The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-07-25
TNR SHAFTS AAREAI.
Some Account OF this Ladies Who Che
the Persian Potentate's Hours.
-. nj. 9th.

Some Account OF this Ladies' Who Chez
the Persian PotsntatS's Hours.
London Modern Society,
Without indiscretion, 1t may be noted
that the denizens OF the royal seragliC
belonging to his interesting majesty
who are under the care OF the Koji
Bashi, or chief eunuch and his fellows,
are about three hundred; that Of these
three hundred many are children, and
two hundred, at least, are simply ser
wants, q large number being negresses,
Each office OF the Persian court has its
corresponding dignity In the anderun,
Few additions have been made OF late
years to the number Of inmates OF the
royal seragllo and 1t contains absolutely
no European or male person over the
age Of II years, Each royal faxarite has
her separate pavilion and her staff OF
servants, her eQuipage, her jewels and
her revenue, The principal iavorite
generally has some Understanding title
conferred upon her such as 1.-THE delight
Of the state"
The ladies' are never seen abroad un-
yelled, save ono or two OF the handsomer
or Eighty o. the number, who sometimes,
when driving in their "glass coaches"
purposely give a rather liberal display OF
tlorid charms TO passers.by in carriages
or on horseback, The legends OF tat
tooed Greek princes Notwithstanding, II
Is quite certain that, us a rule, no man
save the king enters the royal harem, or,
having done so, leaves 1t alive. Some
years ago an unfortunate workman,
while engaged in e~xcavating u water.
course, suddenly found himself in tho
royal harem and nearly died OF fright
accordingly (by the way, the indoor dress
worn by Persian ladies has been de-
sCribod as precisely resembling the Co.'S
tune ola ballet girl, minusthe maillot),
but the king, seeing how the matter
stood, pardoned him.
The means OF getting rid OF those who
have ceased to please is simple and yet
ingenious. There Is no sewing up in
sacks, no casting from towers, no bow,
string, no poisoning. Some provincial
general Is informed that he will be
favored with u wife from the royal
harem. To refuse is impossible; the dis
gusted lady arrives and is placed at the
head OF her new husbands household.
She usually insists on his dlvorcing his
other wives, and In any case treats them
rs servants and interiors. One old gem
eral, who had become the recipient OF
one Of these roval iavors (the lady led
him u sad life) never alluded to her but
lin q whisper, OF Course-as "the old
camel" Beauty and youth are the few
and simple qualifications for entering
the royal larem. Various accomplish
ments, such as singing, playing on the
hand drum, or tumbak, the talnbourine
or the harmonica are often acquired
after the lady has been received into the
seragllo.
Only the fresh arrivals and those who
have failed to please live together in a
sort OF barracks under the supervision
Of the Amin.i.Akdas, an old favorite,
who acts MS n sort Of "Mother OF the
Maids" Every Thursday there is q
kind OF review, the Shah personally In.
speeding the whole establishment other
than the recognized wives and favorites.
The throwing OF the handkerchief is no
invention, and has not gone out OF praC-
tice. The number OF legitimate wives
Tor akdi) for every Mussulman Is four.
The head wife Of the present Shah (who
is his cousin also) and who bears the
title Of shuko.es.S ultana, is the great
granddaughter Of Futteh Ali Shah, a
monarch whose family was so large that
ITO OF his descendants were alive at his
death. This lady is the mother Of the
Grown Prince, or vallnid. Her marriage
with the Shah was one OF policy. The
next wife in seniority is the daughter OF
a son OF Futteh Ali Shah. She Is only
knoYn to rumor as having a somewhat
sharp temper.
The third wife, and the actual favor
tie, Is Anys.u-Dowlet. She has been a
legitimate wife nearly thirteen years, Is
very fat, fairly good looking, and Is said
TO be very good tempered and attractive.
She actually accompanied the Shah as
tar as Moscow on his first journey TO Eu-
rope, but the attempts TO see her made
by the Russians OF all classes were so
pertinaCious that, TO her great disap-
pointment, she was sent back to Tehe-
ran. Tho Anys-u.D owlet has immense
influence, and yet she never takes a
bride, but her own family Is well cared
for, three OF her relatives filling impor-
tRnt positions at the court, where their
reputation Is not that Of her royal kins.
woman. The whole family were the
children Of a village miller, who lived
near Dimarvend, a nearly extinct volca.
no, which, capped with eternal SHOWS,
towers over Teheran, and may be seen,
1t Is said, at n distance OF two hundred