'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME I' [‎273v] (563/820)

524
MES—MES
number of Karabaghi Turks (the latter Russian subjects), and by thousands
of Hazaras and Barbans who are the hewers of wood and drawers of waSr
in tU total 011 ’ T r ®P reSentatlves of the Masses enumerated below are included
m the total In the absence of a census it is impossible to determine the
approximate proportion of the various classes.
O- ,- C i aSS ' ~ Approximate Quarters,
bis tarns .. .. Bala and Pain Khlaban.
Hirjandis
Kainis
Kirmanis
Me r vis
Bukharis
Kurmls
Kashmiris
Yazdls
Afghans
Naughan.
Kficheh ’AH Khan.
Pain Khlaban.
Mahalleh Sarhaneh.
Bala Khlaban.
Pain Khlaban
There are also in various parts of the city Tehranis, Shirazis, Kashanis
Isfahams, Mazandarams, Burujirdls and Rashtls.
There are some 70 Europeans in Meshed, of whom 60 are Russians and
Europeans and European ^ ie iemain der British and Belgians. The
subjects. Russian subjects include Caucasus Muham-
madans, Russian Jews and Armenians and
reach a total of 800 to 1,000 persons. British subjects, represented by
Indians, number about 100. 1 "
. The Meshed Jews number about 4,000 souls and occupy a somewhat
Jews. unusual position. An anti-Jewish riot in 1838
r, . , resulted in the death of 35 individuals at the
Th n ev?r^ em °V n i the forclble conversion of (he remainder to Islam
Weh ^ ^° Wn b 'i h6 ' lame ° £ Jatd ° r new ’ and t 1 ' 01 '® 11 nominally fol
lowers ot thy prophet, are m reality as pur- Jews as ever. They observe
their own rites in secret, while from time to time sanding a few*of their
number to putln an appearance at the mosques, and they refrain from
w“rmerc W h t MUh r f madanS - T ' 10Ugh ° f ths number a“
well-to-do merchants, and few in straitened circumstances, they are still
IdvIh GateXir l 81 ' 6 T tUrae,y - ^ Jewish Tnarter lies near the
lagah Rate, their houses and courts inter-communicating
feome 150 families of gipsies locally known as Karishmdl, are domiciled
Gipsies. 111 i Pain Khiaban quarter, and are assessed
, , tumdns 200 mdl'dt. They are emnloved as
dance"’ nerS and bUtcherS > and their " ome n - sif gers and
Meshed is one of the most celebrated centres of Shi’ah pilgrimage, and it
Religion and character ot 18 wort ^ noting that the Sunni sect is
inhabitants. represented by a considerable minority, both in
n^iffhbourina ,qw + m^ 11 ® C . lty . itself ’ and more especially in the
Tutt^^-W the Afghans, all the Hazaras,
the Suli sect " “ 8eDeIal t0Wards tke Af e Il5n frontier, are of