Stories are told of the walls of towns falling down at the shout of an army of Moollahs; and swords are blunted, and balls turned aside when aimed at the life of these holy personages. Yet a stand was once made against them, even near Peshâver, when the Haukim of Hasht­nagar resisted an army of them who came to enforce an usurious contract, and beat them off with loss, to the great joy of the neighbourhood. Though treated with great respect in this part of the country, I believe they are more feared than loved. In the west, their power is much more limited, and their character much more respectable. They are, in consequence, generally popular, particularly in the country: but, even there, they are complained of for the vices of their order, and for their intrusive and insatiable demands on the hospitality of the inhabitants. Even in the west, their power has sometimes been felt in the towns, particularly during the reign of Timour Shauh, whose prime minister was a Moollah. At that time, they carried their insolence to such a pitch at Can­dahâr, that a band of them attacked Kefauyel Khaun (a Sheah nobleman of Persian descent, who had held some of the highest offices in the state,) and rushed into his haram, insisting on a present, and protesting against the injustice of his-eating rich pilaws, while they had only dry bread. It was with difficulty, and by the King's interposition alone, that the tumult was appeased. Their peculiar vices are hypocrisy, bigotry, and avarice. Their lives are sanc­timonious in public, but some of them practise all sorts of licentiousness that can be enjoyed without scandal; and many are notorious for the practice of usury. Lending money on interest is expressly prohibited by the Koraun; and few decent Musulmans openly infringe a prohibition which it is so easy to evade. Most men content them­selves with lending their money to merchants, stipulating for a share of the profit derived from the use of it, or with placing it in the hands of bankers, who profess to employ it in commerce, and to secure the owner a certain gain; but many Moollahs lend avowedly on compound interest and with good security, by which they multiply their wealth to an incredible extent, and have got posses­sion of a considerable share of the landed property of the kingdom. But, as all do not practise usury, it may excite some curiosity to know how so numerous a body can be maintained.

Besides those who have ecclesiastical offices or pensions from the crown, and the more numerous class of village Imaums, who receive a certain share of the produce of the crops and flocks in their districts, many have grants of land from the King and from heads of villages; and some have received legacies of land from individuals. Some subsist by teaching and practising the law; others keep schools, or are tutors to the sons of rich men; some preach, and are paid by their congregations; some live by the charitable allowances granted by the crown and by villages to students, or by the alms and hospitality of people through whose country they travel; and others follow trade or farming, or live on their own means, and pursue their studies and amusements at leisure.

The character of a Moollah is conferred by an assembly of members of that order on persons who have gone through the proper course of study, and passed the requi­site examination. The admission of a candidate is attended with a prescribed form; the chief part of which is investing him with the turban of a Moollah, which is bound round his head by the principal person in the assembly.

The Moollahs are distinguished by a particular dress, consisting of a large loose gown of white or black cotton, and a very large white turban of a peculiar shape.

There are no corporate bodies of Moollahs as there are of monks in Europe, nor is the whole order under the command of any chief, or subject to any particular disci­pline, like the clergy in England. All, except those who hold offices under the crown, are entirely independent; and the co-operation among them is only produced by a sense of common interest. They all marry, and live in other respects like laymen. I do not know that they have any peculiar manners, except an affectation of strictness; some of them affect great gravity, and others take plea­sure in frequenting all companies, and meddling in all affairs. One of these may often be seen, with a large turban, and a blue handkerchief, a couple of yards long, over his shoulder, parading the streets at the head of a dozen of his disciples, with a long staff in his hand, and a large law-book under his arm: or sitting in the houses of the rich, haranguing the company, enforcing his doctrines with his fore-finger, and shaking his wide sleeve, or amusing the master of the house with his jokes and stories, and handing round his enormous snuff-box among the rest of the party. Moollahs of this sort are reckoned very pleasant companions.

As all the Afghauns are sent in their infancy to a Mool­lah for education, and the rich keep Moollahs in their houses to teach their children, boys who are to be brought up as Moollahs, give a great deal of their time to the study of Arabic grammar, which, as it is very elaborate, and comprehends a great deal of science, that we do not mix with the rudiments of a language, sometimes occupies several years. When a young Moollah has made sufficient proficiency in this study, he goes to Peshâver, Hashtna­gar, or some other place famous for its Moollahs, and begins on logic, law, and theology. No further knowledge is required to complete a Moollah's education, but many push their researches into ethics, metaphysics, and the system of physics known in the East, as well as history, poetry and medicine, which last is a fashionable study for men of all professions. For those studies, and for the more advanced branches of theology and law, they often travel to distant cities, and even to Bokhaura, which is a great seat of Mahomedan learning; but Peshâver seems, on the whole, to be the most learned city in these coun­tries, and many more students come thither from Bokhaura, than repair to that city from Peshâver. India has not a great reputation for learning, and the heresy of the Per­sians makes all Soonnees avoid the infection of their col­leges.

It is reckoned a good work in the sight of God to pro­mote learning, and, consequently, besides the King's col­leges, there is an establishment in every village for main­taining students. The consequence is, that the country is over-run with half-taught Moollahs, who rather impede than promote the progress of real learning.