The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-03-11
THE sULTAN's HAREM,
Circassian Beauties and Where They Are
Found-The Fair Queen Who Captured
Abdul Aziz.

A great deal has been written about
the beauty of Circassian women, and a
good deal that is exaggerated. The
women, according to the Turkish idea,
are as fair as the houris of Moham-
med's paradise. What are called Cir
cassian beauties are found not far from
Batoum, in the towns and neighbor-
hoods of Akhaltzig. Ozergetti and
Loogdidi. They are also to be found
in the north of the Caucasus, about
Anapa. and the small villages extend
ing from that town to Lochi, on the
coast. They are mostly poor peasant
girls. They have lovely eyes, but
without much expression. Up to the
age of IA they have attractive features,
but after that age they gradually begin
to grow coarse in appearance. The
hair is sometimes fair, sometimes dark,
and always abundant. They marry at
about the age of IS or IA, and age so
rapidly afterward that at 20 they look
like women of 40.
It was from the neighborhood of
Loogdidi that the sultans of Turkey,
in the days of their empire, procured
girls for their harem. The poor Cir
cassian parents readily disposed of
their offspring for a few piastres, a
horse, or gun, and the girls were
borne away to be sold at an enormous
ly advanced price in Stamboul.
Here it was that Sultaneh was found,
the fair Circassian who exercised such
a baleful influence over Abdul Aziz.
and led him to that neglect of his in
terests which ultimately cost him his
throne and his life. Sultaneh was the
daughter of a peasant in humble cir
cumstances living near Ozergetti.
Even when only 10 years of age she
was noted for beauty and her lovely,
lustrous eyes. She was picked up at
IL by slave dealer from the Turkish
capital, who paid for her the unusually
high price Of 100 piastres. He took
her to Constantinople and put her on
exhibition after the fashion still preva-
lent in that city, although no longer
countenanced by law.
The dealer does not go into open
market, and he does not call in the
public. Like dealer in high-class
paintings or statuary, he has his line
of customers, and extends to them a
special invitation. They come and
view the human chattel, and the high
est bidder carries off the prize. These
sales are going on all the time in Con-
stantinople, and the government winks
at them, while to western ears profess
ing horror of slavery.
Diraz Pacha, at that time governor
of Karpoot, in Asia Minor, was on a
visit to Constantinople, on summons
from the sultan, to explain some dis
crepancies in the revenue returns from
his province, the discrepancies being
that Diraz was waxing rich and the re-
turns in the way of revenue to the Inn
perial Treasury were getting poor.
Such a condition of affairs was all-suf-
ficient for the sultan to take action on,
without any abtruse examination of
accounts and details. The Turkish
ruler had no objection to Diraz Pacha
robbing somebody, but it must not be
the sultan. Consequently Diraz was
in disgrace and apprehensive of some-
thing worse, when he had the good
fortune to be invited to see a young
Circassian slave. Her rare beauty
impressed Diraz. as it impressed every
body else. He bid an extravagant
price and won the girl. That same
afternoon she was on the way to the
sultan's palace as a gift from the de-
linquent governor of Karpoot. Diraz
Pacha went back to his post with a
clean bill of health.
From the first the fair Circassian
fascinated Abdul Aziz, and from an
artless child of the mountains she be-
came as active an intriguer as any in
mate of the harem. Powerful officers
feared her influence, and former favor
ties learned to hate her. She used her
power not always discreetly. and it
was obvious that it weakened the sui
tan in the opinion of his subjects; for
the Turk is eminently jealous as well
as contemptuous of feminine interfer-
ence in state affairs. The overthrow
of Abdul Aziz and his untimely death
are matters of history. and it is well
known in Stamboul that woman was
chiefly responsible. Sultaneh disap-
peared about the time that the unhap-
py sultan perished. Her fate is mat
ter of conjecture.