See also:

• FAKIR (from Arabic faqir, " poor ")

FAKIR (from Arabic faqir, " poor ")  , a See also:

• TERM

term See also:

• EQUIVALENT

equivalent to See also:

• DERVISH

Dervish (q.v.) or See also:

• MAHOMMEDAN

Mahommedan religious mendicant, but which has come to be specially applied to the See also:

• HINDU

Hindu devotees and ascetics of See also:

• INDIA
• INDIA, FRENCH

India . There are two classes of these See also:

• INDIAN

Indian Fakirs, (I) the religious orders, and (2) the See also:

• NOMAD (Gr. voµas, voµabes, wandering)

nomad rogues who infest the See also:

• COUNTRY (from the Mid. Eng. contre or contrie, and O. Fr. cuntree; Late Lat. contrata, showing the derivation from contra, opposite, over against, thus the tract of land which fronts the sight, cf. Ger. Gegend, neighbourhood)

country . The ascetic orders resemble the See also:

• FRANCISCANS (otherwise called Friars Minor, or Minorites; also the Seraphic Order ; and in England Grey Friars, from the colour of the habit, which, however, is now brown rather than grey)

Franciscans of See also:

• CHRISTIANITY

Christianity . The bulk See also:

• LEAD
• LEAD (pronounced iced)

lead really excellent lives in monasteries, which are centres of See also:

• EDUCATION

education and poor-See also:

• RELIEF

relief; while others go out to visit the poor as Gurus or teachers . Strict See also:

• CELIBACY (Lat. caelibatus, from caelebs, unmarried)

celibacy is not enforced among them . These orders are of very See also:

• ANCIENT
• ANCIENT (also spelt ANTIENT; derived, through the Fr. ancien, old, from the late Lat. antianum, from ante, before)

ancient date, owing their See also:

• ESTABLISHMENT (0. Fr. establissement, Fr. etablissement, late Norm. Fr. establishement, from O. Fr. establir, Fr. etablir, Lat. stabilire, to make stable)

establishment to the ancient Hindu See also:

• RULE

rule, followed by the Buddhists, that each " twice-See also:

• BORN, IGNAZ, EDLER VON (1742–1791)

born " See also:

• MAN
• MAN, ISLE OF (anc. Mona)

man should lead in the See also:

• WOODS, LEONARD (1774-1854)
• WOODS, SIR ALBERT (1816-1904)

woods the See also:

• LIFE

life of an ascetic . The second class of Fakirs are simply disreputable beggars who wander See also:

• ROUND (O. Fr. rond, Lat. rotundus, the Fr. is the source also of Du. rond; Ger., Swed., Dan. and Nor. rond)

round extorting, under the See also:

• GUISE
• GUISE, HOUSE OF

guise of See also:

• RELIGION
• RELIGION, FOLKLORE, CUSTOM

religion, See also:

• ALMS

alms from the charitable and practising on the superstitions of the villagers . As a rule they make no real pretence of leading a religious life . They are said to number nearly a million . Many of them are known as " Jogi," and See also:

• LAY

lay claim to miraculous See also:

• POWERS, HIRAM (1805-1873)

powers which they declare have become theirs by the practice of See also:

• ABSTINENCE (from Lat. abstinere, to abstain)

abstinence and extreme austerities . The tortures which some of these wretches will inflict upon themselves are almost incredible . They will hold their arms over their heads until the muscles See also:

• ATROPHY (Gr. It- priv., rpo4, nourishment)

atrophy, will keep their fists clenched till the nails grow through the palms, will See also:

• LIE, JONAS LAURITZ EDEMIL (1833—1908)
• LIE, MARIUS SOPHUS (1842–1899)

lie on beds of nails, cut and stab themselves, See also:

• DRAG (from the Old Eng. dragan, to draw; the word preserves the g which phonetically developed into w)

drag, See also:

• WEEK (from A.S. wicu, Germanic *wikon, probably=change, turn)

week after week, enormous chains loaded with masses of See also:

• IRON [symbol Fe, atomic weight 55.85 (0=16)]

iron, or hang themselves llefore a See also:

• FIRE (in O. Eng. f j'r; the word is common to West German languages, cf. Dutch vuur, Ger. Feuer; the pre-Teutonic form is seen in Sanskrit pu, pavaka, and Gr. irup; the ultimate origin is usually taken to be a root meaning to purify, cf. Lat. purus)

fire near enough to scorch .

Most of them are inexpressibly filthy and verminous . Among the filthiest are the Aghoris, who preserve the ancient cannibal See also:

• RITUAL (from Lat. ritus, a custom, especially a religious rite or custom)

ritual of the followers of See also:

• SIVA

Siva, eat filth, and use a human See also:

• SKULL

skull as a drinking-See also:

• VESSEL (O. Fr. vaissel, from a rare Lat. vascellum, dim. of vas, vase, urn)

vessel . Formerly the fakirs were always nude and smeared with ashes; but now they are compelled to See also:

• WEAR

wear some pretence of clothing . The natives do not really respect these wandering friars, but they dread their curses . See See also:

• JOHN
• JOHN (1167–1216)
• JOHN (1290-c. 1320)
• JOHN (1296-1346)
• JOHN (1371–1419)
• JOHN (1468-1532)
• JOHN (1801-1873)
• JOHN (Heb. llni')
• JOHN (ZAPOLYA) (1487-1540)
• JOHN, 4TH MARQUESS OF TWEEDDALE (c. 1695-1762)
• JOHN, DON (1545-1578)
• JOHN, DON (1629–1679)
• JOHN, GOSPEL OF ST
• JOHN, or HAYS (1513–1571)
• JOHN, THE APOSTLE
• JOHN, THE EPISTLES OF

John See also:

• CAMPBELL, ALEXANDER (1788–1866)
• CAMPBELL, BEATRICE STELLA (Mrs PATRICK CAMPBELL) (1865– )
• CAMPBELL, GEORGE (1719–1796)
• CAMPBELL, JOHN
• CAMPBELL, JOHN (1708-1775)
• CAMPBELL, JOHN CAMPBELL, BARON (1779-1861)
• CAMPBELL, JOHN FRANCIS
• CAMPBELL, LEWIS (1830-1908)
• CAMPBELL, REGINALD JOHN (1867— )
• CAMPBELL, THOMAS (1777—1844)

Campbell See also:

• OMAN

Oman, The Mystics, Ascetics and See also:

• SAINTS, BATTLE OF THE

Saints of India (1903), and Indian See also:

• CENSUS (from Lat. censere, to estimate or assess; connected by some with centum, i.e. a count by hundreds)

Census Reports .