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detailed comparative enquiry would be requisite. But it is clear beyond all doubt that the Deccan form of Mohammedanism exercised an influence on that of the Indonesians superior in force to that of any other agency. This may at once be gathered from the character of the popular religious literature, even were there no other proof. Whence come the stories which are such favourites in the Eastern Archipelago of the Titanic wars and numerous love adventures of Amir Hamzah (the uncle of Mohammad), the romantic adventures of Mohammad (ibnuʾl) Hanafiyyah (the son of Ali), of the hero Samʾun, Raja Badar and many more, all in conflict both with the history and the legendary tradition of the Arabs? It is more particularly in British India that works of this sort are to be met with, nor is it possible that they should have been disseminated to such an extent in any country closer to Arabia.
The absurd tales related of Ḥusain and his companions, the martyrs of Kerbela, are also of the same character as those current in India. There too (and consequently in the Archipelago as well), Ḥasan, innocent as he was of all martyrdom, has been enrolled in this band of saints, and the Ashura-festival bears the names of both brothers.
In different parts of Netherlands-India and especially on the West Coast of Sumatra (Padang, Bencoolen[1] etc.) the Ḥasan-Ḥusain festival is celebrated on a smaller scale, but in much the same manner as we find it described in the Qanoon-e-islam. It has been thought that it was introduced along the sea-board by the sipahis (sepoys) who immigrated thither during the English domination. It is indeed quite possible that these natives of Hindustan may have had an influence on the manner of its observance. It is however propable, to say the least, that even previously to this a Ḥasan-Ḥusain feast enjoyed much popularity both in Sumatra and elsewhere. Indeed how else can we account for the fact that it is celebrated to this day in Trumon in the manner customary in the Deccan, that in Acheh the month is called Asan-Usén, and that the day Ashura, of which orthodox Islam takes but but little notice, has in Java given its name Sura to the month Muḥarram.
In order to arrive at a more definite conclusion we should require
- ↑ As to this see "Internationales Archiv für Ethnographie" (Ed. I. D. E. Schmeltz) Leiden 1888, Part I, pp. 191–196.
