St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-09
THE PERSIAN RULER.
An Account of His Remark abb Q
Career.

This descendant of princes who once
held the same suzeranity in the East
that Charlemagne claimed in the West
this liking of kings" as he is to this
day called throughout Persia and
Afghanistan-is iii many respects
highly remarkable personality, writes
Rev. MIR. Halves in the st. James Bud
get. He is between sixty aud seventy,
but looks much younger. He came
10 the throne quite young man i'll
1913. NO one knew much of him
them. AS crown prince he was tact
turn, fairly we'll educated, with
out confidants. thoughtful and reserved,
rather than Studious. He was not sup
posed to be man of action or specially
apt for governing; but from the moment
he assembled the throne change came
over him. Every province in his en-
pire was then in open revolt. With the
aid of certain grand vizier of high
genius-a man so great that had he
lived he might have changed the face Of
the East-the young Persian monarch
subdued the rebels and soon got the
reinS of power into his own hands. He
. then quietly gave his grand visier the
go-by, turned deaf ear to his
Would-be GOunselors, broke the in
trigues of the harem, smiled down
the diSmay of the JackS-in-Offiee who
had lOrded it over his father, and pro-
ceeded to surround himself with nu-
merOuS chamberlainS. who became less
his ministers than his executive officers.
At first he showed signs of what is
called Liberalism, and it seemed as
though he might give his people some
sort of constitution; but those were
q oh nh
the fate of Louis Philippe of BOmba,
of the late Russian emperor, of Lin
coin, of Garfield, of Napoleon I'LL; in-
deed, as he remarked some time ago.
with the exception of Queen Victoria
and the old German emperor, there
was hardly crowned head in the
world but what had been either
assassnated, threatened or deposed. So
he elected to keep all power in his own
hands, and he has reigned for forty
years without a rival, over the most
mixed, hayward and fanatical people in
Asia. From the moment he assembled
the throne, instead of exploiting the
country for his pleasure, he applied
himself To the arts of war, in order that
he might he strong, and then to an en-
cyclop8dic course of study, in order
that he might be wiser He has learned
raphy is passion with him. He is an
excellent MATHEMATICIAN, and so good
financier that he controls
personally the whole expendi-
ture of his court. He revises the ac-
counts and authorizes the payments.
He is clever artist, an elegant poet,
and voluminouS writer. Our Persian
minister, Malcolm Khan, by far the most
enlightened Oriental now In England
perhaps in Europe-haS been heard to
say that every dispatch received in
England bears signs of having been read
and corrected by the Shah, and the
clearest and ablest state papers are
written with his own hand. He is sur
rounded by Oriental intrigues, but he
dominates them all by sheer force of
personal superiority, and he now leaves
Persia without any government, eXcepta
shadowy authority left in the hands
of three sons all born in the same year
of three different mothers. What other
Eastern potentate would be able to
WELD so exceptional a scepter without
eatastrphe? At present the shah rules
through his chamberlainS. These
functiOnaries are personal friends, who,
however, know only so much of his
majesty'S mind as he chooses to reveal.
They obey him implicitly, and he rules
by keeping everything in sort of fine
eQuipoise. T. he harem, the princess,
the state functionaries, the army, the
religious fanatics, the merchants, the
European and Asatic powers even, are
all made to balance, to check, to cOun-
teract each other, and the result is re-
markaDle enough.
No shah for centuries has had such a
reign, both as to quantity and quality.
In trtt- haA OH
ten dynaSteS: but the shah for near
half century has not only reigned SUI
preme, but has been what perhaps no
other pOtentate in Europe, Asia or
Africa can boast of in an equal measure
he has been his own master. The
Sultan Hamed never vent1red outside
bis palace grounds. The shah has twice
quilted Persia to travel. and he now
leaves his three sons as nominal vice.
rOyS-all, however. rivals, who agree
in nothing save in great regard for
and allegiance to their father.
His government is, in fact, real tour
de force-the result of marvellous tact,
knowledge of human nature and con.
summate practical ability. and. we must
add, a certain temperance, tolerance,
Self-cOntrOl and real magnanimity. The
shah is generous and forgiving. He iSa
in his personal habits, but no fanatic.
He rises early. At 10 o'clock breakfast
he receives and cOnverSeS with any
learned or scientific or literary people
or other visitors who may be invited to
court. He talks great deal and listens
very well. He never uses vulgar ex-
preston, and his language is Singularly
elevated and chaste in both mat
ter and manner. He drinks very
little. He eats of everything, but only
a little of anything. Hunting is his
great delight, and he pursues it regu-
larly for the sake of his health. Other
wise he is necessarily engaged with Sec
retaries, who write from dictation and
translate the foreign books and news
papers for him. Even when he rides
secretary, who reads aloud to him. He
shows himself in all parts of his king
dom without fear; though he has more
than once been wounded, and nearly
assassinated by fanatical sect of Per-
sian NihilistS.
From his knowledge of history, and
European history, he has at
last been convinced that Western CIV
ilization cannot be successfully resisted.
This is at the root of his desire to travel.
He not only wants to make favorable
terms with foreign powers, but to Dor
row their methods and learn the secret
of their commercial and industrial sue
cess. He is convinced that Persia has
an important part to play in the
and reconstruction
of the East, and he comes
abroad to seek the personal alliance and
friendship of those whose influence and
attachments he admirers and respects,
and whom he believes are ready to Sym-
pathize with his enlightened and lit
eral aspirations and help him to achieve
his objects. The shah is fortunate in
possessing such man as Prince NAL
colin Khan. the Persian minister in
England. The prince is not only near
relative and intimate friend of his maj
esty, but has throughout been his most
trusted counsellor in all matters of for
eigh policy.
Getting Acquainted.