DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4646#0096
06
Mr. Howard : In the accounts of the Mahini Jamat, there are
some items which point to important facts, for instance, it is shown
that in the year 1806, the Momens subscribed money to be forwarded
to the Pir at the Durkhana;
The Judge. Will it form part of your case, that there were pil-
grimages made to the Durkhana 1
Mr. Howard. Yes my Lord, we shall bring forward witnesses
who have made the pilgrimage thither.
The Judge. I will take it the accounts which you put in, show
that a large amount of money was collected among the Momens and
transmitted to Aga Khan or his ancestors. I do not think you need
trouble yourself further on the point.
Mr. Howard. Very well my Lord, I will leave that branch of
the evidence.
You will recollect that my learned friends brought here an old man
named Syud Pir Sha bin Syud Meer Hoosein, and made a great deal
of him, because he described himself as being a desccndent of Pir
Suddroodeen. He offered to put in this pedigree, the correctness of
which was not and could not be disputed, but it was not admitted by
the Court because there was no official translation of the same. He said
he was a Suni and the Khojas were Sunis and that he led the Sun1
prayers in the Khojah Musjid. Now to show what the value of his
testimony was, be said that he should hold all who said their prayers
properly to be true Suni—that opinion of course being merely founded
on external conformity. In cross examination the old man said, he
did not know any of the Khoja books. Perhaps externally his father
may have been a Suni, and his grandfather may have been the same
before him, but he is not a Khoja, and he proves nothing as to what
the Khoja religion was originally. A man like this witness might
fancy, because his fami'ty followed the Suni outward observances his
ancestors were all Sunis, but that shows nothing as to the faith of the
Khoja community.
The Judge. ' The witness said he was a Suni Mussulman not a
Khoja.
Mr. Howard. Yes, what I say is, that because a man on the
ground of external conformity, holds himself a Suni now, it does not
in the least follow that 400 years since, his ancestors were Sunis.
The Court will recollect that Hamilton, writing in the last century
Mr. Howard : In the accounts of the Mahini Jamat, there are
some items which point to important facts, for instance, it is shown
that in the year 1806, the Momens subscribed money to be forwarded
to the Pir at the Durkhana;
The Judge. Will it form part of your case, that there were pil-
grimages made to the Durkhana 1
Mr. Howard. Yes my Lord, we shall bring forward witnesses
who have made the pilgrimage thither.
The Judge. I will take it the accounts which you put in, show
that a large amount of money was collected among the Momens and
transmitted to Aga Khan or his ancestors. I do not think you need
trouble yourself further on the point.
Mr. Howard. Very well my Lord, I will leave that branch of
the evidence.
You will recollect that my learned friends brought here an old man
named Syud Pir Sha bin Syud Meer Hoosein, and made a great deal
of him, because he described himself as being a desccndent of Pir
Suddroodeen. He offered to put in this pedigree, the correctness of
which was not and could not be disputed, but it was not admitted by
the Court because there was no official translation of the same. He said
he was a Suni and the Khojas were Sunis and that he led the Sun1
prayers in the Khojah Musjid. Now to show what the value of his
testimony was, be said that he should hold all who said their prayers
properly to be true Suni—that opinion of course being merely founded
on external conformity. In cross examination the old man said, he
did not know any of the Khoja books. Perhaps externally his father
may have been a Suni, and his grandfather may have been the same
before him, but he is not a Khoja, and he proves nothing as to what
the Khoja religion was originally. A man like this witness might
fancy, because his fami'ty followed the Suni outward observances his
ancestors were all Sunis, but that shows nothing as to the faith of the
Khoja community.
The Judge. ' The witness said he was a Suni Mussulman not a
Khoja.
Mr. Howard. Yes, what I say is, that because a man on the
ground of external conformity, holds himself a Suni now, it does not
in the least follow that 400 years since, his ancestors were Sunis.
The Court will recollect that Hamilton, writing in the last century