The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-30
THE SHAFTS HAREM.

. 81
From London Modern Society,"
Without indiscretion, it may be noted
that the denizens of the royal seraglio be-
longing to his interesting majesty, who are
under the care Of the Koji Bashi, or chief
euuuch and his fellows, are about 800; that
of these 800 many are children, and 200 at
least are simply servants, a large number
being negresses. Each office of the Per-
sian court has its corresponding dignity in
the Anderun. Few additions have been
made of late years to the number of inmates
vt the royal seraglio and it contains abso-
lutely no European or male perso over
the age of IL. Each royal favorite has her
separate pavilion and her staff of servants
her equipages, her jewels and her revenue.
The principal favorite generally has some
high sounding title conferred upon her
such as III ne Delight of tho $ ate"
The ladies are never seen abroad I'm
yelled. ave one or two of the handsomer or
more Eighty of the number. who sometimes.
when driving in their glass coaches,n pur-
posely give a rather liberal display of florid
charms to passers-by in carriages or on
horseback. The legends of tatooed Greek
princes Notwithstanding, it is quite GER
enters the royal harem, or, having done so.
leaves it alive. Some years ago an uufor-
tunate workman, while engaged in excava-
ting a water-course, suddenly found him
self in the royal harem, q nearly died
of fright acc rdingly, (by the way the in
door dress worn by Persian ladies' has been
described as precisely resembling the cos
tune Of ballet girl, minus the rlaiII0th
h1' q king seeing how matters stood, par
doned him.
Themes of getting rid of those who have
ceased to please Is simple and etingenious.
4AeIe is no sewing up Ia sacks, no casting
from towers, no bowstrlng, no poisoning.
Some provincial general is informed that
he will be favored with a wife from the
royal harem. To refuse is impossible: the
disguised lady arrives and is placed at the
head of her new husbands household. She
usually insists on his divorcing his other
wives, and in any case treats them as SER
wants and interiors. One old general. who
had become the recinient of one Of these royal
favors the lady led him sad life. never
alluded to her but-ln a whisper, / course
as the old camel" Beauty and Won
are the few and simple qualifications for
entering the roval harem. Various accom-
plishments, such as singing, playing on the
hand drum, Or tumbak, the tambourine or
the harnOuica are often acquired after the
lady has been received into the seraglio.
Olly the fresh arrivals I'd those who
have failed to please live together in a sort
Of barrack under the supervision of the
Amin-i-Akdas, an old favorite, who acts as
sort Of Mother Of the Maids" Every
Thursday there is a kind of review. tue
Snan pers )naily inspecting the whole estab-
lishment other than the recog lied wives
and favorites. The throwing of the baud
kerchief is no invention. and has not go e
out OF practice. Tue 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 Shuk -es-Sultana, is the great
granddaughter of Futteh Ali Shah. a m n
arcn whose family vas so large that 10 of
is de 'ceEdants were alive at his death
This LAZY is the mother of the own princa
or valLad. Her marriage with the shan
was one of policy. The next wife in senior
ty is the daughter of a 5 IN of Futteh All
Shah. She is only known TO rumor as hay
ing a somewhat sharp temper.
The third wife, and the actual favorite. is
Auys-u-Do Vet She has been legitimate
vile nearly thirteen years, is very tat, fairly
good looking, and Is said to lie very good
tempered and attractive. Sue actually ac-
cpmpaned the shah as far as Moscow on
his first journey to Europe, but the attempts
10 see her made by the Russians OF all
CT sSes were 50 pertinaciouS that, to her
great disappointment, she wBs sent back t.
ieheran. The Auya-u-D1wlet has immense
Influence and yet she never takes bride,
but her own family is we'll cared for, three
OF her relatives filing important positions
at the court, where their reputation is not
that Of her royal kiusvoman. The
whole family were the children of a
Will &c miller, who lived near Dim
arve ID, nearly extinct volcano which.
capped with eternal SHOWS, towers over
Ieher IN, and may be seen, it is said, at a
a distance Of 200 miles.