"دليل بلاد فارس، المجلد I ويشمل محافظات أستراباد، شاهرود-بوستان، خراسان، وسيستان" [و‎‎٢‎٤‎٤] (٧٢٢/٤٩٤)

Shmh scet; and though some of their ablest divines have declared that
the ohiahs, though deluded, were still Muhammadans, almost all Sunni
monarehs have been led by a mixture of religious and political motives
to treat them as a race of heretics that were worse than infidels. And upon
tins ground the most pious of the rulers of Bukhara have considered them
selves entitled to make slaves of their Shiah prisoners—an act that would
be^impious, if these were deemed Muhammadans.
The Persians always celebrate the tenth day of the Muharram, or Ruz-i-
katl, with great grandeur; and as their method of doing so may be said
to be characteristic of their belief, I will here give MoriePs description of
ceremonies usual on that day :—
On the Ruz-i-katl, the tenth day, the ambassador was invited by
the kmg to be present at the termination of the ceremonies, in which the
death of Husain was to be represented. We set off after breakfast, and
placed ourselves in a small tent that was pitched for our accommodation
over an arched gateway, which was situated close to the room in which
Mis Majesty was to be seated.
We looked upon the great maidan, or square, which is in front of the
palace, at the entrance of which we perceived a circle of Kajars, or people
oi the king s own tribe, who were standing barefooted and beating- their
breasts m cadence to the chaunting of one who stood in the centre and
with whom they now and then joined their voices in chorus. Smiting the
breast is an universal act throughout the mourning; and the breast is
made bare for that purpose, by unbuttoning the top of the shirt The
king, m order to show his humility, ordered the Kajars, among whom
were many of his own relations, to walk about without either shoes or
stockings to superintend the order of different ceremonies about to be
performed; and they were to be seen stepping tenderly over the stones
with sticks in their hands, doing the duties of menials, now keeping back
a crowd, then dealing out blows with their sticks, and settling the
order of the processions. &
Part of the square was partitioned off by an enclosure, which was to
lepiesent the town of Karbala, near which Husain was put to death •
and close to this were two small tents, which were to represent his encamp
ment in the desert, with his family. A wooden platform covered with
carpets, upon which the actors were to perform, completed all the scenery
used on the occasion. J
“ A short time after we had reached our tent, the king appeared; and
although we could not see him, yet we were soon apprised of his presence
by all the people standing up and by the bowing of his officers. The
procession then commenced as follows.
. “ Fi^t came a stout man, naked from the waist upward, balancing in
his girdle a long thick pole, surmounted by an ornament made of^tin
curiously wrought with devices from the Kur^n, in height altogether about
30 feet.
Then another, naked like the former, balanced an ornamented pole in
his girdle, still more ponderous, though not so high, upon which a youno-
dervish, resting his feet upon the bearer's girdle, had placed himself
chaunting verses with all his might in praise of the king.
“ After him a person of more strength and more nakedness, a water-
carrier, walked forward bearing an immense leather sack filled with water
slung over his back, on which by way of bravado four boys were piled one
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