'Military Report on Mesopotamia (Iraq)' [‎77v] (159/226)

Yezidis (of Sinjai’).
The Yezidis, popularly said to be worshippers of the
Devil, exist in Central Asia as several scattered com
munities, but only concern Northern Jazirah by their
residence in the Jabal Sinjar. They trace their origin
somewhat tortuously to the religious followers of Shaikh
Adi, a native of Aleppo, who died about 580 after the
Hejira (a.d. 1212 ). By some they are supposed to be one
of the lost tribes of Israel, by others to be merely a
Kurdish tribe, which in a southern immigration came
upon a mountain, such as they loved, in a desert plain,
and lived there ever afterwards. From their customs,
appearance, religion, and language they would appear to
be of Kurdish extraction, and were conceivably a
Kurdish tribe converted to the tenets of Shaikh Adi, who
was probably a Moslem with a predilection for outworn
creeds and religions.
As their political outlook is largely dependent upon
the form of their religion, it is perhaps better to describe
it in the first place. The Yezidi religion is not a
harmonious system, but a curious, almost incomprehen
sible, blend of pre-Muhammad paganism, Hebraism,
Islamism, Christianity and various relics from a dozen
dead, oriental religions. The central article of their
creed is the propitiation of the Evil Principle—called the
Malik Taus, a Peacock King—a conception probably
derived from the Persian Dualists.
The Yezidis have a regular hierarchy of seven orders : —
(i) Mir .—The Mir is the keeper of Shaikh Adi’s shrine,
and he alone can give decisions in religious matters.
(ii) Shaikhs.—The Shaikhs are religious leaders and
teachers, who can give political, as differentiated from
religious, decisions.
(Hi) —The Pirs are highly reverenced dignitaries,
who should, according to the Book, give their days to
fasting and meditation.
(iv) Rahwal.—lihe Rahwal beat the drum and sing
songs before the Malik Taus.
(v) Kochik .—The Kochik shroud corpses for coffining,
and interpret dreams.
(vi) Faqirs .—The Faqirs are lay brothers, dressed
habitually in black.