Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 58
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
________________
170
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ SEPTEMBER, 1929
make his debtor enter it, which the latter never fails to do, and the debtor cannot leave this circle without satisfying his creditor, or obtaining the remission of the debt."
Al Idrisi, Nuzhatu-l-Mushtaq in Elliot and Dowson, History of India, I, 88.
There is an actual example of Dhurna' in the history of Sultân Firüz Tughlaq. Tho contemporary historian says that when that ruler issued orders for the levying of the jizya from the Brahmans, who had been theretofore exempted from its payment,
[c. 1375.) “The Brahmans of all the four cities [of Dehli] then assembled and went to the Kushk-i-Shikar [the Imperial palace) ... and wanted to know why they were now subjected to the indignity of having to pay it. They were determined to collect wood and burn themselves under the walls of the palace rather than pay the tax..The Brahmans remained fasting for several days at the palace until they were on the point of death."
Shams-i-Siraj, Tarikh-i-Firiizshahi in Elliot and Dowson, III, 366.
Doombur. The authors say that "the old story of little carts being attached to the quar. ters of these sheep is found in many books, but it is difficult to trace any modern evidence of the fact." The following passage from the Aen-i-Akbari may be, therefore, not without interest. In his account of the Saba of Bengal, Abul Fayl writes :
[c. 1595.) “Parrots abound and a fine species of goat of the Barbary breed which they castrate : from their extreme fatness they are unable to walk and are carried on litters."
Trans, Jarrett, II, 152.
As three centuries have elapsed since the Ain was written, and more authentic testimony of less questionable modernity may be fairly required, I subjoin the following statement from an article on the Thibetan Wool-trade by Mr. P. Simpson which appeared in the Times of India Illustrated Weekly on 4th November 1928 (p. 18): "All of us have heard of, or seen, the 'fat-tailed' sheep but it may not be generally known that in order to prevent injury to the tail, it is placed in a sledge or trolly, and as the sheep walk along their tails are carried for them behind!"
Dusserah.There is the following description of this festival in the Kitâb-i-Millal wa Nahal of Shahrastâni. " According to their religion the Dahkynyah (worshippers of Dakshå or Pârvati] make an idol in the shape of a woman [the wife of Shiva]having a crown on her head, and many hands. They have a festival once a year about the equinox when the Sun enters the sign of the Balance. On that day they erect a large arbour in front of that idol, to which thoy bring offerings of sheep and other animals; they do not slaughter them but strike their necks with swords. They also kill human beings for sacrifices when they can catch them by stratagem, until the festi. val is completed, but they have a bad reputation among all Hindus on account of the stratagem."
Shahrastani, Book of Religious Sects, Tr. E. Rehatgek in Journal, Bombay Branch Royal Asiatic Society, vol. XIV, p. 65.
Ganda.-There is a very early reference to the 'Ganda' by name in Alberuni, who distin. guishes, however, between it and the Kargadan' which he declares is the true Rhinoceros.'
[c. 1030.) “The ganda," he writes, "exists in large numbers in India, more particularly about the Ganges...: The Brahmins have the privilege of eating the flesh of the ganda..I thought that the ganda was the rhinoceros (or karkadann), but a man who had visited Sufala in the country of the Negrpes told me that the kark, which the negroes call impild ..comes nearer this description than the rhinoceros."
Alberúni's India, Sachau's Trans. I, 203-4.
Gazat.-The authors say that this word iedomestio Hindustani' for 'dessert. But this can be hardly correct as sy 'garak 'is very commonly used in Persian for fruits and other things taken as relish after drinking wine. And it is used in this sense by the Emperor Jahangir in his Memoirs. Speaking of the fruits of Kashmir, he says in praise of the ashkan, that “it is smaller than the alu bala, but so superior to it in taste and delicacy, that, whereas three or four only of tho latter could be taken after wine as gazak, nearly a hundred of the former could be eaten with ploasure in the course of a day"(Tr, Rogers and Beveridge, II.)
