanmaz is the fame with him
-whom the Turks call Iman, The Moult aids are the Dodors of the Law, as are
the Hodgids in Turkey, and they are well paid out of the Legacies giv’n to the
Mofquees, for reading every Friday, and interpreting the Alcoran to the people.
He that reads, fits in one Chair j and he that interprets, in another, fornewhat
lower upon the left-hand of the Reader. They are alfo bound to teach the Sci
ences to all thofe that require it: And as a mark of Sandity, they wear agreat
white Turbant, with a fingle Chamlet-habit of the fame colour. Their gate is
grave, and their difcourfe very ferious j yet all this is but pure hypocrify. When
they light into any confiderable company of people, they prefently rife, and ex
hort em to go to Prayers. At the fame time they wafh their heads, their hands,
and their feet, and fpread a felt upon the ground, or if they are poor, a fingle
Upon this, at one end, the Maulla kneels, at the other lies a flat Stone about
the bignefs of the palm of a man’s hand, which was brought from Mtca-
Which Stones the Moullalds always carry about ’em j for being commanded
while they are at their devotions often to kifs the ground, they rather choofe
to kifs a Stone brought from fo holy a place, than the prophane Earth. They
nave a kind of a Mariners compafs, which diredsthem pundually where Mecca
ftands, to the end they may know which way to turn when they fay their Prayers#
he Prayer which the M0»Z/<at’s make, feems to be accompani’d with a grest deal
of leal, and they take great notice all the while whether the company be atten
tive or no. Some Perfians are fo fuperftitious, that a Vizir of Schiras fuffei’d
his leg to rot off, becaufe he would not let a Chriftian Chirurgeon touch him, for
of being defil’d. - , e Y *
ThY