The religious duties of the king of Persia require him to rise early. As he
sleeps in the interior apartments, which no male is allowed to approach,
his attendants are either females or eunuchs. After he is dressed with
their aid, he sits for an hour or two in the hall of the haram, where his
levees are conducted with the same ceremony as in his outer apartments.
Female officers arrange the crowd of his wives and slaves with the
strictest attention to the order of precedency. After hearing the reports
of the persons intrusted with the internal government of the haram, and
consulting with his principal wives, who are generally seated, the monarch
leaves the interior apartments. The moment he comes out, he is met by
officers in waiting, and proceeds to one of his private halls, where he is
immediately joined by some of his principal favourites, and enters into
familiar conversation with them: all the young princes of the blood attend
this morning levee, to pay their respects. After this is over, he calls for
breakfast. The preparing his meals is superintended by the nauzir, or chief
steward of the household. The viands are put into dishes of fine china,
with silver covers, and placed in a close tray, which is locked and sealed
by the steward. This tray is covered with a rich shawl, and carried to the
king, when the steward breaks the seal, and places the dishes before him.
Some of the infant princes are generally present, and partake in this
repast. The chief physician is invariably in attendance at every meal. His
presence is deemed necessary, the courtiers say, that he may prescribe an
instant remedy, if any thing should disagree with the monarch; but this
precaution, no doubt, owes its origin to that suspicion which is
continually haunting the minds of such as exercise despotic power. When his
public duties are performed, he usually retires to the haram, where he
sometimes indulges in a short repose. Some time before sunset he always
makes his appearance in the outer apartments, and either again attends to
public business or takes a ride. His dinner is brought between eight and
nine, with the same precautions and ceremonies as at breakfast. He eats,
like his subjects, seated upon a carpet, and the dishes are placed on a
rich embroidered cloth, spread for the occasion. Some of the former kings
used to indulge openly in drinking wine; but none of the reigning family
have yet outraged the religious feelings of their subjects by so flagrant a
violation of the laws of Mahomed. Bowls filled with sherbet, made of every
species of fruit, furnish the beverage of the royal meals; and there are
few countries where more pains are bestowed to gratify the palate with the
most delicate viands. After dinner, the king retires to the interior
apartments, where it is said that he is often amused till a late hour by
the singers and dancers of his haram. It is impossible, however, to speak
of his occupations after he passes the threshold of his inner palace. He is
there surrounded by a scene calculated, beyond all others, to debase and
degrade the human character.
The harams are governed by the strictest discipline; and this must be
necessary to preserve the peace of a community, where the arrogance of
power, the pride of birth, the ties of kindred, the intrigues of art, and
the pretensions of beauty, are in constant collision. The usual routine of
the king's life is often interrupted by urgent public affairs, and
sometimes by amusement. The reigning family has hitherto disdained those
enervating and luxurious habits which led the last Seffavean monarchs to
confine themselves to their harams. They not only attend personally to
public business, but are continually practising manly exercises, and engage
in field sports with all the ardour of a race who cherish the habits of
their Tartar ancestors. The present king is an expert marksman and an
excellent horseman; few weeks pass without his partaking in the pleasures
of the chase. The king has always a historiographer and a chief poet. The
one writes the annals of his reign; the other, who has a high rank at
court, composes odes in his praise, and, with grateful ardour, celebrates
the munificence of his patron. A giant and a dwarf were at one period of
the present reign part of the royal establishment; and it is never without
a jester, who enjoys an extraordinary latitude of speech, and, both in his
dress and manner, assumes the habit and appearance of folly. It is usual to
laugh at the witticisms of these jesters, even when they are the most
severe; and the sovereign himself respects their privilege. The tribe to
which Kerreem Khan belonged, speak a language which, from its rudeness, is
denominated "the barbarous dialect." As this prince was one day sitting in
public, he commanded his jester to go and bring him word what a dog, that
was barking very loud, wanted. The courtiers smiled at this sally of their
monarch. The jester went, and, after appearing to listen for some time with
profound attention, returned, and said, with a grave air, "Your majesty
must send one of the chief officers of your own family to report what that
gentleman says: he speaks no language except "the barbarous dialect," with
which they are familiar, but of which I do not understand one word." The
good-humoured monarch laughed heartily at this jest, and gave the wit a
present. This anecdote, to which many similar might be added, shows that
there is little difference between the office of jester at the modern court
of Persia, and that which some centuries ago existed at every court in
Europe. A resemblance even in trifling forms merits attention, as it may
lead to conclusions on the progress of knowledge and the condition of
society; and from the character of their amusements, we may perhaps judge
as correctly as from their more serious occupations, of the degree of
civilization which a people has attained. In the court there is always a
person who bears the name of "story-teller to his majesty;" and the duties
of his office require a man of no mean acquirements. Though passionately
fond of public exhibitions, the Persians have none that deserve the name of
theatrical entertainments; but though strangers to the regular drama, their
stories are often dramatic; and those whose occupation is to tell them,
sometimes display so extraordinary a skill, and such varied powers, that we
can hardly believe, while we look on their altered countenances and listen
to their changed tones, that it is the same person, who at one moment tells
a plain narrative in his natural voice, then speaks in the hoarse and angry
tone of offended authority, and next subdues the passions he has excited by
the softest sounds of feminine tenderness. The art of relating stories is
attended both with profit and reputation. Great numbers attempt it, but few
succeed.
The person whose office it is to amuse his majesty with these stories is
always in attendance. It is equally his duty to beguile the fatigue of a
long march, and to soothe the mind when disturbed by the toils of public
affairs; and his tales are artfully made to suit the disposition and
momentary humour of the monarch. Sometimes he recites a story of the genii;
at others he speaks of the warlike deeds of former sovereigns, or of the
love of some wandering prince. Often the story is of coarser materials, and
the king is entertained with low and obscene adventures. In no court is
more rigid attention paid to ceremony. Looks, words, the motions of the
body, are all regulated by the strictest forms. When the king is seated in
public, his sons, ministers, and courtiers, stand erect, with their hands
crossed, and in the exact place belonging to their rank. They watch his
looks, and a glance is a command. If he speaks to them, you hear a voice
reply, and see the lips move, but not a motion or gesture betrays that
there is animation in any other part of the frame. The monarch often speaks
in the third person: "The king is pleased," "The king commands." His
ministers usually style him "The object of the world's regard." They are as
particular in forms of speech as in other ceremonies; and superiority and
inferiority of rank, in all their gradations, are implied by the terms used
in the commonest conversations.
_Sir J. Malcolm's History of Persia._
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