The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-09-21


ing the Kahas-is assigned a diara--a
suite of apartments, money allowance.
servants. slaves, eunuch, etc.
Next come the Guezdes, young ladies
upon whom the SUI Jan has cast his
eye" but not positively selected as an
Ikbal
The harem of the sultan Is composed
/ entirely of slaves or women of slave
origin. The reason for this is that a
Moslem free woman may not unven
herself in the presence of a man not
, Of her blood, nor permit a man TO enter
+ the harem. And in the suitan's harem
Z they are understood to unveil them
: selves pretty considerably.
/ Palace slaves are usually purchased
I very young, and those who develop per-
sonal charms arc placed under the
tutelage Of the kalfas, and are taught
department, dancing, singing, music.
etc. The others are brought up as
servants-cooks. bousemaids, bath at
tendants. etc.
The sultan's wives and favOrites are
generally presented to him by the
valide or some Official who thus at
tempts his majesty's favor But any
slave in tne palace may aspire to the
highest dignity In fact, the wife of
Mahmoud II, the mother OF Abdul
Aziz, was a mental when she attracted
attention. No formal contract is en-
wives. but the union is indissoluble
until both are dead. A sultan's widow
may not marry again.
When the sultan visits the harem
there is a big time, Everybody dons
her best and looks her prettiest The
mistress of ceremonies ushers him in
and conducts him 10 the divan. Under
the superintendence of the Kalfas the
slave girls serve coffee. sherbet. sweets
etc Should any one of them take his
IaEcy. ne asks a casual question about
her of the valide. when, by a sign the
girl is commanded to approach and kiss
the fringe of the divsn. She then leaves
the service of the Kalfa and has be-
come Guezde--'one of the eyed" As
such she is given a separate apart
nenr If on further acquaintance she
proves acceptable, she becomes a IA
Vorite or Ikbal. and should she become
a mother, Hanum or kasir Esffendi--
according to the number of wifely pre-
decessors in the sultans affections
Should, however. the sultan tire of her
and wish her removal. a dover is given
hsr and she is married to some palace
official.
On the accession of a new sultan the
various ladies of the deceased and their
immediate attendants are removed to
some other palace and the household
OF the new monarch installed.
girls must in no sense be COMPOUNDED
with the conditions that surround slav-
cry in other countries. These women
are cared for-or properly married-au
me days of their lives. When married
they become free women. Their Iabors.
even as menials, are light, and the wo-
men OF the sultan's harem consider
set.
L neglected to state that the ladies
OF the harem are exceedingly punctil:-
Gus When calling upon each other as
Hucn ceremony and form is INDUCED in
as Wnen the Grand Duchess of Gerol-
stem calls upon the Grand Duchess of
Pumper-Nickel. It must be remem-
bered that each mother of a son is a
possible valide sultana, for each prince
mas chance under Mosiem law of
some day becoming sultan As the sui
tan is called the Lion of Lions" so
each mother calls her princeling NV
little lion And when this little Iion'
reaches certain age he is installed in
a palace, given a number of slave girls
and sets up a harem of his own-and
does right good business at it during
the early years Of his life.
have spoken of the fOster-mother
OF the sultan This lady and the fos-
r-prothers always play an important
part in the monarchs life. Next to the
actual mother of the sultan the FOSTER
mother is the most highly honOred and
esteemed lady of the court and fire.
The above tells al know-yes. and
all that l don't know, perhaps-of the
SultanS harem. l VIII not vouch that
1t is correct picture as it exists to-
day, but as changes are slow in Tur-
key, II is probably near enough 1t
must be said OF the present sultan
however. that while he has a numerous |
progeny, he is not considered volup-
tuary, but rather the contrary. Of
course. there are ''Ikbals'' and "Guez-
des, but not as many as in former
reigns.
Now a word regarding his majesty's |
subjects at large:
Turks have no family names For
example; A man named Mohammed |
has son named Ahmed and a daugh- /
ter named Sophia. The son WIN always |
De known merely as Ahmed and the 1
daughter always merely as Sophia, in |
the latter case even after marriage |
The result is that members of families
aIter one or two generations become
lost TO each other. In fact the isis 4
tiers and the cousins and the aunts'' /
business is not much exploited here |
one may be talking 20 two brothers or
TWO sisters without the fact being made |
known There being no family names
or ties. there are no great famiIies-no |
aristocracy- The grand vizier of today |
may have been a canal driver or a SER /
want His rise is not due to any family |
influence or connection.
a Moslem to have four wives but ex- |
eepting in the case of the sultan. of |
nigh dignitaries and very rich men. |
one wife is the rule. One reason for
this is that polygamy, even in Turkey.
IS expensive For each wife separate |
apartments must be provided, as well |
as special slaves, attendants, eunuchs. /
etc As to the marriage ceremony
some say It is entirely civil, Others /
say a religious ceremony. The man |
ner or 1t appears to be that the mother |
or other female representative of tile !
man. visits various harems to insnecf
the manageable inmates. When she 1
has found one that she thinks hlls the /
bill thel set Is reported TO the young |
man and his father. If they are salts. /,
ned with the report the maiden's family I
IS informed and a betrothal takes place |
by the groom that is to be sending the /
girl such present as his position war /
rants, and he receives in return such /
present as is deemed suitable. A sum 4
or money Is then sent to the brides i
rather Dyt the young mans father, to- /
ward paying e1penseJ-the outfit fes. /
Invites, etc Several days afterward the |
marriage takes place First. however 1
there IS contract agreed upon nv /
which the man engages to pay a Ger. /
tain sum to the woman in the event 1
of divorce or death. This done Tho /
groom declares three times his desire /
-oeflnd which Betsy Jane is LISTENING \
a 60 - =