Chapter TATTY to TAZEEA of T by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

[TAWEEZ, s. Ar. ta’wiz, lit. ‘praying for protection by invoking God, or by uttering a charm’; then ‘an amulet or phylactery’; and, as in the quotation from Herklots, ‘a structure of brick or stone-work over a tomb.’

[1819.—“The Jemidar…as he is very superstitious, all his stud have turveez or charms.…”—Lt.-Col. Fitzclarence, Journal of a Route across India, 144.

[1826.—

“Let her who doth this Taweey wear,
Guard against the Gossein’s snare.”

Pandurang Hari, ed. 1873, i. 148.

[1832.—“The generality of people have tombs made of mud or stone…forming first three square taweezes or platforms.…”—Herklots, Qanoon-e-Islam, 2nd ed. 284.]

[TAZEE, s. Pers. tazi, ‘invading, invader,’ from taz, ‘running.’ A favourite variety of horse, usually of Indian breed. The word is also used of a variety of greyhound. [c. 1590.—“Horses have been divided into seven classes.…Arabs, Persian horses, Mujannas, Turki horses, Yabus (see YABOO) and Janglah horses.…The last two classes are also mostly Indian breed. The best kind is called Tází.”—Ain, i. 234–5.

1839.—“A good breed of the Indian kind, called Tauzee, is also found in Bunnoo and Damaun.…”—Elphinstone, Caubul, ed. 1842, i. 189.

[1883.—“The ‘Tazzies,’ or greyhounds are not looked upon as unclean.…”—Wills, Modern Persia, ed. 1891, p. 306.]

TAZEEA, n. A.—P.—H. ta’ziya, ‘mourning for the dead.’ In India the word is applied to the taboot, or representations, in flimsy material, of the tombs of Hussein and Hassan which are carried about in the Muharram (see MOHURRUM) processions. In Persia it seems to be applied to the whole of the mystery-play which is presented at that season. At the close of the procession the ta’ziyas must be thrown into water; if there be no sufficient mass of water they should be buried. [See Sir L. Pelly, The Miracle Play of Hasan and Husain.] The word has been carried to the W. Indies by the coolies, whose great festival (whether they be Mahommedans or Hindus) the Muharram has become. And the attempt to carry the Tazeeas through one of the towns of Trinidad, in spite of orders to the contrary, led in the end of 1884 to a sad catastrophe. [Mahommedan Lascars have an annual celebration at the London Docks.]

1809.—“There were more than a hundred Taziyus, each followed by a long train of Fuqueers, dressed in the most extravagant manner, beating their breasts…such of the Mahratta Surdars as are not Brahmuns frequently construct Taziyus at their own tents, and expend large sums of money upon them.”—Broughton, Letters, 72; [ed. 1892, 53].

1869.—“En lisant la description…de ces fêtes on croira souvent qu’il s’agit de fêtes hindous. Telle est par exemple la solennité du ta’zia ou devil, établie en commemoration du martyre de Huçaïn, laquelle est semblable en bien de points à celle du Durga-pujâ.…Le ta’ziya dure dix jours comme le Durga-pujâ. Le dixième jour, les Hindous précipitent dans la rivière la statue de la déesse au milieu d’une foule immense, avec un grand appareil et au son de mille instruments de musique; la même chose a lieu pour les représentations du tombeau de Huçain.”—Garcin de Tassy, Rel. Musulm. p. 11.