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)

AND TAMERLANE. 317

bruised state in testimony of her assertion.
Mahumud was displeased, and her father
enraged beyond measure at his daughter's
exposing herself to the censure of the public,
by allowing any thing to detach her from
the party. Mahumud assuaged Omir's anger
by a command then first issued, " That all
females, belonging to the faithful, should be
compelled to wear a close veil over their face
and figure whenever they went abroad."

In Arabia and Persia the females are allowed
to walk or ride out with a sort of hooded cloak,
which falls over the face, and has two eye-holes
for the purpose of seeing their way. They are
to be met with in the streets of those countries
without a suspicion of impropriety when thus
habited.

The habit of strict seclusion, however, origi-
nated in Hindoostaun with Tamerlane the con-
queror of India.

When Tamerlane with his powerful army en-
tered India, he issued a proclamation to all his
followers to the following purport, "As they
were now in the land of idolatry and amongst a