Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-02-11
THE PERSIAN SHAH.

Nusr-ed-Deen Shah, the reigning SOW
| ereign of Persia, is Il man of good
and progressive ideas, periodically i'm
| clined, but often hampered by the char
acter of his ent0nrage and the menac-
| ing aspect of Russia, frowning upon
any progress in Persia that would tend
| to add to the independence of an an
cient monarchy that she hopes eventual
| ly to absorb without resistance-a prob
| lem that, in my opinion, is not likely to
be as easy as she supposes. The Shah
is man fond of the chase, a bold and
| skillful marksman, of social disposition,
and prefers, as far as possible, to drop
| the irksome ceremonies of state which
surround him. On one occasion he said
to an elegant and accomplished Persian
| gentleman whom he had honored by n
visit to his superb country-seat, .'If only
/ could for a while lay aside the embar-
easements of my position, how / should
enjoy free conversation with gen.
tleman of your tastes and culturem
| He gives an audience to his ministers
every morning about six, receives their
reports, and gives his orders for the adj
ministration of affairs. In the after
noon, and sometimes in the evening, he
engages in social converse with one or
more of his favorite courtiers, or listens
to the reading of foreign periodicals.
| On such occasions there is sometimes a
| freedom of expression allowed his cour-
tiers which in former reigns would have
cost them their heads. But Nusr-ed-
Deem Shah is man of noble and gen
erous impulses.
The tendency to modify the strictness
| of the court etiquette at Teheran is
shown by the manner of receiving for
eign ministers His Majesty receives
them standing at the upper end of the
audience chamber, which is the mag
nificent hall containing part of the
crown jewels, when an audience is
| granted to the entire diplomatic corps
on state occasions. When an audience
is given to single person for special
object, the king receives him in one OF
the smaller but scarcely less splendid
apartments of the palace. Nothing fur
Their is required of the minister except
to leave his galoches, or outer shoes, at
the gate of the palace. He is attended
by the Zahiri Doulch; or master of cere-
monies, and when the massive embroid-
cred porter is raised and discloses the
Shah-in-Shah opposite him, respondent
in rubies and diamonds, he bows, and
repeats this mark of respect when he
has reached his Majesty, who stands as
near to him rs two gentlemen in ordin.
airy conversation. The minister re-
mains covered, as indicating the equal
| ity of the two powers, and waits for the
Shah to begin the conversation. which
becomes free and easy if his Majesty is
in pleasant humor, or is favorably in.
clined to the minister and his country
The Shah speaks French, and some
times condescends for a moment to dis
pense with the court interpreter anc
converse directly with the minister, al
though such condescension may be ac
cepted as mark of high favor. In for
mer days the Shah would terminate thu
audience by saying, You have leave tt
retire, but the present king simply
keeps silent or takes a step back, which
is the signal for the minister to withdraw
from the blessed presence" taking
care not to turn his back to the king un
til he reaches the door. This man9uvr
is not an easy one when the entire di
plomatic corps at Teheran is forced t,
retire down Il hall over hundred ant
fifty feet in length, and to be careful
not to stumble over the chairs of heater
gold on either hand, and to avoid slip
ping on the highly polished pavemen
of variegated tiles S. q. ". Benjd
min, IN Hatper's Magazine for Jana
ara.