The Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians - Assignment Example

The of the book, “ The Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians”, Mr. Edward William Lane was a d a lexicographer, a great orientalist and a translator. He is well known for his work of translation in the form of the book – “The Arabian Night’s Entertainment”. When still young, he began the study of Arabic on his own. For the betterment of his health and also for pursuing his career, he went to Egypt. After going there he realized the problem of barrier of language, because language was the main source of communication with the Egyptians. He learned Arabic within a span of just one year and could easily communicate with the people. In his three years stay in Egypt, he made minute observations of the lifestyle of the locals and tried to study the Egyptian Culture. He was so fascinated by their culture that he too adapted himself to that lifestyle. He mingled with the locals and dressed himself like a Turk. He made notes of whatever he witnessed or heard in that country. He could speak impeccable Arabic, which is why it was easier for him to communicate with the people. He was so determined to learn the Arabic culture that he went to the extent of staying in the tomb at the pyramid in the company of mummies. In the year 1826 he went to the Nile and took pains to make the records of his observations and also to gain accurate knowledge of the culture. He not only traveled as a traveler but made acute observations of everything he experienced as a scholar. He was very curious to learn about the antiquities of this country, which seemed very interesting to him. He did not want to visit Egypt with the sole purpose of traveling but he was interested in their literature, manners, customs and traditions. According to the writer Jason Thompson, Lane was a bit apprehensive of traveling to Egypt because of the preconceived notions of the Egyptian people. He found everything very mysterious. When Lane decided to travel to Egypt in the early 19th century, it was governed by Muhammad Ali Pasha, who ruled the country like a sovereign monarch. The law and order in the country was very strict under his rule. But he had made things easier for the travelers like Lane, who enjoyed moving around freely and fearlessly in Egypt. Thus all his apprehensions soon vanished after reaching the country. He was very well aware, that if he has to explore this highly superstitious and highly religious country, he would have to adopt the lifestyle of the people and become one of them. Only then will he be able to know the minutest details of their culture, customs and traditions. He realized that if he showed respect and liking for their culture, the people would be more willing to inform him about everything he wanted. And this really worked wonders for him. His efforts not only got him recognition as a great scholar and writer but also as a great observer of Egyptian Culture. His work helped to wipe out the wrong notions in the mind of the Europeans about the Egyptians. Lane should be given the credit for his invaluable contribution because it was because of his efforts and the efforts of other Egyptologists, that the Englishmen developed positive attitude towards these people and started taking more interest in them. The aim behind taking these painstaking efforts was to make a guideline for all the travelers who would intend to travel to this country. It is very important for a traveler to make sure that he knows everything thoroughly about the culture, climate, food, modes of transport etc. of the place he is visiting so that he doesn’t face a cultural shock when he travels to that place. Thus his memoirs were later published in the form of a book, “The Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians” in the year 1836 and it was a huge success. This book was a classic that provided valuable information to the travelers and scholarly writers. Later, other writers like Sir Richard Burton followed the footsteps of Edward Lane in contributing towards the study of Muslim Culture. He was so enthralled by this culture that he acquired the name of “Mansur Effendi”, which was engraved on his sealed ring, that he wore on the little finger of his right hand just like an Egyptian would do. In this book we find detailed accounts of the Egyptian cultural aspects, which are replete with accurate readings and observations and beautiful sketches. When Edward had written these accounts which were yet to be published, the publishers in England were not very keen in printing this book as they were not aware of the Egyptian Culture and it was totally new to them. They also feared that this book would not receive good response. Later it was seen and appreciated by Lord Brougham, who recommended its acceptance in the society. But in order to give it a more touch of perfection, Edward Lane visited Egypt once again and penetrated deep into the Egyptian Culture. The book was ready with the woodcut illustrations drawn on the blocks by Lane. Later there were remarkable changes in the customs and traditions in Egypt in the coming centuries. But we can experience the real Egyptian antiquities through the eyes of Lane only. There can’t be any substitute to his work or it can’t be reconstructed as brilliantly as Lane did. Edward Lane has described in the preface of this book about his relentless efforts to get acquainted to the Arabic Culture. He not only adopted their attire but also gave up the habits of Englishmen of eating in a specific manner and drinking. He refrained from eating food, which was forbidden by their religion, stopped using knives and forks during meals and avoided doing everything, which would distance him from Arabs. Thus by doing so he attained their confidence, which was a great achievement indeed. He observed that Muslims are the strict followers of their religion. They do not speak freely about their religion in front of those who do not have any respect for their religion and their sentiments. But they very openly speak with those who believe in their religion and have respect for it. Thus we come to know that Muslims are highly religious and they are the strict followers of their religion and the most sacred book of ‘ Kuran’. His endeavor needed lot of dedication and sacrifice. He was so used to their customs and lifestyle, that when he retuned home he had a culture shock. He was used to sitting on Divans, carpets and cushions when in Egypt, and that is why he was not able to tolerate the hardness of English furniture. He loved Egypt more than his country. In this book Edward Lane tries to compare his work with those of other writers. He tells us that in Russell’s account of Aleppo he has written more about Turkish people rather than Arabs. He was not well versed in Arabic language and hence failed to understand the intricacies of Arabic culture like their religious ceremonies, superstitions and their beliefs and opinions. In other works about the Arabian culture too, writers have written their general observations and have explained in detail about their culture. We feel that Lane’s efforts of writing this book were paid off, when we read his following sentence quoted in this book – “Thus I believe, I have acquired their good opinion, and much of their confidence; though not to such an extent as to prevent my having to contend with my difficulties”. In his introduction to the “Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians”, the writer describes that the peculiarities of the manners, customs and character are attributed to the physical peculiarities of the country”. And these causes affected the social and moral state of the Egyptian Nation. Lane has given a very detailed account of the social, cultural, geographical, economical and psychological aspects of Egyptians. When he sailed up the river Nile (the pride of Egypt), he was able to view the fantastic Panorama on both the sides of the river. He has very beautifully described his observations of the river Nile, palm groves, deserts and villages that are intersected by canals. The Egyptians are entirely dependent on the river Nile for water, which is required for the fertilization of soil as rain is a very rare phenomenon in their country. The climate in Egypt is extremely salubrious for the major part of the year. The season of autumn is less healthy as compared to summer and winter and causes diseases like ophthalmia and dysentery. Hot southerly winds start blowing at the beginning of April until May and last for about three days. The temperature rises up to 105 degrees, which is beyond tolerance even for the natives. People are affected by the disease of plague especially in the spring season. In winter the temperature is between 50 to 60 degrees and in summer it rises up to 100 degrees, which is highly oppressive. The climate is usually dry. In spring, summer and winter there is a nuisance of flies that are in abundance and keep annoying you. And at night the mosquitoes are very troublesome. The climate of Upper Egypt is healthier than that of Lower Egypt. The percentage of illnesses is more and the medical aid is very less. So considering these problems a traveler can decide as to what would be the appropriate time to visit Egypt. A traveler should also know about the historical background of that region and its inhabitants. So that he is mentally prepared to behave accordingly with those people without hurting their sentiments. Egypt is inhabited by Muslims of Arabian origin for many centuries. They have changed the language, manners and laws of this country over a period of time. They have made the metropolis as the principal seat of learning Arabic and the Arabic arts. Masr or Cairo can be considered as the first Arab city of our age. The customs and manners of the people in this city are really very interesting. They are the combination of those from the towns of Syria, the whole of Northern Africa and a great degree of Turkey. Thus Cairo has the most civilized classes of Arabs. From the study of the populace here, we can conclude that Muslim Egyptians compose almost four-fifths of the population of the metropolis and just seven-eighths of entire Egypt. The history of Egypt and its people is very interesting. The Egyptian Muslims have descended from various Arab Tribes and families, from different periods. Egypt was first conquered by ‘Amr’, the first Arab governor. The changes in the lifestyle of the people were so remarkable, that they were entirely different from the natives of Arabia. The reasons behind these changes were mainly the intermarriages between the Copts and the other people who had become the followers of Islam and who had come to settle there after the conquest of Egypt. The people who were so far living the lives of wanderers suddenly attained the status of agriculturists. So they cannot be considered less than genuine Arabs. They had the custom of keeping female Abyssinian slaves either instead of marrying the women of their own country or keeping them besides their Arab wives. Thus they had close resemblance to the native Arabs. The native Muslim inhabitants of Cairo call themselves as “El – Masreeyeen” or Owlad Masr, which signifies children of Masr. And the country people or agriculturists called themselves “El-Felláheen” The normal heights of men are five feet eight or nine inches and have a robust personality whereas the women have a beautiful form and are plump. Neither of them, women nor men is too fat. The people who are not overexposed to sunlight have a yellowish and very clear complexion and their skin is very soft. Lane has very beautifully described the features of men and women, which are generally good looking. One of the most important things, which he has mentioned, is that most of the countrymen or Bedawees have the habit of half shutting their eyes or most of them are blind in one eye or both the eyes. This is mainly because of the overexposure of the sun. He has very vividly described their unique way of keeping their moustaches and the beard. The beard is so important to them that they swear by it. Lot of significance is associated with beard. If a person committed any crime he was given the punishment of either shaving it fully or growing it so long so as to hinder him from eating and drinking. The dyeing of hair or beard is not practiced here. A person with gray beard is much respected. The Arabs in general shave their head for the sake of cleanliness. The dress of a middle class or a higher middle class man is made up of a pair of full drawers made up of linen or cotton, which is tied round the body with the help of a running string or a band, the ends of which are embroidered with silk threads. They wear a robe, which is generally white in color. The dress is called as ‘Libas’ in Arabic. The next they wore in winter is “Sudeyree” which is a short vest of cloth or of striped colored silk or cotton without sleeves. On this Sudeyree they were Kaftan or Kuftan, which has long sleeves descending towards ankles up to fingers. Their head is covered with a cap, which is made out of cotton or Linen. Prophet had prohibited men from using dresses made of silk, however very few men abided by this rule. Women were allowed to wear silk dresses. The men wore seal ring on the little finger of the right hand. It was generally made of silver, with carnelion or other stone and the word “servant” (means servant to God) was engraved upon it. Prophet Mohammed had also prohibited men from using Gold so only few men used gold rings. But the women used all sort of ornaments made from gold (eg. Rings, bracelets etc.) The seal ring was also used for signing letters and was considered to be more valuable than the actual signed document. So giving ring to the other person was a mark of confidence. The Arabs have been following the same way of dressing since so many centuries and there hasn’t been any change in all these years. Thus we find varieties of attire worn by different people depending on their class, grade and sex. The travelers will surely be amused by this information and will be eager to visit Egypt. Then the writer goes on to describe the beauty of women. The women are generally fair, with large and black almond shaped eyes and long eyelashes. Their eyes have soft and bewitching expressions. The women often blacken the edges of the eyelids by using black kohl powder. This Kohl was produced by either burning “liban”, an aromatic resin or by burning shells of almonds. Applying of Kohl was not only significant from the medical point of view but it was also used to enhance the beauty of that person. Kohl was used by both men and women since ancient times. This ancient custom of applying kohl on the edges of eyelids is practiced even till the present day. The same custom even existed among the ancient Greek and Jewish ladies. The eyes of the Egyptian ladies are the most beautiful of their features. The writer is very much impressed by the loveliness and sweetness of their expressions. The noses of women are generally straight and the lips are fuller. Their hairs are also deep black and glossy, best suited to their fair complexions. The Arabic women generally applied henna powder that was made out of leaves of henna tree, to certain parts of their palms and toes. The writer has given detailed description of applying Henna, right from the process of making henna to its application on palms and toes. He has described it along with the beautiful drawings. Then there was also a custom of making indelible marks of hue on the chin, hands or some other exposed parts of the body. It was done with the help of several needles by pricking them in the skin in a desired pattern. Another characteristic of Egyptian women is their knack of carrying heavy earthen pots on their head. Their dress was also very unique and elegant. They too wore a shirt, which was comparatively shorter than men, not reaching the knees. It was made up of the same materials as that of men generally made of colored crape or sometimes black. They also wore wide trousers called “Shintiyan” made up of cotton or silk, which was striped or printed. A very interesting thing about them is that while uttering the oath “Wa-hayat maksoosee”, the women swear by their side-locks, by holding it in hand, just like the men who swear by their beard. They often covered their faces with veils, which was called as “burko”. The writer has also focussed on the social issues like that of infancy, education and industry. He deals with the issues of small kids and their upbringing. The child is brought up with utmost care and with strict discipline. Disobedience with parents by that child is considered to be one of the greatest sins as those mentioned in the six sins like idolatry, murder, falsely implicating a modest woman of adultery etc. The child is expected to be humble with the parents. The thing, which amazed the writer when he first entered the country, was that the women dressed their children shabbily and often left them unwashed. When asked about the reason behind this, it was explained to him that they did this mainly to protect them from evil’s eye. The parents very rarely pay attention the education of their children and mainly focus on imbibing the religious values. In school he is taught to love his own religion and hate the other religions like Christianity. He is taught to chant the whole or certain portions of Kuran. Then they learn the rules of arithmetic. The female students are seldom given education in schools. Instead they are taught needlework and embroidery. The concepts of religion and law have lot of significance in Egypt. The difference of opinion in the perception of religion by different people has divided them into four sects, namely “Hanafees”, “Shafe’ees”, “Malikees” and “Hambelees”. Those who are the strict followers of the traditions are called as “Sunnees,” and those who are not strict followers of their religion are termed as heretics. These people are very sensitive about their religion and consider religion above everything. The writer has given detailed information about their religion and how they follow it. The Laws are also very strict in Egypt. In chapter IV, the writer has described about the governance in the country of Egypt. The government of Egypt, right from the period of the conquest of this country by the Arabs till the present, has been nearly the same as it is at present, so far as the customs and manners are concerned. It should, however, be mentioned that the people of Egypt are not now allowed to indulge in that excessive fanatical rudeness with which they formerly treated unbelievers; and hence European travelers have one great cause for gratitude to Mohammad Alee. Thus we feel that the Egyptians will get rid of that fanaticism in the coming years. The Law is very strict here. Those who are involved in petty crimes are given the punishment of removing rubbish or cleaning canals. Whereas serious offences like thefts, murder etc., are entitled to death sentence. The police of the metropolis are more under the influence of the military rather than the civil court. The inhabitants of the country-towns and villages are under the government of Turkish officers and of their own countrymen. The domestic life of Egyptians is also very interesting. A man or a person who has attained manhood is generally referred to as “Sheykh”, which means an elder or aged person. But it is more commonly used as we refer to the males as “mister”. The general appellation for the lady is ”sitt” that signifies a lady or a mistress. The Egyptians go to sleep early and rise early, as they have to say morning prayers. Their meal or breakfast generally consists of bread, with eggs, butter, cheese, clouted cream, or curdled milk, etc. There is a custom of washing hands before and after having the meal. They remember god before they star to eat. The common beverage used is Sherbet. Lane has given a detailed account on the marriages. The girls are generally married at a tender age of twelve years. It is a custom to marry the first cousin and they have respect for each other because of the blood relation that binds them together. There is also a freedom of intercourse with the fellow men and it is further and very greatly promoted by the law of the separation of the sexes, as it enables him to associate with others, regardless of difference of wealth or station, without the risk of occasioning unequal matrimonial connections. The women, like the men, enjoy extensive intercourse with persons of their own sex. The Muslims are extremely formal and regular in their social manners; though generally very easy in their demeanor, and free in their conversation. Thus we can say that the book “Manners and Customs of Modern Egyptians” by Edward Lane is a very precious book which is written after so much of research and experience. Egyptian Culture had a great impact on Lane. He did not visit Egypt as a mere traveler but he lived there as an Egyptian. This book is more than a mere travelogue. He did the most commendable job of preserving the culture and heritage of Egyptians in the form of this book, which will continue to help the travelers in future also. This book is a journey into the heart of the Egyptian culture than merely a journey to Egypt. Although Lane has depicted negative and positive aspects of the Egyptian Culture in this book, he is successful in arousing curiosity among the readers and they will definitely like to visit this country at least once in a lifetime. Sources Cited: 1. Book by Edward Lane - “Manners and Customs of Modern Egyptians” 2. Book by Edward Lane and Stanley Poole – “An Account of the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians”. 3. Book – Translated by Edward Lane and edited by Stanley Poole – “The Arabian Night’s Entertainment – Vol IV”. 4. Book by Edward Lane - Description of Egypt – “Notes and Views in Egypt and Nubia” Read More