DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4646#0075
75
have the number of Mussulmans in Colaba and Mahim, and next
come " men connected with establishments of prostitution, 200" ;
then " prostitutes and females connected" with prostitution, 1200 ;
and lastly, " Memun Mussulmans, 3,659. The total of the Mussul-
man population of Bombay in the beginning, of 1808 thus set forth
amounted to 20,284, of whom 9,960 were males, and 10,324 females.
Now your Lordship will observe the significance of the fact that the
Memuns, who are Sunies, are placed in this list, but after the water-
cariers and those degraded creatures whose profession is connected
with prostitution. The Memuns are Hindoos who were some cen-
turies since converted to Mohamedanism. They being Sunis, are
admitted into the list of Moslems. The Borahs, who like the Me-
muns, are Mohamedanized Hindoos, are not admitted into the list,
obviously because they are not Sunis but Shias, and I say the infe-
rence is plain, that if when this census was ' made there were any
Khojas on the island—as we know in fact there were—they were
not considered by the Cazee to be Mohamedans at all, or any more
than were the Borahs. That there were then Khojas on the island is
quite clear from the fact that there is an entry in the books of the
Bombay Khoja Jamat (relating to the Pir) under date of 1806-1807)
As the Cazi did not consider the Bombay Khojas to be Mussulmans
at all I need not repeat that they could not have been Sunis. This
circumstance connects itself strongly with the statement of Sir Ers-
kine Pei'ry in his judgement in the Khoja female case, that in 1830,
the Bombay Khojahs went to the Kazi and applied to be admitted
among the Mohamedans of the island. If they had been Sunis that
of course could not have occurred.
As to the Khojah Musjid, which I admit was consecrated by the
Cazee, I shall give evidence relating to the circumstance under which\
it was built by the Khojas in 1822 or 1823, and I shall be able to
show, by the testimony of old persons, that before it was built, the
Khojas had no common place of worship. They were reproached by *■
the orthodox Mohamedans on that account as ignorant, irreligious
persons, and they then built a Musjid in deference to the prevailing
sentiment and invited the Cazi to open it, but that did not make
them, nor was it understood to make them, Sunis. We brought it
out on cross examination, that in the inscription at the door of the
Musjid which includes the Aliite " Punj-tan," there is no mention of
have the number of Mussulmans in Colaba and Mahim, and next
come " men connected with establishments of prostitution, 200" ;
then " prostitutes and females connected" with prostitution, 1200 ;
and lastly, " Memun Mussulmans, 3,659. The total of the Mussul-
man population of Bombay in the beginning, of 1808 thus set forth
amounted to 20,284, of whom 9,960 were males, and 10,324 females.
Now your Lordship will observe the significance of the fact that the
Memuns, who are Sunies, are placed in this list, but after the water-
cariers and those degraded creatures whose profession is connected
with prostitution. The Memuns are Hindoos who were some cen-
turies since converted to Mohamedanism. They being Sunis, are
admitted into the list of Moslems. The Borahs, who like the Me-
muns, are Mohamedanized Hindoos, are not admitted into the list,
obviously because they are not Sunis but Shias, and I say the infe-
rence is plain, that if when this census was ' made there were any
Khojas on the island—as we know in fact there were—they were
not considered by the Cazee to be Mohamedans at all, or any more
than were the Borahs. That there were then Khojas on the island is
quite clear from the fact that there is an entry in the books of the
Bombay Khoja Jamat (relating to the Pir) under date of 1806-1807)
As the Cazi did not consider the Bombay Khojas to be Mussulmans
at all I need not repeat that they could not have been Sunis. This
circumstance connects itself strongly with the statement of Sir Ers-
kine Pei'ry in his judgement in the Khoja female case, that in 1830,
the Bombay Khojahs went to the Kazi and applied to be admitted
among the Mohamedans of the island. If they had been Sunis that
of course could not have occurred.
As to the Khojah Musjid, which I admit was consecrated by the
Cazee, I shall give evidence relating to the circumstance under which\
it was built by the Khojas in 1822 or 1823, and I shall be able to
show, by the testimony of old persons, that before it was built, the
Khojas had no common place of worship. They were reproached by *■
the orthodox Mohamedans on that account as ignorant, irreligious
persons, and they then built a Musjid in deference to the prevailing
sentiment and invited the Cazi to open it, but that did not make
them, nor was it understood to make them, Sunis. We brought it
out on cross examination, that in the inscription at the door of the
Musjid which includes the Aliite " Punj-tan," there is no mention of