Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-10-16
A Description of the Sultan's Army,
His Harem, and His
People.
Society in Turkey is Essentially Dem
Ocratic, and Presents Some
striking Contrasts.
The Harem is Not Community,
But Il Union of Small
States.


Europeans about Turkey, most of them the
work of travellers who have spent but a
short time in the country, and gathered
their information at second hand. II is
only when "a European has lived in the Of
toman empire long while, and for one
reason or another has been brought into
contact with all classes OF society, that
what he has to say about the Turks is Of
any real value One Of the latest publica-
tions Of this kind is study on official
Turkey by q French physician, DR.. PAU
Drsjardn, who created the first hydro
pathic establishment of Cadi Keuy, on the
AsiatlC shore.
Although Turkish society is ESSENTIAL
democratic, it presents great many con-
trasts. AristOcracy of family, such as Eu-
ropeans understand it., does not exist in
Turkey; even the patronymic name is un-
known, and its rare that grandchild
knows or has the recollection of grand
father. The SOP Of a cabinet minister, in
heriting neither the grade nor the title Of
his father, can just as well be a koatman
rs an ambassador. The Turks have, con.
sequently, neither old families nor a noble
aristocracy. The sultan awards grades in
a civil and military hierarchy, and that
is all.
The old lineage, with its complete list of
descendants, exists only in the imperial
family, founded by the celebrated Osman,
son Of the Osmanis. Theoretically the
nation is divided into four distinct classes:
The moIahs or ulemas, Interpreters of the
religious law; the army; the functionarie,;
and persons having purely honorary titles.
The uemas are composed of the students
and professors, the members Of the high
teaching class and persons invested with
the dignity of moIlahs Of the holy cities.
At the summit Of this sacerdotaI hlearchy
is the Sheih-uI-Islam.
The army is recruited by CONSUMPTION
and is composed only eff MussulmCn. The
to 100000 men. The reserve is equally
strong in number, while the territorial
army counts, upon paper, for another mil
lion. Making due allowance for all sorts
of difficulties, Turkey could probably put
into the field 700,0 600 men, and if this force
were we'll armed, well fed, and well CON-
mdnded, it could make valiant stand
against any one of the leading European
armies. But the Turkish army, being
composed only of MussuImen. cannot be
easily renewed, and if its special compost
ton constitutes its strength in short
struggle. it becomes a cause of inferlority
when the war is OF long duration.
Overlapping all functionaries is the com.
mander of the faithful his Majesty Abdul
Hamid Khan II, who is now in his 4Sth
year. He succeeded his brother, Mourad
", dethroned in 1876 Physically Abdul,
Hamid resembles neither his father,
Abdul VI, Did, nor his uncle, Abdul Aziz
He is not so tall or slender as his father,
and is of the Armeno-Arab rather than of
the Turkish type. His mother was IA
Georgian The sultans general appear
ance is characterized 10y a sort of tired
dignity, mingled with an expression of
mClancholic sadness, which is not without
charm. His black beard now slightly
tinged with gray, is short, thick and
trimmed almost to point. The fore
head is broad, slightly buIged above the
eye brows, hollow at the temples, and
wrinklcd all over. The lines running
down to the base of the nose, which in
dictate profound and meditative thought,
are accentudted. The eye Is dark gray,
large, well formed, pensiye, slightly
veiled penetrating, kindly, very change
able and anxious; it is deepest in its orbit,
although the ocular globe is prominent.
The eye lids, with their thick lashes are
always more or less stumped. The eye is
that of thinker of II suspicious medi-
tator with Il subjective will power. The
nose is long and thin at its base, bony rd
strong ut its nostris. The mouth is large
and the teeth, rather yellow than white,
are widely separated. The lower lip is
stronger and thicker than the upper one
The expression is energetic and reveals Il
mixture of pronounced sensualism and
real kindness, The Sultan'S hair is black
and cut short The skull recedes towards
the top; the little brain is strongly mark
ed. The ears are long and vigorously
cut. The complexion is darkish brown,
The hands are fine and nervous; the finger
nails rosy and cut short. The feet are
arched and slender. Abdul Hands
voice is sympathetic and sodrous. He
has an excellent memory for faces, but re-
calls names with difficulty
The sultan inhabits the Yeldiz palace,
situated upon hill in the centre of n
large park of nearly 300 acres and over
looking the Bosphorus The private resi-
dence is called the Haremlick, and is sepa-
rated from the Salmalic, or apartments re
served for official and private receptions of
his majesty The Haremlick is composed
of several sumptuous klosks, in the con-
struction of which nothing has been
spared.
The sultau's household is composed of a
host of functionaries from. the grand mar
shul of the palace down to the clowns, ac-
tors and singers who amuse and entertain
his majesty. The grand eunuch has the
rank Of marshal and i, with the grand
vizier, the only representative of the sui
tan having the title of highness 1t is to
this illus'rious seigeur that is conhded the
guardinslip of the door of the imperial
harrm. All these illustrious functlonarles
inhabit the Nediz palace or live in the
kiosks in the imperial park The annual
cost of maintaining the 1000 persons who
form the sultau's household is not far
from $50 600 600
The imperial harem mas always been an
institution completely distinct from the
social body Of which il seems to he the
keystone. To perpetuate the race OF Os-
mas the imperial harem is peoped with
slaves brought from foreign lands aud
| having no relations with the nation. The
sovereigus, thus isolated from everybody,
forms, with the people about him,ot
/ special society, having its own life aIo a
I g., sxt,r'gy IA nt4annss Tho feminine