, 1873-07-27
The Shah as q Ru1er---His
Court.
Teheran as q Rosidenoo---Tho PEI
sian Women.
Manners and Customs---Cevcn
nious Visiting---Citlcs
Of Refuge.


one to oppose him-no middle class, no nobility,
no rich mon for tho theory OF tho Persian law
II TINT His Majesty 10 tho universal heir Of
Everybody In his domlnions. Every ono who
holds auy sort Of powor or authority is merely
creature Of tho shah's breath. uo could mako
d Primo Minister out Of a waser-carrior by
word, and hurl him down "a oasily. His wrath
III altogether surprising thing to modern
nhtionH. Now and then lo cauBcH aomo Holcmn-
looking Khan to bo aoized and tied with his faco
to donkey's tail. In this pitiablo plight ho is
marched about the capital and hn mouth ia
fillol with human cxcrcmont ut c7ury Rtroot-
corner.
Few Of tho public mon In porsla llave escaped
tho stick, and they actually goem to like 1t. It
is tor1iblo punishment, consisting Of blowa
with stout sticks, wieldod by stout arms, and ap-
piled to tho aoles Of tho foet It makoH tho worry
mills Of thom fall OF, and oblgos tho sureror to
koep his bed Tor rathor his carpet) In d rccum-
bent position for weeks or months Novorthe-
loss, 1t carries no disgrace with 1t, and Persian
Minister, onco speaking ovcn in private with a
British Envoy, said, mohninglY, 'Tho Shah is a
Very Groat King; worry great King, indood. Look
at my footl'' There was not q nail upon either
OF them.
Not long ago tho Sinh used himself to sit in
Judgment h.. tho fashion Of David aud Solo
mon. By simple horizontal motion Of tho
eight hand ~ ordored peoples heads to DO cut
OF by til" dozen, and ono Of his courtiora Saga
clously observed that hc always folt bis bend to
know II lfwaa really on whom ho quilted tho
royal Presence. Ono day, however, when tho
Ausaitn' Ambassador received an audience to
r. Y aes~ his credentials, a bloody head rolled
under his foot aud 80 startlod him that ho
begged such sighsa might not bo. forced on him
again. Since thon tho Shah does Luis killing pri-
vatoly-but he doos it. somo yoarB ago ho had
aoul7rit cut into forty piocoH. Thoro ia rcally
no law In Persia but his will. and this energetic
lighted to honor.
TIE COURT or PERSIA
Tho Persian court ia tho most brilliant in ASIA
and il auy QUO desires to know moro precisely
what that may mean, III the present day, it may
bo briefly described. Whom q foreign envoy is
about days journey from tho capital he halts
his caravan and ilfty-thEeo Of TUG principal ofh-
S al hs aon e him to e to hs ssos
very vol mounted, hut will not aoll any OF their
best horBes to tho Franks. In Persa q man's
rank ia estimated BY the size and height Of his
horse. The Persian magnates Ill rido tall horses
OF tho Turcoman breed, sp1enditlly capari-
sonod, with golden bits mud saddlo-olotha
wrought with embroidery and precious stonoa.
Each magnato has cloud Of armod servants
mounted behind him, and these follows gsllop
round and round In circles to show OF their
lorsomnnshp. Their horses' tails and their own
boards arc ofton dyed a bright red, like to no.h-
ing in nature. Their hair is also dyed from their
earliest youth with mixture OF indigo and hon.
M. Most Of tho court diguitariss wear tho atar
of the Order Of tho Lion and tho Sun, decora-
ton nrsk invented by Sir John Malcolm, an
English General.
When tho now Ambassador has boon duly
escorted to his residence according to custom,
the courtiera send him preseuta Of fruit, money,
loaves Of sugar, ten, and sour cream. Shortly
King Of Kings. The Shah receives him in o RAM
bling, desolate building, very little bottor than
barn in 4 civilized country, aud says fow words,
OF course. to him, his Ministers looking gravely
tho intoryiow,. which lasts about ton minutes,
and thon tho Ambassador roturns on
horseback, as he came, to his own reei-
doncc. uo docs not SEQ much Of tho shah
eolno special occasion. There are no court fcs-
sivlties, no Invitations to dinner except upon
Bomo great oyent. It must be admitted that
when such inyitations do come they arc vol
his second SOL heir to tho throne there WAS
very grand banquet. All tho diplomatic corpa
were present, aud toasted with the Ministers in
room apsr9t the 81 shgh !; dIi9ing alone Ike
took place in broad daylight at III carly hour,
and which, BY tho way, was abomnab1y bnd, md
served III the Russian faHhion-tho diplomatic
:orps wero entertained with q Persian play, por-
astonishing exhibition conceivable. Nothing
probably had been seou like it out Of Persia
Binco tile destruction Of Gomorrhn. A good deal
of vino, especially Of indifferent champagne, was
proposed and honored in tho Bamo way nB alBo-
whore. Then thero WAS brilliant display Of
fireworks; but the Porsians aro an carly people,
and all tho court festivities wore ovor at about
moro dingy At es{hor timoa. 9fhoro Is no c court @
drena. no splendor belonging, to it., Whenever
aubje-t Is bound to ruhh off at once to tho
royal proBenco, whatevor he may bo doing, aud
courtierB appear out Of brcath and covered with
dust from the hasto thoy lave made to obey tho
royal mandate. The expenses Of tho shalts5
household arc not great. He can hardly spend
moro than COS 900 Or 100000 (s15o000) ycnr
for tho support Of himself and wiyes, with all
worry poorly kept, and the Indies have boen known
to complain that they have not enough to ont
They arc also ill-drosBod. Tho 6hah himself is
sparo cater. 4 littlo rico and roast With somo
whole Of lis daily faro. In hia own country ho
drank no vino, but has gono to tho
bad in this respect siuco he wont abroad. It ie
said that he got his English doctor, Sir Joseph
einai!y, and tho Doctor hss just boon knightod
for bis readiness to understand q hint. As the
Shah has been ralgning now since 1918, and
spends SO nttlo money, he must have immonHo
savings, Tor Lis revenues, OF which lo has tho
uncontrolled disposal exceed ca ,o0o, 900 yearly.
Ho is very nraricious and grasplng. Thoro
must be IN enormous troasuro hidden away
eomowloro. Perhaps tho Russians will got It
when thoy sack Teheran as they certainly will
do somo day or other.
TEuEHAN A6 A RESIDENCE.
It would be dialoult to imagine moro deHo-
late place OF abode than tho capital OF PerBa.
1t ia struggling collection OF houses, rarely
moro than ono story high. and thoro Is no part
Of tho city it It Gun DO callod a city, which do
Ieryon tho namo Of a atreat or square. Thero
a.o no places OF public amusement no buildings
OF any Importance. Tho money which should Or
all in tho shal's pocket. Indeed, It would
be IN the highoat degroo dangerous for Persian
to live in huch o manuor az to Indicate to
his Government that ho might DO squeezed
with good results. Now and thon a
ely polaon treata himself to soft cnrpeta aud
delicate food, and he hangs fow fawcd aud
generally worthless jewels about his womanhind; !;