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BHORAHS.
(370)
IT is unusual in India to find any part of its Mussulman population devoted to trade.  They are usually soldiers, cultivators, or landholders, with a few classes of artisans, as weavers, gold thread makers, embroiderers, and the like; but the Bhorahs are an exclusively trading and mercantile class.  They are never soldiers, cultivators, or artisans, but traders only; and, it must be confessed, are remarkably industrious and persevering: extremely orderly, peaceful, and enterprising.  The Official Report on them by Lieut. Waterhouse, R.A., is so full and correct in general terms, that we have had much pleasure in quoting part of it.
    "The Bhorahs are a peculiar tribe of Mahomedans.  Their original country was Arabia Felix, thence they emigrated to Surat, and settled in Guzerat.  Thence they have spread over Western India and Malwah, where they may be found in any of the principalities, the chief colony of them being at Oojein, where there are about 2,000 families.  In their religious opinions they approach nearest the Sheeahs, and they are believed to be a remnant of the old sect of Hussunee, once so dreaded in Egypt and Persia for those acts of murder and desperation, which they perpetrated, in blind obedience to their spiritual lord, known in history as 'the old man of the mountain.'  They have nothing, however, at the present time, of the sanguinary and warlike temper which distinguished the followers of 'the old man of the mountain.'  They are in general very peaceable and orderly merchants and tradesmen, and have considerable influence and privileges in most of the cities of Central India, agreeing far better with Jains and Rajpoots than the other more warlike Mahomedans.  They engage in all sorts of trade, and have done much toward introducing European articles of luxury, &c., into the houses of the wealthier classes of natives.  They are a very persevering and industrious class of people, and are very wealthy.  Bhorahs are generally unpopular, and are held in the same popular estimation for parsimony that Jews are in England.  The peculiar characteristic of their tribe is sobriety.  They never drink intoxicating liquors, nor do they smoke; moreover, they will not sell spiritous liquors nor