River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-09-05
TIE SHAFTS sERAaLlo.
An Account OF the Ladies' Who Cheer the
L.a-.l.... I.-.....---..--.-.


Without indiscretion, it may be noted
that the denisens of tho royal seraglio
belonging to his interesting Majesty,
who are under the care Of the Koji
Bashi, or chief eunuch and his fellows,
are about three hundred; and Of these
three hundred many are children, and
two hundred at least, are simply SER
wants. large number being uegresses
Each office Of the Persian court has its
corresponding dignity in Anderen. Few
additions have been made of late years
TO the number of inmates Of the royal
seraglio and it contains absolutely no
European or male persons over the age
Of eleven. Each royal favorite has her
separate pavilion aad her staff Of SER
wants, her equipages, her jewels and
her revenue. The principal favorite
generally has some high-sounding title
conferred upon her as The Delight of
the State"
The ladies are never seen abroad IN
yelled, save one or two Of the hand
soner or more Eighty OF the number,
who sometimes, when driving in their
glass coaches. purposely give a
rather liberal display of forid charms
to passers-by in carriages or on horse
back. The legends of tattooed Greek
Princes Notwithstanding, it is quite
certain that, as a rule, no man save the
King enters the royal harem. or, having
done so. leaves it alive. Some years
ago an unfortunate workman. while en-
gagged in excayating a intercourse.
suddenly found himself in the royal
harem, and nearly died of fright ac-
cordingly (by the way, the indoor dress
worn by Persian ladies has been de-
scribed as precisely resembling the cos
tume Of ballet girl, minus the mail
l9t!J but the King, seeing how the mat
ter stood, pardoned him.
The means of getting rid OF those
who have ceased 10 please is simple
and yet ingenious. There is no sew
ers, no bowstring, no poisoning, Some
provincial General is informed that he
will be favored with wife from the
royal harem. TO refuse is impossible;
the disgusted lady arrives and is placed
at the head OF her new husband s house
hold. She usually insists on his di-
wording his other wives, and in any
case treats them as servants and infe-
riors. One old General, who had be-
come the recipient OF one OF these royal
iavors (the lady led him a sad life)
never alluded to her but-in whisper,
Of course-as 1.-The old camel" Beauty
and youth are the few and simple quail
iicGtions for entering the royal harem.
Various accomplishments, such as
singing, playing on the hand drum. or
tumbak, the tambourine or the harmon
lea are often acquired after the lady
has been received into the seraglio.
Only the fresh arrivals and those
v no have failed to please live together
IN sort of barrack under the super
vision OF the Amin-i-A6das. an old
favorite, who acts as sort of Mother
Of the Maids. Every Thursday there
is a kind o. review. the Shah PERSONAL
~ inspecting the whole establishment
other than the recognized wives and
lavorites. The throwing of the hand
kerchief is no invention, and has not
gone out of practice The number OF
legitimate wives Tor akdi) for eyery
Mussulman is four The head wife of
the present Shah (who is his cousin,
also) and who bears the title Of Shuxo-
es-Sul.ana, is the great-granddaughter
% Futteh Ali Shah, monarch whose
family Was so large that 10 OF his de-
scendaats were alive at his death.
This lady is the mother OF the Crown
Prince. or Nalliad. Her marriage with
the Shah was one of policy The next
wife in seniority is the daughter Of a
son Of Futteh Ali Shaw. She is only
known to rumor as having a somewhat
sharp temper.
The third wife, and tho actual f.
vorite, is Anys-u-Dowiet. She has
been a legitimate wife nearly thirteen
years. is very fat. fairly good-loo.1iog,
and is said TO be cry goo l-tempered
and attractive. s, actually accom-
panied the Shah rs ar as Moscow on
his first journey 10 Europe, bu. tho at
tempts to see her made by the Russians
Of all classes were 50 pcrtiaucious that,
to her great disappointment she was
sent back to Teher1n. The Anys-u-
Dowlet has immense influence, and yet
she never takes n bride. but her own
faruilv i VOL cared for threo OF her
relatives filling important positions at
the court, where their reputation is not
that of her royal kinswoman. The
whole family were the children Of a
village miller, who lived near Dimar-
yend, a nearly extinct volcano, which.
capped with eternal SHOWS, towers over
Teheran, and may be seen, it is said, at
a distance OF two hundred miles -
London Modern SOciet; :.