The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-06
MUCH MISERY IN PERSIA
Incidents of Every Day Life in the
Land Of the Shah.
a Gifted and Charming People of a
High Grade of Intelligence
Marked Social Distinctions Be
tween the Upper and Lower
Classes - The Rulers Privileges.

The European trip of the Shah and the
attempt to assassinate him have attracted
attention to that far country. the history
of which dates from hoary antiquity. Per-
STA is one of the four countries-China.
Turkey and Morocco being the other three
which have been marked out as ready fer
partition. Its present condition is SO
wretched that its inhabitants are utterly
Indifferent TO whatever political changes
may take place, as 10 change could well
be for the worse. The Shah is apparently
a well-intentiored man. but so far he has
done nothing. nor does it seem likely that
he will be able to do anything. for the wsl-
fare of his people. That the prevailing
misery and disagreement have rot led to
general and organized outbreaks aga nst
the existing condition of affairs Is due TO
two causes the first, that the PerslGnS,
like all Orfentals. are easy-going and long
suffering; the second, that they are vague
ly looking for help from without.
The Persians-like the rest of the Quad
ripple Alliance to which they kelong-nave
the highest possible opinion of themselves.
and call themselves the Irsni, the noble;
the rest of the world they name the Tura-
nj, the ignoble.
Practically all the Persians are Parsees
or Mohammedans, the latter being by far
the more numerous. The Parsees are the
direct descendants of the old Persian fire
worshipers, whose religion they maintain
in its pristine purity. Like their CORE
Ii ;ionists in India, they are distinguished
for their nobility and uprightness OF char
acter. Because of their fire worship they
we're formerly subjected to persecution, hut
now live in peace among the Mohamme-
dams. There are but some 400 or 500 fani-
lies of Parsees left. Their capital is Ohe st.
1t is noticeable that even among the Mo-
hammedans there are taints Of fileSoIship.
for in the walls of many OF the towrs there
are inches. in which, at sunrise and sun
set, trumpets are blown and drums banged
in honor of the great luminary. TIE noise
made is enough to wake the dead, AID
worse still to wake the living. TIE Mo
hammedans belong TO the Shi.te set. and
they have the most lively. natural, and re-
liGious hatred of and contempt for their
Turkish co-religionlsts, who belong to the
unorthodox or Sunnite sect.
The Persians are a gifted and charming
people, of a high grade of intelligence, al
though their character is marred by strong
shadows. Between the upper and lower
classes there is great gulf-a gulf as
great and impossible as that which di-
vided Dives from Lazarus The "uppers"
treat the "lowefs'' as If they were dirt;
the towers" bow TO the suppers" as il
they were gods.
What impresses the traveller most among
the Persians is their natural thirst for
gold and their abnormal greed for titles,
decorations. and honors. If Mr.. United
States EnglanT Aston would go to that
country he would be received as a man
after their own heart, and would get more
titles than he could remember-and new
ones every day.
The Persia is the most consummate
swaggerer conceivable. In his mind clothes
come Immediately after money and titles
in Importance. His idea OF happiness is to
strut about in the most magniSqent coats,
and to produce due effect he frequently
piles six or seven on top of each other.
But to go back to titles, such applications
as eXcelleney worthiness honor, etc, are
as common there as Mr.. in the Northern
States or colonel in the South. Even the
servants in the kitchen address each other
in the most 'hightaiutin style. For in
stance, viii your honor scour the dishes p
Il viii see your excellelcy hanged first.
It's your turn today
The relations between the Persian mon
arch and his people are s.ss those OF n
ruler to his subjects than n father to his
Children father whose children have the
ilblL " support MN. II the Sldn learns
that one of his beloved subjects is getting
wealthy. or Weather. he visits him This
visit is rendered all the more serious an
honor, as His Majesty never travels in his
own country with a retinue of less than
several hundreds. all of whom have to be
fed, and who expect land obtain presents
from their unwilling host. The only way
to get rid of them is to pay them to go
away.
The Shah's (igurative) tent is pitched at
Teheran. There rests his ark-in other
words. his private city This consists of
the Birnum, or outer city. for men, and
the Endirum, or reserved inner city, for
women. There is not one. but several pail
aces, in one of which Is large room de-
voted to the storage OF the treasures of
the Shah. In this room there are twelve
hollow pillars, Of from six to seven feei
high and one foot in diameter. all OF which
are full OF pearls. Boxes lie about full OF
rubies, emeralds, diamonds. and other
precious stones. These boxes are from
Delhi. and were part OF the plumber
brought back from that city by an ances-
tor of the present Shah. who made an an
nexation trip there One OF the most re-
markable objects OF interest in the room
Is globe, one and half feet in diameter
of solid geld, which revolves in a golden
frame. On this globe the equator and the
tropics are marked in diamonds; the bor-
ders of countries are picked out in rubies.
turquOises and pearls; while the place
occupied on the eart;i's surface by the Per
sian monarchy is completely covered with
diamonds Of remarkable brilliance.
The noble Persian does not condescend
TO walk about the streets. but drives in
closed carriage, attended by numerous out
riders and attendants. The whole oortege
moves at great rate, and ii is well for
the common people in the way il they can
get off the earth. 1t sometimes happens
that the overhanging burden OF a mule Is
caught by the wheel and thrown on the
ground The muleteer naturally curses
the driver lashes him in the face with his
whip for daring to be in the way, and
drives on.
One of the sights OF Teheran is the ap
pearaEce of the Shah AMI the ladies' OF
Zenana. Relocated outrunners. with sill
ver-headed canes and headgear like the
comb Of rooster. spearmen from the 10y
al nomadic tribes, and the executioner.
with bic mule bearing his weapons. These
form the advance guard and surround the
Shah. The ladies' leach of whom is borne
in a litter swung between Two mules or
horses) are much more thickly surrounded.
and the traveller is warned not to try TO
see them, as it might result in an applica-
ton OF the bastinado
The instruments with WHICH the Govern
ment is carried on are the Telleck and the
Tschock. The first is a stout stick. the
latter a bundle of slim and supple rods.
1t Is typical of Persia that when the rods
have been applied. the scourgers ask the
victim for q present
Every Government official, from the Gov
ernor of a province to the humble scribe,
pays certain sum for his post, and takes
good care to get back what he invests.