Akbar, Emperor of India by Richard von Garbe
page 36 of 47 (76%)
page 36 of 47 (76%)
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children are said to have learned to speak with extraordinary
difficulty as was to be expected. [Footnote 35: J.T. Wheeler, IV, I, 174; Noer, I, 511, 512. A familiar classical parallel to this incident is the experiment recorded by Herodotus (II, 2) which the Egyptian king Psammetich is said to have performed with two infants. It is related that after being shut up in a goat's stable for two years separated from all human intercourse these children repeatedly cried out the alleged Phrygian word [Greek: bekhos], "bread," which in reality was probably simply an imitation of the bleating of the goats. Compare Edward B. Tyler, _Researches into the Early History of Mankind_. 2nd edition, (London, 1870), page 81: "It is a very trite remark that there is nothing absolutely incredible in the story and that _Bek, bek_ is a good imitative word for bleating as in [Greek: blêchhaomai, mêkhaomai], _blöken, meckern_, etc." Farther on we find the account of a similar attempt made by James IV of Scotland as well as the literature with regard to other historical and legendary precedents of this sort in both Orient and Occident.] Akbar's repugnance to Islam developed into a complete revulsion against every thing connected with this narrow religion and made the great Emperor petty-souled in this particular. The decrees were dated from the death of Mohammed and no longer from the Hejra (the flight from Mecca to Medina). Books written in Arabic, the language of the Koran were given the lowest place in the imperial library. The knowledge of Arabic was prohibited, even the sounds characteristically belonging to this language were avoided.[36] Where formerly according to ancient tradition had stood the word _Bismilâhi_, "in the name of God," there now appeared the old war cry _Allâhu akbar_ "God is great," which came into use the more generally--on coins, documents, |
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