Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-02

|
| His dominions, which he has inherited from
| long line of ancestors-1 believe he traces
| his ancestry back to the gods-fnclude the
| ancient city of Golconda whose name Tor
| centuries was a synonym for r1cneS ana
| SpleEdors. In ancient times II was me
| greatest diamond market in the world 1t
| was the capital of the large and powerful
| Kingdom of the Deccan. and embraced all
| of southern India, but is now in ruins. Its
| grandeur began to decay when the Kingdom
| was conquered by the moguls in 1887 and
| annexed to their empire, and today the
crumbitng walls and abandoned palaces are
] almost entirely deserted. Even the tombs
| of the ancient kings, "a row of vast ana
| splendid mausoleums, which cost millions
| upon millions of dollars, and for architec-
| ture and decoration and cOStlineSs have
| been surpassed only by those of the moguls,
are being allowed to decay while the ruling
descendant of the men who sleep there
! spends his income for diamonds.
| The magnificence and extravaganza of
| their courts are the theme of poems and
| legends. There is large book in Persian
| hlled with elaborate and graphic dcscr1p-
| items of the functions and ceremonies that
attended the reception of envoy from
| Shah Abbas. King of Persia who visited
| the court of Golconda in 1903. Among other
| gifts brought by him from his royal master
was a crown of rubies which still remains
| in the family. although many people think
| the original stones have been removed and
| limitations substituted in order that the nj
| Fam may enjoy the glory of wearing them.
When his amba SSador went back to Persia
| ne WIS accompanied Dy a large military
escort guarding a caravan of 2,400 camels
| laden with gifts from the niZam to his royal
master. They did things in great shape in
those days.
City of Haidarabad.
The present capital of the province, the
city of Haidarabad, founded in 1889 by
gentleman named Kutab Shah Mohammed
kuli who afterward removed his household
there on account of a lack of water and a
malarial atmosphere at GoIconda He called
the city in honor of his favorite concubine.
The name means ''the city of Haidar" The
, province includes about $4,000 square miles
or territory, and has a population of H.,
l4l,946, of whom only 10 per cent are Mos
| lens. although the ruling family have al
ways professed that faith.
The present nizam is Mir ahbub Ali.
who was born in 1866, was partially edu-
Gated in England and is very popular with
all classes of people-particularly with
those who profit by his extravaganza. The
revenues of the state are about $50 600 600 a
year, and the people are very much over
taxed. The nizam's taste for splendor and
his desire to out do all the other native
princes in display have caused the govern
ment of India considerable anxiety, and the
British resident at his capital, whose duty
is to keep him straight, enjoys no sinecure.
Haidarabad is one OF the Oldest cities in
India, with a population of 355, coo, inclosed
by a strong wall six miles in circumference.
The city stands in the midst of wild and
rocky scenery and is one of the most in
tereSting places in India, because the niZam
is fond of motion and music and color, and
has surrounded himself with large retinue
of congenial spirits, who live at his ex-
pense and pay their board by amusing him.
AS the most important Moslem potentate
except the Sultan of Turkey, he has at
tracted to his service Mohammedans from
every part of the earth, who go about wear
ing their distinctive national costumes and
armed with quaint weapons-Turks, Arabs.
Moors, Afghans, PerSians. Rajputs, wilkins,
Marathas, Pathans and representatives of
all the other races that confess Islam. His
palaces enormous and are filled with
these retainers, said to number 1,0C0 of all
ranks and races, and the courtyards are full
of elephants. camels, horses, mounted es-
corts and liveried servants. 1t reminds
one of the ancient east, a gorgeous page
out of the Arabian Nights.
The nizam's hospitality is boundless, and
any foreigner who brings a letter of intro
ductiOn, dresses according to vogue and has
the manners of Il gentleman will be cor
daily received and royalty entertained as
long as he cares to stop.
Unfortunately the nizam is sometimes
unable to distinguish saints from sinners
and has frequently been imposed upon by
adventures and rascals who have secured
introductOns and obtained invitations TO
the palace; but his good nature is mex
hauStible.
The Imperial Diamond.
He has recently become the defendant In
an interesting case at law, which you may
have noticed in the newspapers. At the re-
cent exposition at Paris an unknown dia-
mond called the Imperial was offered for
sale All other great diamonds have his
tories we'll known to every dealer and con-
nOisseur, but this magnificent stone was en-
tirely new and had never been heard OF.
Nor did the dealers who offered it for sale
think it necessary to make explanations
The stone spoke for itself and attracted
great deal of admiration and curiosity. IL
is generally supposed that II was stolen by
a Kaffir in one of the South African mines
and smugged out of the country by spec
ulators who took it first to one of the IA
nous damond-cutting establishments IN
Amsterdam and offered it for sale there Tor
$3.50, 600.
The dealers in that city were afraid to
buy it because they were confident that 1t
had been stolen. After it was cut the stone
was taken to London and offered Tor SiVo',-
600 but found no buyers for the same rea-
SON 1t was offered in Petersburg and
Brazil for similar prices, and nnaily was
taken to Paris and shown at the expositioh'
INIT until the Nizam of Haidarabad APP
peared upon the scene. nobody would take
the risk attending it's purchase He bought
it through broker in precious stones re,
siding at Delhi, the original OF Marion
CraWford's story, Mr.. ISaacs, and agreed
to pay 100000 rupees, which is equivalent
to more than Sl,J0o,Ooo
One-half the purchase price was PAID
down when the stone was delivered to him,
and the balance was to be settled IN IN
stallments. But the government lnterIered.
Lord CurZon took the responsibility OF stop
ming the sale on the ground % that the
nrfce was excessive: (2) that the nlZam
could not afford to buy such an expensive
level, and (3) that it was contrary TO puoilc
policy to permit native rulers 10 eXpehd
money collected as taxes from their hard
working subjects in that way. But the
nizam refused to surrender the stone. and ,
il is still in his possession, although ne IS
afraid to wear it for fear the sellers Will at
tempt to recover it by legal process AS the
government forbds him to pay any more
money to the sellers. the latter are oolhs
the walking They have brought SUIT
against him to recover the entire amount
agreed upon the balance due being $i66oo1
The suit has not yet come to trlal ana
probably never will because the government
is prepared to prove that the stone was OF
fered for sale to several people FOR less
money than the nizam has already paid Tor
IT. | under stand that when they nrst APP
reared in Amsterdam they would nave ac-
| cepted 5000, 900 gladly, and If they come INTO
court the government will be perfectly able
to prove that the price demanded of the
nizam was excessive. 1t is probable, how
| ever that a compromise will be reached.