QANOON-E-ISLAM—K . HA.UNIE KINEH-WALLA.

THE first of these works is the composition of a native Indian, who has, under the direction of Dr. HERKLOTS, minutely, and we dare say, accurately, described the whole ceremonial life of a Moo- sulman Hindoo, from the womb to the grave. A more curious, and, for the subject, a more valuable work, has not appeared in the department of Oriental literature. The original is in the pos- session of the translator and deviser of the work; which, if he will publish, he will certainly produce one of the pleasantest and com- pletest text-books for the Hindoostanee scholar that could be de- sired. In studying the style of that learned Pundit, JAFFUR SHURREEF, the scholar would become imbued with all the man- ners, prejudices, customs, and superstitions of the people who speak the language he is learning, and among whom his fortunes will probably be cast : for, in all probability, the student of Hin- doostanee is destined for Hindostan. That language has not yet become a fashionable study ; for fashionable tastes are not directed by the principle of utility, and indeed, seem to run in opposition to all reasonable expectation. It might be supposed that the ruling country of a vast nation of ninety millions of subjects would be greatly interested in all that re- lates to so important an appanage; that the land where so many repaired to govern and to be enriched, would become an object of deep interest to the public at large ; that we should sedulously inquire into its interest and happiness ; that its lite- rature and language would be made matters of popular acqui- sition ; and every work that brought curious information respecting it, would be hailed with a national welcome. The coldness with which all Oriental books are received, presents a sad contrast to this view of the probable and the commendable. If, indeed, the book possess the picturesqueness of Captain Mtrwmt's Sketches, or the humour of Captain SKINNER'S Excursion, then, indeed, the public inclines its long ear. If, also, a work come from high au- thority, the result of much labour and ability combined,—such as the British India of MILL, or the Central India of MALCOLM,— then is it received with great respect ; and, if only read by a few, is at least placed on many shelves. But we complain that such a glorious possession as this huge cantle of the East which we have carved out for ourselves, should be viewed by the mass of the people with more than indifference : the subject is a bore—the place a mere quarry for younger sons of inferior families; and, at any rate, the people are a poor slavish and absurd folk, not to be mentioned to ears polite. Such, at least, has been the light in which India has been viewed. If a change is coming over our spirit in this matter, we are indebted to the all-sanctifying in- fluence of literature, which scatters its graces bountifully on every spot it visits. Much has been done; but it is only now that the general effort seems of sufficient concentration to affect the public opinion. The classical time of British India began with Sir WIL- LIAM JONES. It has been handed down by the COLEBROOKES and the ELPHINSTONES ; ORME contributed a good share - the MALCOLMS and the TODS have greatly aided; the Oriental iCans- lation Society has done its part, and is doing more. Besides which, there is now a flush of British imagination working upon the ma- terials of the East,—the result of the improvement of education in England. The Bengal Annual is full of talent: its writers are spread far and wide over the immense Indian Continent—some of them may be future MUNROES. Now, nearly every promising officer, medical or military, that comes home, brings his quota of knowledge, and publishes his book : all we wish is, that the public were better prepared to receive them.

Of the works above named, the author of one, JOHN SHIPP, is a sort of established favourite in this country. His extraordinary Mir, moirs introduced us to an intimate acquaintance with this fine spa.; cimen of a born Briton,—for he was neither more nor less; a parish lad, he could only claim his country's general name and lineage. His bravery, success, strange fortune, and even his touch of the rho- domontade—all combined to render his Mb one of the pleasantest and most remarkable of modern narratives. His Oriental Tale Book is likely, therefore, on the mere strength of his valiant name, to pass into circulation. Not so the Qanoon-e-Islam of the erudite JASFUR. SHURIIZEF, which will probably prove too dry and circum. stantial for English tastes. It is, nevertheless, well worthy the at- tention of the curious. It is a ivork, though written in the writer's native language, yet clearly intended for foreign ears. No man could sit down and write for his countrymen an exact detail of the usages, customs, and manners, which they were in the daily and hourly practice of, and to tell them of which, would be like inform- ing them that they breathed and walked and ate,—unless, indeed, the description were seasoned with • strokes of satire, as in such works as Don MANUEL ESPRIELLA'S Letters. There is no pretension cf this kind in the Qanoon-e-Islam : it is the detailed account of the ceremonies of an essentially ceremonial people, with whom, indeed, external forms are so numerous, strict, and important, as decidedly to affect the internal man. Every event of life, natural or civil, is celebrated in such a manner as to confound the cere- mony with the event, so that the outward form becomes as much a.part of life as the occasion itself. Ceremonies seem to stand in place of laWs men are bound by social chains instead of legis- lative ones.

We will give a few specimens of these ceremonies, and the man- ner in which they are describedby the learned JAFFUR SHURREEF.

.After the boy or girl has read the sacred Qoran completely through, a pro- pitious day is fixed upon (vide horoscope, page 19) for the purpose of making presents-to the teacher, as well as for the purpose of causing the child to exhibit in public his proficiency in reading. The day before, the females are invited by the sending of eelaehee (cardamoms), and the Males by letter or a verbal message. In the evening, the Qoran-reader, decked out in superb apparel, is seated in presence of his master in the male assembly, with the Qoran in his hands. Near them are deposited for the tutor a robe of honour and some money, accord- ing to the person's means, and betel, flowers, sundul, and sweetmeats in trays; a small cup with some ajwaeen (bishop's-weed seed), and a little salt. The master then desires the child, after reading the soora-e-fateeha, alias alhunzd (the praise, or first chapter), and a few sentences of the soora-e-buqr, alias A. L. M. (second chapter), to read the two chapters of the sacred Qoran, named Re-a-seen (chapter 36), and Rahman (chapter 55), in which, in elegant and figurative language, the unity of the Deity is beautifully described. Accord- ingly, the child reads them in the assembly, with a distinct and audible voice.

When concluded, the schoolmaster having offered fateeha in the name of his Highness Rlohummud Moostuffa (the blessing, over the eatables, desires his pupil to breathe on the bishop's- weed seed and salt ; and, after blessing him, says, " I forgive all the trouble I have had in teaching thee the knowledge of the sacred Qoran and do now, in the presence of this assembly, with my whole heart and soul, freely bestow on thee what I have taught thee."

The discerning scholar then, with the most profound reverence, makes his obeisance to his preceptor, and offers to him the contents of the trays, the dress,

money, &c., intendedfor togetherwith some of the bishop's-weed seed and salt. To every individual of the assembly, some of the sweetmeat, with a little or the bishop's-weed seed and salt, as sacred relics, are distributed. In some cities it"ii not customary to bring the Qoran along with the boy to the assembly, but-they make the• boy repeat the -punjaet (viz; lillahay wafts suninzawatay wallurzay, &c., to the end), and some other chapter. Indeed, some people have nothing read ;. and instead of bishop's-weed seed and salt, they place d'han-kay- kheekein and-butaSha (sivollen.parched rice and spoogy sweetmeat), and each member of the assemblies of males and females give to the boy a rupee or two accOiding to their Mean's, which becomes be tutor's perquisite. The-obligations, however, on the part of the schoolboy towards his master, do not terminate with the giving of these Presents; but invariably at every feast, marriage, dinner-party,' &c.; the teacher's dues are to be rendered. - In short, he, should be honoured as one's own father ; .for people in the world are said to have four fathers, viz.-1. Their own father (properly so called); 2. Their preceptor; 3.' Their father-in-law ; and 4. Their moorshud (spiritual guide).

We shall now giye a . very amusing account of Neekah, or the solemnization of the marriage ceremony. •

4Yeekah. Should the hour at which the bridegroom reaches the bride's house, after thepreceding perambidation, be a propitious one, the neekah is immedi- ately Performed; otherwise it is deferred to the fourth, or any other auspicious knit afterwards. :In the latter case, the people all retire to their own homes, and are summoned at the appointed time. At this juncture, should any thing in the bride appear objectionable to the bridegroom, the match may be dissolved. The gazee or his deputy is generally present on these occasions - if not, they send for either of them.. Previous to commencing the reading of the neekak, the bride's people send a palkee (palanquin), accompanied by Baja bujuntur (musicians); for the bridegroom's mother ; or, in her absence, for his elder sister, mternal'aunt; Sze: ;'and until their arrival, the i solemnization of neekah does not take place. They then commence the business of neekah, discontinuing the mimic, dancing, &c. • The qa,zee.appoints two bearded individuals as witnesses on the side of the bridegroom; and desires them to go. to the bride's party, and request them to isSue orders regarding the neekah, and to state the nature of the marriage nor- th:M. When' these haVe carried the message, an absolute waked (agent) ap- pointed on the side of the bride accompanies them back to arrange the matter. On their return from the bride with the wukeel, her people dismiss them with a pankabeera (mouthful of betel) ; but, for the sake of diversion, they enclose the leaves of some tree or other in a betel-leaf, and fold it up in the form of a betel parcel, and give it to them. Occasionally, at the time of so doing, the husband's brother-in-law, with a leathern strap, gives the witnesses two or three gentle stripes, observing to them that this is the punishment they deserve for giving false evidence. The gazee then repeats the same thing over to the wukeel, who, either of his own accord, or as it is suggested to him by some clever old daine,at the bride's house, says many witty things, e. g. that "the child's dowry is something so considerable, that it is beyond the power of the bridegroom to bestow it. But first deliver to me, as earnest-money, the following articles, viz.—twelve ships laden with silk, ten camel-loads of needles, a couple of vessels

kited with garlic and onion husks, fifty white elephants, and ten lak'hs of

mohurs I shall then acquaint. you with the extent of the marriage por- tion." The gazee, on hearing this, Inquires of the witnesses whether the state- ment of the waked be-correct, or whether he has been bribed to speak thus in

the bride's favour. The witnesses, though present at the conference, carry on the joke by saying, " He went iii behind the screen, and had a private consul- tation ; so that we cannot say but he may have been bribed." The gazee also,

in return; sends back a jocular reply : such as, "Had I previously been aware of the circumstance, I should have forwarded these articles with the burree ap-

paratus ; but since you have only now taken a fancy to them, I shall forthwith despatch paper dolls to procure then], and the instant they arrive they shall be duly weighed in a balance, having heaven and earth for its scales, and the wind for its weights, and safely delivered over. In the mean time, however, it is necessary that you inform us what the settlement is to be."

After contesting the point in this way for awhile, a marriage portion similar

to that which the bride's mother or her father's sister may have had, being fired upon, the gazee states the same to the bridegroom, and inquires whether, he be satisfied with it ; to which he replies, " Perfectly Some settle a larger, some a smaller dowry than this, just as the bridegroom may stipulate. nes the gazee, having taken the mugna and saykra (veils) off the face of the bride- groom, and thrown them over his head, before which period they were not al- lowed to be removed, makes him gargle his throat three times with water, and seating him with his face turned towards the gibla, requests him to repeat after him in Arabic-1st. the ustugfar (deprecation) ; 2d. the four (loots (chapters of the Qoran commencing with the word gool, i. e. " say," viz., the 109th, 112th, 113th, and 114th (-larders); 3d. the five kulnzay (creeds) ; 4th. the sift-e-eeman (articles of belief), viz.—belief, 1. in God ; 2. in his angels; 3. in his scriptures ; 4. in his prophets; 5. in the resurrection and day of judg- ment; and 6. in his absolute decree and predestination of good and evil. 5th. the doa-e-goonoot (prayer of praise); and if he be illiterate, explains to him the meaning of these in Hindoostanee. Then, having made him repeat the neekah lea seegah (also in Arabic, and il- lustrated its signification), he desires the waked and bridegroom to join hands together, and directs the former to say to the latter, " Such a one's daughter, such a one, by the agency of the wukeel and the testimony of two witnesses, has, in your marriage with her, had such a jointure settled upon her : do you consent to it?" The bridegroom replies, " With my whole heart and soul, to any marriage with this lady, as well as to the abovementioned settlement made upon her, ao I consent, consent, consent ! !! "

During the performance of the above ceremony of neekah, a tray is placed before the gazee, containing some sugar-candy, dried dates, almonds, and betel-leaves. In some places a seer or a seer and a quarter of unboiled rice, some sundul in a cup, with a pots ka luchehha (necklace of two strings of black glass beads) in it, and in the tray also the gazee's gifts (alias fee), viz. two and a quarter rupees, together with such other presents as they. may choose to give him, consisting usually of a suit of clothes, together with a shawLaccording to their means.

It may here be remarked, however, that the gazee has no right to expect a i

fee; for when a Moosulman wishes to enter into so lawful an engagement, sanctioned by the precepts of Alohummud, it is not only highly improper and unbecoming, but unlawful, in a gazee to take a fine from him in this way; and for this reason, that gazees have had grants of land in eenam (gift) or jageer, or daily pay, or monthly salaries bestowed on them by former kin's, which the Honourable East India Company (may its good fortune be perpetual!) has continued to them, solely for the following purposes,—viz. to bury and in- ter the helpless poor when they die ; to solemnize their neekals (marriage); to impart spiritual knowledge to their offspring, to act as eemant (priest), and read prayers daily at the five seasons in the mosque ; to appoint a mootuwulee or superintendent of the mosque ; a khuteeb (preacher) to deliver the khootba (sermon) on feast-days and Fridays (their Sabbaths); a mowizzun (crier) for sounding the azan (summons to prayer) ; and a He idmuttee, to sweep the mosque, and bring water wherewith the congregation may perform their ablutions, all of whom he pays out of his own purse. If these neglect their duties in the least degree, the ruler may very justly re- move and disnaiis the gazee from his situation, and appoint another in his stead ; for the object of it is to afford ease to God's servants, Which is com- pletely frustrated when a poor seepakee (soldier) who wishes to get married is obliged to pay two and a quarter.rupees for nothing. But in most places, the servants of mosques. above enumerated,.are appointed by kings and rulers, and receive pay from them, and are not in the .gazee's employ ; therefore the latter (the gazee) will not perform the neekah unless he receive the usual fee.- Governors have appointed riazees solely for the advantage of the ignorant and uneducated ; Men of science, Who call exercise their own judgnient, have no occasion for them. Being masters in their own familids, they can solemnize matrimony and perform the funeral obsequies, &c., themselves, against which there is no prohibition, either by God or the Prophet. After 'neekah, the gazee offers up a supplication to heaven on their behalf, saying, " 0 great God ! grant that mutual love may reign between this couple, as it existed 'between Admit (Adam) and Huiva (Eve), Ibralleem(Abraham) and Sara (Sarah), and affection as was between Yoosoof (Joseph) and Zu- leekha (Potiphar's wife), Moosa (Moses) and Sufoora (Moses's wife Zipporah), his Highness Mohummud Moostuffa and A-aysha, his Highness. Ally-ool Moor- tooza and Fateemat-ooz-Zohura." Then having helped himself, to the contents of the tray, and blown (i. e. the supplication) on the sugar-candy, he inserts a small bit of the latter into the bridegroom's Mouth, and delivers the pots (or glass beads) and a little sugar-candy to the bridegroom's mother, or any other near relative, and desires him to convey them to the bride ; and tells her, that from this day she must consider herself married to such a person, the son of such a one, and that such is the jointure settled upon her ; that she is to wear the necklace as emblematic of it, and chew the sugar-candy. On hearing this the bride weeps; or rather, as many do, pretends to weep. In the assembly of the men, the bridegroom falls on their necks (embraces) and kisses their hands, and is loaded with congratulations from all quarters. Were the bridegroom even a slave, he would, on an occasion of this kind, be allowed to embrace all the gentlemen present.

Should dancing-girls be present, as a token of participation in the bride- groom's joy, they continue dancing to the sound of the music. In the mean time, the bridegroom's party are entertained with a dinner of meetha polaoo.

Along with the bridegroom two or four of his near relatives go as sumdecans (near relatives), to whom the opposite party offer sandal hat'h ; that is, a red cloth is spread on the floor near the carpet to walk on, while a red cloth canopy is held over their heads; and as they enter, they have sandal applied to their hat'h (hands). In so doing, many out of frolic besmear also their mouths with some of it, and enjoy a hearty laugh at their expense. Having handed them a pankabeera, they take and seat thesis on the carpet. By placing under the car- pet leather or fragments of earthen vessels, they contrive to play them a number of tricks ; after which they bring the washhand-basin and ewer, and holding a red cloth over them and a red curtain all round, first pour a little shurbut on their hands, and then give them water to wash. Theyput pan kay beeray on a tray and shurbut into a bowl or bottle, and with a small cup help each of them to some of it, and hand them a pankabeera. On partaking of the beverage, each suntdee drops a rupee or a fan= into the cup; some, also, into the wash- hand-basin while they are washing. They frequently, out of fun, substitute a decoction of horsegram for shurbut. The instant any one has drunk the shur- but, a wag, who is a near relative, in jest rubs his mouth so excessively bard with a well-starched towel, handkerchief, or brocade, as sometimes to make his lips bleed. After that, they band a pankabeera to each of the guests, spread the dustur- khwan, and serve up ehoba. Having mixed plenty of ghee with the meetha polaoo, and put it on the plates, they cover it over with the bind (or slices, viz. the choba), and set it before the sumeleeans. The bridegroom also joins the sumdeeans at dinner, when his hands are washed by his brother-in-law, who puts four or five handsful of the above food into his mouth. At every mouthful hemakes some witty remark, in the manner detailed under the head of- huhica maynhelee (page 117), after. which the bridegroom eats with his own hands. If the brother-in-law be not present, any one else feeds him. The money that is dropped into the cup or washhand-basin in the act of drinking shurbut and washing hands, becomes the perquisite of the servants; but in some places the landlord takes it himself. This being concluded, betel-leaf, flowers, utter, ice. are handed round ; after which, the marriage attendants retire, while the bridegroom's nearer relatives remain in company with him. Neehalt, agreeably to the sacred Qoran and the Huddees-i-Nubuwee (pro- phetical traditions), depends on three things :-1st. The consent of the man and woman; 2dly. The evidence of two witnesses ; ;Idly. The settling a marriage- portion ou the wife. Should any one of these be wanting, the marriage is un- lawful.

If we had space, we should gladly insert the description of the ehabgushe or marriage entertainment, which presents many striking points of singularity to Occidental ears.