The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1883-04-14
LIGHTS OF THE HARENr.
Heaations Of the ChieS EsuueA aua
AAs Charges I'm tue Palace.

Ii must not be supposed that euDachs
are particularly Turkish or Mobamme-
dan Institution. They were known in the
East and formed a portion of the house
hold OF Oriental monarchs long before the
Arabian prophets or the Turks were ever
heard of. Such guardians were to he
found even at the Court of the BYZANTINE
enperors and the founders of the Otto
man Empire adopted them with other
attributes OF sovereign State in throwing
OIL all semblance of subiection to the Sell
Jueklan sultans. Aping the example OF
| theirrsosereigns the great pachas went in
for the same custom, placing the care of
their females under one or more such
qualified guardians. OF late years the
employment of eunuchs has gone greatly
out OF fashion, ordinary male attendants
being in charge of the ladies when taking
their walks abroad. This is due in a meas
ure, fancy, to the more humane ana en-
| llghtened ideas with regard to their fami-
/ y life, that set in with the advent to the
throne of Abdul Aziz. He abroeafed the
cruel law by which none of the male chill
dren born OF sultans were allowed to sur
yiye their birth, and no princess 10 have
sons that might become possible pretend
ers to the throne. The birth of his own
son, Ynsuf lzzedin, was kent carefully
concealed, and when this became 10 long
er necessary he rejoieed the hearts of his
sisters by allowing them the same priyi-
leges as all Moslem women, whose great
est desire is to become the mother of a
male child.
/ HE time however is within fhe rec0t-
lection OF many persons at Constantinople
when no carriage with Turkish ladies was
to be seen unaccompanied by mounted
eunuchs, armed with keen cutting scimi
tafs, which they were apt to use oil the
!, slightest proyocation. There is a gentle
J man still TO be met with out here who oh
tanned handsome indemnity from the
Porte for the severe punishment he ~
J ceiyed at the hands Of "A eunueh for what
! the latter considered impertinent glances
: thrown by 'sGhiaour'' in the direction
of the fair True Believers" promenadinr
: the sweet waters under his care. 70 re-
: turn, however, to the subject Of the Oar
: usseadet-Oghasse.' This high office was
only instituted in the reign of Sultan
t Murad III, and the first person appointed
f was negro, called Mehmet Agha. His
: successor was white eunuch, tor it was
a the fashion to have these guardians o.
/ both colors.
{ Several of the keepers Of the .sGate OF
t Felicity" have been men of marked abiI;ty
Y and some of them Of considerable attaia.
$ ments, SO that it is not surprising 10 find
g they should occasionally have been trans
Y ferred from The domestic to the public
0 service. Such advancement, however
e has never fallen TO the lot of other Than
II white eunuehes.
g Two OF these latter egen became graad
II viziers-ihe one certain Khadt1m messih
# Pacha in the reign Of Selim [, and thf
other Kurdjis Mehemet Pa,.ha in that Of
the first Sultan Achment Others again
have had the title of Sadr-Azane (Grane
Vizier) bestowed upon them without tn,
. office, and We're styled highness just al
Beiram Agha is in the presant dav
= While the 'tGate Of Felicity has thus lee
TO great honors in the past to some Of ii
: guardians it has, in the case of others. bu
: proved the portal Of death by the bow
= strings and yataghan, for Ottoman mon
: archs We're mighty jealous of their honor
y and the slightest suspicion Of anything
= being wrong in the harem was won't t.
send many an inmate TO the bottom of til,
I. Bospherus, together with those who wer
:. supposed to have shoWna lack Of vigilance
- The chief eunuch enjoys great power i
- In the harem, and although the days Q
= the sack" and 'beWstringn are past it /
= decidedly bad for the lady who falls OF
= with the guardian of the gate, for he ca
'is make her close prisoner and deprive he
of all comfort.
ed
IN The supreme court of Rhode Island liz
ne gwen an opinion that the General Assem-
.p. bly, has no power to call convention /
..aagm -. ~.