Evening journal., 1896-05-02

that no Is q member Of tho Bahi secret So
cioty, a criminal association, which has
hitherto mado attempts upon the shah's
life with n shot from q revolver.
Much discomfort has existed for some
time through the doarness OF provisions,
partly caused by the excessive issue Of
copper coins
Considerable alarm prevails here, and
Prince Naibos Sultanoh, third son Of the
late shah has retired TO his palace at the
request of the government.
The heir apparent, Muzaf- ed Din
was Immediately advised OF the assassina-
tion Of his father, and will leave Tabriz,
where he was soiourniDg for Teheran as
soon as possible.
Nasir-od- Din shah, or, to call him by
his official title, shahinshah, or king Of
kings, was absolute ruler Of Persia and
master Of the lives and goods of all his
subjects. He was the eldest son of Mo-
hammed Shah and succeeded to tho throne
on tho death Of his father on Sept. 10,
1915 He leaves sons and IA daughters.
Apart from these, the royal family is very
numerous. There are some thousands Of
princes and princesses, including 3 broth
ers, sisters and l40 unoles and cousins.
The whole revenue Of tho country being
at their disposal recent soverelgns of
Persia have boen able to amass enormous
private fortunes That OF the dead shah
Is reported to amount to about $50, 600, 600,
most Of it In the shape Of diamonds.
Tho Doryainur OF 1856 carats and tho
Tagimah Of l46 carats are among the
crown jewels.
Tho father Of tho late shah adopted a
policy of friendship toward the European
powers Nasir- ed Din had hardly mounted
the throne whom an attempt was made on
his life without success. At first he showed
desire TO reform tho methods OF the Per
sian government but he found himself
opposed In these attempts by court in
trigues. The shah was an accomplished
scholar in Persian and Turkish. knew a
good deal Of history and had travelled ex.
tensively.
An Ally OF Russia.
At tho beginning Of the war between
Russia and Turkey in 1853 he declared
himself neutral, but shortly before its
close he sided with Russia. Next year, in
conseqenuoe of the occupation Of Herat by
Persian troops, the government Of India
declared war against him (Nov. /, 1850.
General Outram captured Kurrnch and
some other places. Finally a treaty Of
peace was signed in Paris by Lord Cowley
and the Persian ambassador, England OBJ.
tanning favorable terms.
In the following years the shah had
number Of little wars with the neighbor-
ing states and was very successful in an
expedition against the Turcomans. After
peace had been obtained on his borders tho
shah spent considerable timo visiting diff
ferent parts OF his own dominiona. He
introduced western discipline and meth
ods into the organization of his army. In
1861 he presided at the opening Of tho
first line OF tho electric telegraph in his
state About tho same time now reli-
gious sect called tho Babis caused much
uneasiness to the Persian government
The discovery Of an alleged conspiracy by
members OF this sect was the cause OF %
number of atrocious executions, which
took place under the very eyes of the Eu-
ropean representatives.
Tho best proof OF the unusual security
of the shah as a Pers an monarch was to
he found in the fact that when he visited
Europe in 1873 he was absent for five
months, yet not breath of sedition dis
turbed Persia In that time
During his trip the shah assembled the
Nolga visited Moscow and st. Peters
burg crossed TO Berlin and Cologne, pro-
coCded thence to the Rhine and then
went to Brussels. He then visited London
and many Of tho English provinces.
Ills visit 20 London.
His visit TO London gave rise to many
curious stories. The doings of the eastern
monarch, his attendants and courtiers
scandalizad the respectable citizens of Lon
don. Il is said that on the occasion Of n
state ball the shah was unfamiliar enough
with western methods as 20 drop a hand