Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 3.djvu/61

 KANUKSHAHEE FAKIK. (123)

HE Photograph represents a Fakir of the sect of Nauuk (the founder of the Sikh religion), and therefore a Hindoo. The word Fakir, Fuqueer, or Phakir (for it is spelt in all these ways), properly signifies any poor or indigent person; but its usual acceptation is that m which it is here used—to denote a religious mendicant, most commonly a Mahomedan, who wanders about the country and subsists on alms. Many orders of these, named after then founder, or some peculiar practice or doctrine, are known in Hindoostan. They are generally divided into two classes:—Ba-shara, "with the law;" these follow the precepts of the Koran, and are allowed to marry, they are also called Salik, travellers or pilgrims; and Be-shara, "without the law" (also called Majzub, "abstracted "), who lead a life of celibacy and seclusion, and whose superior sanctity is such as to place them above the necessity of observing the rules of the Koran. The chief Hindustani Faldrs are Kadaria, Chishtia (these are usually Shiahs), Shutaria, Mudaria (these are often jugglers, or lead bears or monkeys), Malary, Jalalia, "Bawa piari ka flikiran," who dress in white. There are also the Rafai, who appear to beat, cut, and wound themselves without suffering inconvenience, and, in the belief of the faithful, can cut off their own heads and put them on again. To the above may be added the Sohagia, who dress like women, wear female ornaments, play on musical instruments, and sing and dance; also the Nakshbandia, who only beg at night, carrying a lighted lamp. There are other distinctions; not to mention the numerous impostors, who, at the Muhurram, assume the character and garb of Fakirs, in different ridiculous personations, for the amusement of the populace and the collection of alms.

Fakirs frequently pretend to supernatural gifts of abstinence and abstraction from mundane things. One story narrated by Steinbach (Punjaub, p. 1(52) is so singular that we reproduce it in extenso:—

"A Fakir presented himself at the court of the Maharajah Rumjeet Sing, and offered for a reward to allow himself to be buried alive for any indefinite period. The Maharajah, supposing the man demented, refused to permit the experiment; but, wearied out by the importunities of his courtiers and the man's pertinacity, at