Meer Hassan Ali, B.: Observations on the Mussulmauns of India: descriptive of their manners, customs, habits, and religious opinions ; made during a twelve years residence in their immediate Society (Band 1) (London, 1832)

24 ORIGIN OF MAHUltUUM.

Hosein, say their historians, was the last
of the party who suffered on the day of battle;
he was surrounded in his own camp,—where,
by the usage of war, at that time, they had
no right to enter,—and when there was not one
friendly arm left to ward the blow. They relate
" that his body was literally mangled, before
he was released from his unmerited sufferings."
He had mounted his favourite horse, which,
as well as himself, was pierced by arrows in-
numerable; together they sank on the earth
from loss of blood, the cowardly spearmen
piercing his wounded body as if in sport; and
whilst, with his last breath, " Hosein prayed
for mercy on his destroyers, Shimeear ended
his sufferings by severing the already prostrate
head from the mutilated trunk."—" Thus they
sealed (say those writers,) the lasting disgrace
of a people, who, calling themselves Mussul-
mauns, were the murderers of their Prophet's
descendants."

This slight sketch gives but the outline of
those events which are every year commemo-