Flag- Taking and Water- Carring; Qalandar's and Fetyān's Legacies

Flag- taking– Jaridah Bardāri– and water- caring– Saqqāei– are examples of mourning rites in the month of Muharram which were established by Qalandariyah and Fetyān. Historical sources testify the prevalence of these rites among Fetyān during Ilkhānid and safavid period. According to treatises written on Futuwwat– Futuwwat Nāmeh–flag- taking and water- caring in the month of Moharram were performed among Sufi orders particularly Qalandars and did not have a common currency between other groups of mourners. These ritual were gradually noticed by others and became a part of shi،ite mourning rites for Imām Husein. In the Qājār and Pahlavi period، little by little the mentioned ritual found a popular acceptance and their Sufi origin were forgotten. Nevertheless the trace of them in Sufism is recognizable. The mourning attributed to water- carriers includes the remembrance of affliction and disasters suffered by the family of the prophet of Mohammad –Ahlal- Bayt– especially Husein ibn ‘Ali and his loyal followers، in the form of a group and harmonious lamentation without chest-beating and using instruments such as chain –zanjir–، cymbal– senj– and drum– tabl–. Jariden is a special flag which was put in the façade of Huseiniyeh or other mourning centers and carried in front of mourners’ group. There are authenticated documents which show around the end of Qājār period flag- taking in cities like kāshān has been prerogative of Qalandari groups and for carring of flag permission of their master– Bābā– has been necessary.