Persia (1828)
by Frederic Shoberl
635536Persia1828Frederic Shoberl

Futteh Ali Shah.
King of Persia.


PERSIA;


CONTAINING


A DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY,


WITH


AN ACCOUNT OF ITS


GOVERNMENT, LAWS, AND RELIGION,

AND OF THE


CHARACTER, MANNERS AND CUSTOMS, ARTS, AMUSEMENTS, &c. OF ITS INHABITANTS.



BY FREDERICK SHOBERL.



ILLUSTRATED WITH TWELVE COLOURED ENGRAVINGS.





Philadelphia.


PUBLISHED BY JOHN GRIGG, No. 9, N. FOURTH ST.
.......
1828

CONTENTS.


INTRODUCTION.

CHAP. PAGE
I.—Antiquity of the kingdom of Persia—Its recent Losses—Situation and Provinces of which it is composed, 13
II.—Aspect and Nature of the Soil and Climate, 15
III.—Population—Names, Manners, and Customs, of some of the Tribes of Persia,

19

PART I.

OF THE GOVERNMENT.

I.—Of the King—
Sect I.—His Family—His Household—His Revenues, 23
Sect II.—Feth Ali Shah, 25
Sect III.—Of the Royal Family, 29
Sect. IV.—Of the King’s Titles, 33
Sect. V.—Of the King’s Household, 34
Sect. VI.—Of the King’s Seraglio, 36
Sect. VII.—Of the Coorook, 39
Sect. VIII.—Splendour of the Court—Royal Audiences, 40
Sect. IX.—Of the King's Guards, 42
Sect.X.—Of the King's Power, 43
II.—Of the Great Officers of the Empire—
Sect. I.—Of the Itimad-ad-Dowlah, or Prime Minister, 44
Sect. II.—Of the Ameen-ad-Dowlah, or Second Minister, 47
Sect. III.—Of the Vaca Neviz, or Secretary of State, 49
Sect. IV.—Of the Meer-Aub, or Prince of the Waters, 50
Sect. V.—Of the Beylerbeys, or Governors of Provinces, 50
Sect. VI.—Of the Titles of Mirza and Khan, 52
III.—Of the Government of the Provinces and Cities, 53
IV.—Of the Nature of Landed Property, 56
V.—Of the Sources of the Revenue of the State, 57
VI.—Of the Military Force—
Sect. I.—General Observations, 59
Sect. II.—Of the Arms of the Persian Troops, 61
Sect. III.—Of the Military Art among the Persians, 62
VII.—Of the Mode of Investiture with Offices, and of the Khilaut, or Robe of Honour, 67
VIII.—Of Presents, 69

PART II.

LEGISLATION.

I.—General Character of the Persian Legislation, 70
II.—Of the Administration of Justice, 72
III.—Of the Law of Marriage, 73
IV.—Of Civil and Criminal Justice, 75
V.—Of the different kinds of Punishments, 78

PART III.

RELIGION.

I.—Religion of the Persians—Difference between their Creed and the of the Turks, 81
II.—Doctrines—
Sect. I—Of God, the Resurrection, and a Future State, 83
Sect. II—Of Ali—Of the Title of Imam—Of Mehdy, 84
III.—Religious Ceremonies—
Sect. I.—Purifications, 85
Sect, II.—Prayers, 87
Sect. III.—Alms and Fasts, 88
Sect. IV.—Pilgrimage, 90
IV.—Religious Festivals, 90
V.—Of the Sofis, 94
VI.—Religious Toleration, 95

PART IV.

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.

I.—Character of the Persians, 99
II.—Nomination and Circumcision of Infants, 104
III.—Education of the Persians, 107
IV.—Marriage, 108
V.—Funerals and Tombs, 109
VI.—Costume of the Persians, 111
VII.—Of the Women of Persia—
Sect. I.—Of their Education, 114
Sect. II.—Of the Condition of the Female Sex in Persia, 116
Sect. III.—Occupations and way of Life of the Women of Persia, 120
Sect. IV.—Characters of Beauty among the Persians, 120
Sect. V—Costume of the Persian Women, 123
VIII.—Of certain habits of the Persians, 124
IX.—Superstition of the Persians, 126
X.—Of the Manner in which the Persians calculate and spend their Time, 129
XI.—Visits and Entertainments of the Persians, 130
XII.—Amusements and Exercises—
Sect. I.—Amusements, 136
Sect. II.—Exercises, 137
Sect. III.—Hunting—Field-Sports, and Horse-Racing, 140
Sect. IV.—Games, 142
XIII.—Of the Houses of the Persians, 143
XIV.—Baths, 147
XV.—Manner of Travelling-Caravanserais, 149
XVI.—Of the Festival of Nowroose, or New-Year's Day, 154
XVII.—Manners and Customs of the Guebres, Armenians, Courds, and Gypsies—
Sect. I.—The Guebres, 156
Sect. II.—The Armenians, 158
Sect. III.—The Banians, 161
Sect. IV.—The Courds, 161
Sect. V.—The Gypsies, 163

PART V.

ARTS AND SCIENCES.

I.—Agriculture, 164
II.—Commerce, 167
III.—Medicine and Surgery, 168
IV.—Music, 170
V.—Dancing, 173
VI.—Architecture, Painting, and Sculpture, 174

PLATES.




1. King of Persia, (frontispiece.) Page
2. Master of Ceremonies, to face 34
3. Woman of the Harem, 36
4. Attendants on the Queen of Persia, 39
5. Officer of the Guards, 43
6. Camel Artillery Man, 61
7. High Priest, 72
8. Persian of High Rank, 113
9. Ambassador, 114
10. Persian Smoking, 124
11. Grandee Smoking on Horseback, 125
12. Armenian Lady, 160

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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