Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-04-09
THE sHAHs OF PERSIA.
Descendants Of Cyrus the Great Have
Ways That Are Strange.


Descendants Of Cyrus the Great Have
Ways That Are Strange.
1T Is only fifteen years ago thai
Persia, looming large at present in
world politics, was ruled by q ruth.
less and savage mediaevel despot ir
the person Of Nassar-ed-Deen who
says a writer in Fair Play, "died in the
good old way at the hands of an as
sassin. Nassr with his three success
sors form an interesting study.
Ahmed Mira, the present sixteen
year old incumbent Of the throne, Is
the last of line of kings that began
with Cyrus the Great. Mirza's grand
father, Muzaffer-ed-Deen, was an in
termediate link betweeen Nassr, an
absolute ruler, and Mohamed ali Mir
"a, constitutional monarch in spite
of himself, who was father Of the
present shah.
"Muzaffer was comparatively en-
lightened man, whose disposition was
kindly, though he believed in the d.
vine right Of kings. His son and sue
cessor proved himself to possess none
Of the qualities Of ruler during his
brief and tempestuous reign Of two
years, and his taking refuge in the
Russian Consulate in Teheran during
the armed struggle between National
list and Royalist troops was interpret
ed as an act Of abdication.
During the respective visits to
London and Paris. dozen years apart
Of Nassr and Muzaffer, saw some
thing of the Oriental monarchs who
successfully claimed the titles 1.-The
King of Kings" The Shadow Of God,
The Centre Of the Universe, The
Well Of Science The Footpath of
Heaven For the shahs of Persia
have always held themselves above
the kings of Europe.
"Muzaffer created the better I'M
preston, though Nassr appealed more
to the public imagination as a cruel
and untamed barbarian. When first
saw him he was at the gala perfor-
nance at the Covent Garden opera In
London in 1889, at which he appeared
in Oriental costume throughout, wear
ing an astrakhan cap, or kolah, with
the Lion and the Sun-the Persian
emblem-on 1t in diamonds, and lit
orally blazing with jewels from head
to foot. An American in the audience
offered a million for him as he stood,
and would probably have made q
profit If the bargain had been consum-
mated.
During some ceremonial on his
visit to England the shah wore ko-
lah or headdress that must have con-
tanned several pounds Of precious
stones, and the day being sultry he
suddenly snatched 1t from his head
and flung 1t In the corner.
"Nassr's mysterious religious prac-
tices, which imposed unusual habits
upon himself and his suite, made him
the betenoire of the custodians Of the
royal palaces in Europe where he was
entertained. 1t took months OF dis
infection and careful cleaning to rem
der habitable again the Alte Schloss
in Berlin, where he had occupied a
magnificent suite Of apartments elab-
orately decorated in the Louis XIV.
style. Buckingham palace housed
him once but never again.
1.-The shah's suite fed principally on
mutton, and this was killed in the
living rooms. The monarch himself
had a particular fondness for roast
chicken, the bones Of which he habit
ually threw over his shoulder when
he had stripped the flesh from them.
This was his invariable practice at all
the state dinners he attended, and
and when he had finished with plate
that generally went over his shoulder
to the floor also.
"The noteworthy feature Of Nassr's
visit to Europe in 1889, however, was
Ia member Of his suite in the person
Of an impish small boy known 10 Aziz,
who was described as his mascot. It
was said that Persian astrologer
had made 1t known to the shah that
his life and that Of his mascot would
be coterminous; and hence Nassr kept
the boy with him continually in order
that he might involve himself in no
unnecessary dangers, thus imperiling
both lives.
1.-The imp was the pet horror Of
Nine. Carnot, wife Of the president Of
France, during the shah's visit in Par
Is; and at the operate performance
given in his honor she personally
showed the little monkey out Of the
royal box, whereupon the monarch
evinced great uneasiness until Aziz
was readmitted. The pranks Aziz
played with Amin Sultan. the grand
vizier. were a source Of continual de-
light to the shah and his suite, and
added considerably to the gaiety OF
the nations visited by the Persians
that year. Aziz was protected by
Nassr in any Of the practical jokes he
Iperpetrated at Amin's expense.
1.-The boy was particularly fond Of
jerking the vizier's chair out from un-
der him as he was sitting down on
ceremonious occasions; he frequently
managed to put superfluous amount
Of red pepper into that august per-
sons food ct state banquets, causing
him to choke and leave the table; and
during the royal visit to Fontaine-
bleau he turned hose attached to the
fountain on Amin, who CHANGED to be
standing a little apart from the 9TH
ers The unfortunate vizier's only
course was to pretend to be amused
by his tormentor's tricks; but, as they
were described at length in many Ian
guages and newspapers. Amin's life
was made wretched from the time the
expedition left Teheran until its re-
turn.
"Amin-es accompanied Muz-
after to Paris in his capacity Of grand