aborigines of India being of a Scythian origin; while, again, the Hindus come from the Caucasian stock from an opposite direction. Such investigations by our members evince the great utility of a Society like this, adding year after year additional knowledge to every branch of scientific research, and fulfilling the main object of the original Asiatic Society of India, which was intended to embrace within the scope of its inquiries whatever concerns the history of man or the products of nature in the region of Asia.

ART. XIV. Translation of the Takwiyat-ul-Imán, preceded by a Notice of the Author, MAULAVI ISMA'IL HAJJI. By MIR SHAHAMAT ALI.

MAULAVI ISMAIL was the nephew of Maulavi Sháh Abd-ul-Azíz, whose family is yet universally held in great veneration and respect at Delhi. He was the only son of Abd-ul-Ghani, the son of Shah Tali Allah, the most celebrated traditionist and the best student of divinity of his time. The latter had four sons; namely, the father of the subject of this biography, Maulavi Abd-ul-Azíz, Rafia-ud-dín, and Abd-ul-Kádir. They were all famous for their literary attainments and religious characters. The family traces its pedigree to Omar, the second khalif of Muhammad the Prophet.

Isma'il was born on Saturday, the 28th of Shawál, 1196 A.H. (or 1781 A.D.), in the village of Pholah, in the Delhi territory, from Fázilat-un-nissa, the daughter of Maulavi Ala-ud-dín, of the same place. On the death of his father, which occurred while he was very young, he was brought up as an adopted son under the care of his uncle Abdul-Kádir. Subsequently he was married to the grand-daughter of the latter individual.

Isma'il was possessed of good parts and high talents, and he had a very ingenious mind, and a retentive memory. As is the case generally in youth, he was not very attentive to his studies. Swimming in the river Jamná was one of his favourite amusements, and he was hence irregular in his attendance on his guardian and preceptor. From his natural talents, however, he was looked upon as "the hope of the family," and no pains were spared in his intellectual culture. He was so ingenious, that he generally opened his book at random, and began to read much in advance of his previous lesson. When he was told that it was not the place where he ought to have commenced, he would say that there was no difficulty that he could not fully comprehend in the part which he had omitted, although it might have been the most obscure part of the book; and, on being questioned on any point of it, he would give such a full and masterly explanation as would astonish the hearers. He finished his education in the fifteenth or sixteenth year of his age. The fame of his high

abilities was soon spread far and wide. It is said that, to test his learning, some of the classical scholars would studiously meet him in the streets to prevent his having reference to books, and put him

and satisfactorily that they always expressed their wonder and admiration at his mental faculties. Comparatively, he had an excellent knowledge of moral philosophy, mathematics, rhetoric, logic, as well as of the science of commentary (tafsír) and tradition, besides a respectable knowledge of the doctrines of the Muhammadan religion and law. His Treatise on Logic is universally admired, and so are his works in other sciences.

From the very commencement of his worldly career he was a true advocate of his religion, and was earnestly devoted to its cause. The abuses and innovations which had crept into its doctrines among the Moslims of India attracted his early attention. He found them deeply plunged in the vices of "Shirk," or "Association with God," or at least heresy; the Korán and Hadís having been almost entirely neglected, and the popular prejudices having been substituted as their chief guides. He commenced preaching, in the grand mosque at Delhi, sermons in favour of the unity of God and against idolatry; and he enlightened his countrymen on the respective nature of these doctrines by composing and publishing the following Treatise.

While thus engaged, his attention was aroused by the arrival of Saiyad Ahmad at Delhi from Tonk, in 1819. This individual had a tolerable knowledge of the Muhammadan law, and bore a high character as a pious man. He was the religious disciple of Maulavi Abd-ul-Azíz, and received his Arabic education from the late Abd-ulKádir. On his return, he found that the latter was dead, and had been succeeded in giving people literary instruction by his nephew, Maulavi Isma'íl, who was, however, very little attentive to the Darweshes. The fame of the Saiyad, who put up in the Akbar-ábádí mosque, was great, and drew numbers of people around him. Isma'íl, also, together with his relation, Abd-ul-Hai, the son-in-law of Abd-ulAziz, one day went to him purposely, when, for trial's sake, he observed, as is stated by the Asár us-sanádíd (a book published a few years since at Delhi), that he had yet never been fortunate enough to offer his prayers with the Huzúr-kalb, or "the presence of heart." The Saiyad, with a smile, told him to come that night to his room to say the evening prayer, when he would acquire his desire. On hearing the remark, the inquisitive Maulavi grew very curious, and as soon as the fixed time arrived, he, along with his companion, went to the room of the Saiyad. They were told to offer the first portion of the prayer after him, and to complete the remainder separately, when they were both so deeply immersed in contemplating God, that it was not over till the dawn of the morn appeared. This miraculous exhi

mind of the young Maulavis, that the very same morning they most willingly received religious inauguration from his hands, and thereafter became his close followers.

This circumstance raised the fame of the sanctity of the Saiyad still higher, and in a short time he had numerous proselytes at Delhi. Shah Abd-ul-Aziz, who was then alive, advised his disciple and his two famous relatives to preach the sermon of pilgrimage, and to proceed to Mecca. They followed his advice. In 1820, when Isma'il was in the thirty-eighth year of his age, they, together with many others of their followers, proceeded to Calcutta, where the Saiyad had thousands of Mussulmans added to his proselytes. From hence they embarked for the temple of Mecca. After performing the rites of pilgrimage, and visiting the tomb of the Prophet at Medina, which is necessary to complete the ceremony, the party proceeded to Constantinople, where it was received with marked consideration. Here the Saiyad succeeded in adding largely to the number of his disciples, and acquired in presents (nazráná), as report says, nearly nine lakhs of rupees in cash. After travelling for nearly six years in Arabia and Turkey, the Hájjís returned to Delhi.

The distressed and degraded condition to which the people of India of late had been reduced, and which, when compared with the prosperous and happy state of the nations and tribes whom they had lately visited, seemed much more deplorable, excited the patriotic zeal of the Hájjís: the relief of their countrymen from their present miserable grievances was the object which wholly engrossed their attention. Moved by this laudable and sympathizing motive, they travelled throughout India, and went from town to town preaching the sermon of Jihád (religious war). Emissaries were likewise sent into the interior to prepare the minds of the Muhammadans for religious war. Such was the powerful force of the orations of Maulavi Isma'íl, that in less than two years the majority of respectable Muhammadans was in his favour. At Delhi he generally resorted to the Akbar-ábádi Masjid, where Saiyad Ahmad was lodged, and daily delivered religious lectures to those who came around him. He also preached in the grand mosque on every Friday and Tuesday. The assembly on these occasions was generally very great; so much so that one could hardly get near enough to hear him. In short, thousands of Mussulmans who, owing to the indolence of other Maulavis, had yet remained ignorant of the true doctrines of their religion, were reclaimed from the darkness of blasphemy in which they were plunged. His rapid success, however, excited the jealousy

the public, from the disclosure of the truth, they were of course offended at the incessant preachings of the indefatigable Isma'il. Rigid criticism and malicious censures were in consequence passed by the latter on his lectures. To remove differences of opinion, a meeting of the doctors was resolved upon, and held in the grand mosque, to discuss the points at issue; but the assembly broke up without coming to a decision regarding the controversy, each party pretending triumph. Whatever may be the merits of their respective pretensions, it is certain that Isma'íl continued to gain unabated reputation as a popular and true expounder of the Mussulman law, and the people were convinced of the imposition under which they had hitherto laboured.

When his opponents failed to defeat him in public controversy, they often tried to mislead his followers privately by artful arguments, but the impression made upon his adherents was so great that they never went astray. Many came prepared with difficult questions, but in the very next preliminary discourse, Isma'il generally gave such convincing and comprehensive explanations of the matter in question, that they dared not put to him any query. Since that time, there have been two parties among the Muhammadans of India. The followers of the reformer are nicknamed "Wáhabís" by their opponents, while the others are called "Mushriks," or associators of others with God. The latter chiefly consists of the opposed Maulavis and Khádims, or attendants of the various tombs of the Muhammadan saints. The revenue of the latter entirely depended on the offerings presented by the ignorant visitors, and it was greatly checked by the religious instructions of Isma'il; and hence the Khádims had interested motives for disliking him. The common people who have not had the chance of hearing or reading the truths disclosed by this preacher, still continue to follow the old prejudices; but such of them as come to have a a knowledge of the doctrines, still continue to embrace the reform unhesitatingly.

The opposition which Isma'il met on the part of the Maulavis, gave no check to his resolute mind, but, on the contrary, served to enhance still further his religious zeal. The number of his followers increased with his fame. The crowd of Namázís, or offerers of prayers, was as great in his time, in the grand mosque of Delhi, as on the festivals of the Íds; and, since that period, Muhammadanism in India has much prospered. The truths which have been disclosed by the industry of the reformer were never previously known, even to people of the first class.