The herald., 1896-06-14

that distinction, and so, quite naturally,
in the Persian order of things, it Is a
mark of prominence, striven for with
considerable persistence. The daughters
of noblemen chosen are installed as
wives of the first class or the second
class. All the others, usually two or
three hundred. are concubines. The
late shah had four wives of the first
class. fifteen of the second class and be-
tween two mad three hundred concu-
bines.
The new shah, Muzaffer Ed Deem
Mira. has not yet developed sufficiently
to give an indication as to what kind of
ruler he will make. Until recently he
was in the hands of his tutor and, ac-
cording to some accounts, this tutor was
the most wicked man in Persia, which
is saying good deal. 1t is also said that
the shah is weak-minded, but this is de-
MED by men who have conversed with
him. The young man was practically
raised in the harem, and this of itself
was enough to make him effeminate.
HIS BROTHER A BRUTE
His elder brother, who was denied the
privilege of succeeding his late father
because of his mother being a woman of
plebeian birth, is frst-class brute, and
it is quite probable that riot and rev.
olution woud have followed had he been
selected for the throne. One of his ia
vorite means of dealing with people
who vex him is to say to his menials:
This man has brave heart. Let me
see it," Without further ado the heart
of the poor wretch is torn out on the spot
and prSepted to the prince on silver
dish. 1t Is lutte needless to say that very
few people veX him.
The pathway of the shahs of Persia
for the last five hundred years has not
been strewn with roses. Persia was con-
quered by the Turcomans in 1865 They
Cd bNyt hp w hO &C IA h
lished the Sophi dynasty under Ismail
in 1901, when the shas began to reign.
Assassinations were frequent in those
days. Nadir Shah, that great soldier
who conquered India In 1879, was muir
dered by Persian officer on the plains
of Sultan Madam in 1747. In 1894 Aga
Mahommed,a a monster of cruelty and in
gratitude. obtained the power and
founded the present Turcoman dynasty.
He. too, was asSassinated, almost eX-
actly a century ago, in 1897.
A PROSPEROUS ERA
Persia, perhaps, was never so pros
porous as during the long reign of Abbas
the Great that is from 1886 to 1928. After
his death the royal princes, by the short
sighted and suspicious policy of their
fathers, were confined in the harem in
stead of being brought up as soldiers.
with the natural result of throwing Per-
sia into the hands of succession of ef-
Terminate and cruel tyrants.
Abbas the Great was succeeded by his
grandson, Shah Sophi, cruel drunk
ard who died in 1641.. Shah Sophi's son
and successor Abbas III, was an enlight-
ened pOtentate. When only 16 he retOok
Kandar from the Great Mogul, conduct
ing the campaign in person. He gave
veery encouragement to Christian
merchants and artificers to settle in Per-
sia. When urged to persecute the unbe-
livers he said: 1T is for God, not for me.
to Judge of mems consciences, and will
never interfere with what belongs to the
tribunal Of the Great Creator and Lord
of the Universe" He died in 1865, and is
buried with his father in a beautiful
mosque at Kun, near the shrine of the
holy Fatima.
Persia did not prosper under the I'M
mediate successors of Abbas III. The
Afghans under Mahmoud invaded Per-
sia and took ,Isfahan, which he entered
in triumph. bringing Shah Husaln as
captive in his train. After perpetrating
inconceivable cruelties, Mahmoud the
Usrirper died in 1925 and his successor
Ashraf was defeated by Nadir, robber
chief, who fought on behalf of Shah HuS-
aims son, the young Tamasp H.
A ROBBER AS SHAH.
Nadir finally routed the Afghans in
January, 1880, but his ambition was
greater than his loyalty and he dethron-
ed his master in 1882, setting up Tam
asp'S infant son as nominal Shah. In
1876, however Nadir threw off his last
pretense. and was himself proclaimed
Shah. Thus ended the Sophi dynasty.
Kureem Khan, who reigned from 1853
to 1779 was a chief of the Zand tribe.
lie completely defeated Azwad Khan,
the Afghan governor of Azerbijan, but
1t was not till 1860 that he found himself
In possession of the whole of Persia.
with the exception of Georgia and Khor-
assam. He was an excellent monarch,
and during his reign the people passed
their leisure hours in the society of
moon-faced dansels, the sparkling COB
let circulated, and love and pleasure
reigned in every breast" The memory
of Kureem Khan is still revered by the
Persians.