1 637
2 The cult of
3 which he has set up round the tomb of the ^reat local saint. All the
4 circumstances point to such a situation. These are the extreme modern*
5 ness of the cult, the fact that a band or order of faqtrs make a livini?
6 out of a certain class of local microcephalous idiots, and the convenient
7 existence of an important shrine Then the absence of landed property
8 in possession of the band, or of any reco;^nized right to succession to
9 the leadership, and the entire dependence on earnings, in turn dependent
10 themselv3s on the gullibility of the ^ faithful \ all make it almost
11 certain that Bhawan Shah took the opportunity of the then recent
12 decease of a well-known ancient and holy man to find a sacred origin for
13 the unholy traffic of his followers. The division of the income thus
14 earned is just such as one might expect of a body that had no other
15 source of cohesion originally than profit out of a common means of
16 livelihood.
17 As regards the legend of Shah Daula himself, we have the usual
18 ascription of a direct connection by birth of a local holy man with the
19 great ones of the earth in his day, with the usual clear openings for
20 doubt in the account thereof, and we have also the ascription of
21 miraculous powers common to Panjabi saints. There is nothing in the
22 story that could not have been picked up by the tellers out of the tales
23 of other saints commonly current in the country. No doubt there did
24 live, during the seventeenth century, a holy man in Oujrat town, who
25 died there at an advanced age and had a tomb erected to him, which
26 became venerated. It is quite probable that he was instrumental in
27 forwarding works of public utility In his neighbourhood, and was
28 notorious for his charity to the poor and needy, led an excellent life, and
29 was venerated by the nobility around him. Considering the situation of
30 the town of Gujrat, It is quite possible also that he attracted the atten-
31 tion of the emperor Shah Jahan and his suite, during their many
32 journeys to and fro between Kashmir and their Indian court. But all
33 this affords no ground for supposing that he had anything to do
34 personally with the ])Oor idiots now exploited by tiie sect, band, or order
35 oi faqirs that have fastened themselves on to his name.
36 As regards the Chuhas themselves, it is quite possible that there
37 is a tendency to produce such idiots among the population of given
38 districts, such as Punch and Jammu, but one cannot help suspecting
39 that, owing to the necessity for a continuous supply being forthcoming
40 for the well-being of those who live on them, some of these unfortunates
41 are artificially produced after their birth as ordinary Infants. It would
42 be so easy to accomplish this on the part of the unscrupulous.
43 The Cult op Mian-Bibi ; on the Prince and His two Wives.
44 I.
45 The Legends of Mian-Bibi.
46 1. There are various stories as to who these saints were and when
47 they first appeared. According to one account, Khwaja Kasmi had
48 five sons, Shah Madar, Bholaii Shah, Shaikh Madu, Pir Sultan Shah
49 and Pir Jholan Shah, and five daughters, Jal Pari, Mai Pari, Asmau