The Osceola times., 1883-04-14
LIGHTS OF THE HAREM
Relations of the Chief Eunuch and His
Charges In the Palace.
Con,isntinople Cor. of the n. Y. Herald.

Constantinople Cor. of the \. Y. Herald.
II must not lie supposed that eunuchs
are particularly Turkish or Mohamme-
dan institution. They were known in
the East and formed a portion of the
household of Oriental monarchs long be-
fore the Arabian prophesies of the Turks
were ever heard of. Such guardians
were TO be found even at the Court of the
Byzantine Emperors and the founders of
the Ottoman Empire adopted them with
other attributes of sovereign State in
throwing off all semblance Of subsection
to the Seljucxian Sultans.
Aping the example oftheir sovereigns,
the great Pachas went in for the same
castom, placing the care of their females
under one or more such qualified guard
dians. OF late years the employment of
eunuchs has gone greatly out of fashion,
ordinary male attendants being sent in
charge of the ladies when taking their
walks abroad
This is due in a measure, fancy, TO the
more humane and enlightened ideas
with regard to their family life that set
in with the advent 10 the throne of Abdul
Aziz. He abrogated the cruel law by
which none of the male children born of
Sultans were allowed to survive their
birth, and no princess to have sons that
might become possible pretenders to the
throne.
The birth of his own son Yusuf Izzedin,
was kept carefully concealed, and when
this became no longer necessary he re-
joiced the hearts of his sisters by allowing
them the same privileges as ali Moslem
women, whose greatest desire is to be-
come the mother of male child.
The time, however is within the recol-
lection of many persons at Constantine
pie when no carriage with Turkish ladies
was TO be seen unaccompanied by mount
ed eunuchs, armed with keen cutting
scimitars, which they were apt to use on
the slightest proyocaiion.
There is a gentleman still to be met
with out here who obtained a handsome
indemnity from the Porte for the severe
punishment he received at the hands Of
cunuch for what the latter considered
impertinent glances thrown by "Ghia-
our III the direction of the fair "True
Believers" promenading the sweet wa.
tiers under his care.
To return, however, to the subject OF
the "Darusseadet-Oghas This high Of
flee was only instituted in the reign Of
Sultan Murad Ill, and the first person
appointed was negro called Mehemet
Agha. His successor was white eunuch
for it was the fashion to have them guar
dams OF both colors.
Several of the keepers Of the Gate of
Felicity" have been men Unmarked abl-
ity, and some of them of considerable at
tanments, so that it is not surprising TO
find they should occasionally have been
transferred from the domestic to the
public service. Such advancement, how
ever, has never fallen to the lot of other
than white cunuchs. Two of these latter
even became grand viziers-the one a
certain Khadum Messih Pacha in the
reign OF Selim !, and the other Kurdjis
Mehemet Pacha in that of the first Sui.
tan Achmet. Others again. have had the
title Of Sadr-Azane (Grand Vizier) be.
slowed upon them without tn Office, and
were styled highness, just as Beiram Agha
is in the present day.
While the "Gate of Felicity" has thus
led to great honors in the pastto some of
its guardians it has, in the case OF Others,
but proved the portal of death by the
bowstring and yataghan, for Ottoman
monarchs were mighty jealous of their
honor and the slightest suspicion of any
thing being wrong in the harem was
wont to send many al inmate to the bot
tom of the Bosphorus, together with
those who were supposed to have shown
lack of vigilance. The chief eunuch
enjoys great power in the harem, and al
though the days of the sack" and "bow-
string are past it is decidedly bad for
the lady who falls out with the guardian
OF the gate, for he can make her close
prisoner and deprive her of all comfort.