The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-14


years ago by Great Britain as heir TO
the Persian throne in lieu of his elder
brother, the Zil-es-Sultaneh, was, under
the circums tances, a mistake attribu-
table 10 the neglect and incOmpetency
of the envoy who at that time represent
ed Great Britain at Teheran. The Zil-
es-Sultaneh, who, during the first thirty
years Of his life, was regarded as heir
apparent, being the eldest son, and
whose claims to the position OF crown
prince wer afterward, through Russian
intrigues, set aside in consequence OF
the plebeian rank if his peasant mother,
is, on the other hand, devoted 10 the
interests of England, and has all along
been most pronounced in his sympathies
for everybody and everything English.
The third brother, who was the favor
tie OF his father, and the only one Of the
three sufficiently trusted by the latter,
until lately, 10 be permitted to reside in
the capial, bears he name of Naib-es-
Sultaneh, and may be described as the
dark horse, since no one knows what
his views are on the all-important ques-
ton in Persia, namely whether he
favors Russia or England. The mere
fact thai in a city so redolent with
gossip and intrigue as Tehrean, he
should have been able to keep every
body in ignorance as to his foreign SYM
pathies, and that he should have man
aged to inspire sufficient confidence in
so suspicious a monarch as his father
as to induce the latter to intrust him
with the position of minister of war, of
commander-in-chief of the army, and
Of governor general of several of the
northern provinces, shows that he must
be a man Of considerable ability and
cleverness. He was born in 1856, and,
in spite of his having become recently
somewhat stout and coarse, is fairly
good looking. His features are set oft
by beautiful almOnd-shaped eyes, ana
thick, carefully trimmed black eye
brows. His chief fault is his indolence
and his love of pleasure. He spends
hours and hours in the bath, pertaining
and adjoining himself, and loves pretty
things, ssuch as flowers, landscape
scenery, dainty bric-a-brac, and works
of art. The person who possesses mosc
influence over him, and of whom he -
reported to stand in awe, is a strappins
young Viennese girl, the wife of his
Austrian head gardner. and it is said
that he owes TO her his remarkab BILE
knowledge of German, and of European
music. But with this exception, he
does not love Europeans, although very
affable, and even hospitable, 10 them,
and he would consider himself defiled
were he ever to permit any Of his Eu-
ropean or American friends or acquain-
tances to touch his ungloved hand. He
is rich, and that in itself is a great
thing in Persia, where money, no mat
ter how obtained, goes long way fur
Their toward the securing and the reten-
ton of power than anywhere else in
the world
1t is precisely money that the new
Shah is lamentably deficient in. The
allowance which he received from his
father was ridiculously inadequate, and,
unlike his brothers, he was not per-
mltted to retain for himself the taxes.
theb ribes, and the confiscated wealth
of the provinces over which he ruled but
in name as governor general. The char
acter OF the new Shah is not OF a nature
to lead enc to believe that his reign is
likely to be either a long one or a peace
full one. For he is of a weak DISPOSE
ton, lacking in decision and strength
of mind. completely under the influences
of those around him, and deficient in
the bravery and courage that disting-
ushed his father, and which likewise
constitutes redeeming feature in the
character of his two brothers He, in
one word, inspires neither fear nor res
pect, two things that are indispensable
for the administration OF so lawless and
uncivilized a country as Persia.
The richest of the three brothers, and
until now the most powerful, is the
Zil-es-Sultaneh. a man Of great decis-
ion and strength OF mind, but thorough
" INSCRIPTIONS, and renewed for his
cruelty. He is very fat, below the aver
age height, and with a cast in his lef.
eye. The govt, from which he suffers,
shows that his tendencies are decided
~ convivial, and he is strongly disposed
toward humor, which IS never more ap-
parent and boisterous than when he is
witnessing a decapitation, the blowing
Of a prisoner from the mouth Of a canon
or the death of some PROSTATE criminal
by the executioners stamping with al
their might and main on his breast.
Many bloody tragedies have disgraced
his vice-royaity of the western provin-
ces, comprising nearly half the king
dom, and il used 20 be said that the
moment any one subject TO his rule was
injudiOus enough TO acquire wealth his
life was ipso facto doomed. He greatly
resembles in personal character his
father. and. ike the latter. incurred the
enmity of the clergy by endeavering 10
curb their authority and influence. 1t
is likely, therefore. thai they VIII op-
pose any attempt that he may make
- wreSt the throne from his brother
But, as stated above, he Is enormously
wealthy-which goes a long way IN
Persia-inspires fear. and has never
ceased 70 openly proclaim. even in tae
presence Of his father. his firm deter
nination, al all costs and no matter
what happened. TO eventually become
himself the Shah Of Persia