Indian Muharram in French Memoir

Muharram in British India 

Dr. Mazhar Naqvi

Garcin De Tassy was a famous 19^th century French Indologist. He composed ‘ Memoire sur des particularites de la religion, Musulmane dans l’Inde,d’apres les ouvrages hindoustani’  It is  an early but pioneering work on Indian Islam. Written in French and translated for the first time into English by Prof.M.Waseem of Jamia Milia Islamia University’s English department presents a detailed account of prominent Muslim festivals of India, including Muharram. His memoir is based on contemporary works and observation. The writer has also given a description of Hindu’s participation in the Muslim festivals, especially in the observance of Muharram rituals. Also figures in Tassy’s memoir inclusion of their practices in Islamic festivals. Much is not known about the personal life of Tassy. He was born in 1794 in Merseilles and his father was a merchant .He arrived in Paris in 1817 and learnt Arabic,Persian, Turkish and Urdu. His works are not easily available, for he contributed mainly to Journals that were neither reprinted nor translkated.  As This blog is dedicated primarily to Azadari and Sufi practices, the description of   Muharram’s observance I n India in the work of Tassy is being produced as follows : 

“Of all the grand solemn occasions of Indian Muslims , it is this festival  which is observed with the greatest pomp and show. It is the most important festival of Imamis, although it is celebrated by others too…..This festival is also called as ashura or Ushra derived from ashr , which in Arabic like the Persian dah means ten. These terms owe their origin to the fact that Husain’s fete lasts for ten days, that is to say, the first ten days of the month. The tenth and final day  is the anniversary of the death of the blessed Imam ,which took place on  the same date in 61 Hijri .Jawan cries out in anguish , to the last day, the sorrow of this cruel event will continue to penetrate the hearts of all Muslims “

Hussain and his elder brother Hasan were children of Ali and Muhammad’s daughter, Fatima. The events leading to Hussain’s death are narrated in detail in Gul-i-Maghfirat (pp 201-47), and in al the books dealing with the advent of Islam. It is not necessary to go into these details which are outside the scope of this memoir .I will confine myself to the main outlines……Reposing rather too much confidence in the inhabitants of Kufa, who had invited him to go there and become their leader , Hussain left medina .Soon, without any protection, he found himself exposed on all sides to traitors and assassins .only 72 persons, most of his family and all his cherished friends, remained loyal to him .Surrounded on all sides in the plain of Karbala, they remained there for three days without food, they became very weak and were forced to give up their lives. Horrible plight…..At last the sword of violence killed Hussain and all his unfortunate companions, except his son, Ali, who was sick. The tent of Hussain, this angel from the heaven, was pillaged and set on fire., his women were subjected to all kinds of insult and ill-treatment. Full of shame, the sun and the moon turned their glance away from this shattering scene.”

“To commemorate this tragic event the mournful festival of Muharram is established. Whoever participates in this festival, will find recompense in Heaven. One should express in tears and lamentation what one feels about the cowardly attack which took the life of the Prophet’s grandson” .Tassy was surely a great observer but has faltered in his account. It may be because of his non- Muslim background and more reliance on the version of the participants. For example, he has mentioned only three days whereas Imam Hussain had pitched his camp on 2^nd  Muharram and attained martyrdom with his small band of followers on 10^th day of the same month. Similarly, all his companions had volunteered themselves for Jihad and nobody had forced them to give up their lives. On 9^th of Muharram, Imam had liberated them from their allegiance and asked them to leave his camp as the death was certain the following morning. He had even extinguished the flames of candles so no one feels embarrassed should he decide to leave but all his companions stood like a rock behind him and none left his camp. They told imam clearly that they preferred death as life without him was beyond imagination and worthless. Thus, Tassy should have not described the companions as unfortunate as all of them were fortunate enough to earn a place in heaven by siding with Imam and laying their lives for him. But despite these minor errors, Memoir is precious as it is perhaps the only work in French that contains description of Muharram in 19^th century India. (References available on request).