The King Read online

  Dangling from Khwajeh Bashi’s thick leather belt was a ring with dozens of keys. Anyone within earshot who heard the jingling keys knew that Khwajeh was approaching.

  Once inside, Khwajeh Bashi took off his cap, bowed and remained standing at the door.

  ‘Tell us, Khwajeh Bashi, where are the women?’ cried Shah Naser.

  ‘They are just outside Tehran. I expect them to reach the palace by midday.’

  ‘It was a long journey,’ said the shah. ‘They must be very tired.’

  ‘They have been travelling for seventeen days now. It was difficult having the children with them, but they were able to get plenty of rest in the tents along the way.’

  ‘See that they are lavishly entertained now that we have ascended the throne,’ said the shah.

  ‘Everything has been arranged, Your Majesty. A great feast will be held as soon as they arrive. They are not tired. They spent the evening in a spacious caravanserai outside Tehran and the harem’s large hamam has been made ready.’

  The journey had been unforgettable for the women. Usually the only outings they were permitted were brief pilgrimages. The rest of their lives were spent within the harem’s four walls. Now they had traversed a vast section of the country on horseback, wrapped in black chadors and blue niqabs. Their children were transported in coaches and the servants rode behind them on mules. A column of armed soldiers escorted the procession. As this extraordinary caravan approached the great gate of Tehran, the local police cleared the way. One of the horsemen blew his bugle and cried, ‘Best behaviour, everyone! The shah’s harem is riding into the city.’

  A large group of musicians with drums was standing at the ready. Curious bystanders pressed forward on both sides of the road. Boys climbed the trees and men searched for higher elevation. Some of the women stood on the roofs to get a better view.

  Riding at the head of the procession were the soldiers, followed by the veiled wives of the shah. They passed the spectators in an endless column, and no one knew how to react. A silence had fallen; all you could hear were the sounds of the horses’ hooves and the wheels of the coaches and carts on the paving stones. Every now and then a laugh rang out from a boy sitting somewhere in a tree. It was quite a spectacle, the wives of the shah in their blue niqabs, silhouetted against the colourful fabrics that adorned the horses.

  You could tell from these decorations just how important each woman was. The first horses had silken cloths draped over their heads that glittered with a profusion of beads. Special ornaments covered their legs and beads were woven into their tails. The women on these horses were from the same tribe as the shah.

  Bringing up the rear was a group of young eunuchs who worked in the harem as servants. These men acted like women. When they passed the silence was broken and everyone began to laugh and point at them.

  The women were received in the palace with great fanfare. Female musicians accompanied female harem singers, who sang joyous songs of welcome. Now that there were no longer any strange men about, the women were able to take off their niqabs and chadors. They talked with one another, laughed and shook the dust from their clothing. They were curious about their new home.

  The shah appeared unannounced at the top of the stairs with the royal crown on his head. As soon as the women saw him they began to scream with delight. Relieved and happy that his wives had all arrived in good health the king came down the stairs to greet them.

  The children ran up to their father, who opened his arms but did not embrace them, motioning instead to Khwajeh Bashi to take them away and indulge them with sweets.

  The women gathered round the shah, congratulating him and admiring his golden crown. It was said to be the same crown that had been worn by Cyrus, the king of kings. The shah enjoyed the attention of the country’s most beautiful women, who laughed and then complained to him about their long journey. He caressed them, stroked their cheeks and necks, and after a while he retired.

  The disappointed women let out a cacophony of screams until the harem overseer shouted, ‘Ladies!’ They immediately fell silent, for when Khwajeh Bashi spoke, he spoke the words of the shah. ‘Ladies! You have seen how happy His Majesty is that you all arrived in good health. Everything has been properly arranged for you to his satisfaction. For my part I expect you to comply with the rules. Here in Tehran, and especially in this harem, nothing is as it was in Tabriz. This palace is the most prestigious and most beautiful in the land. And your harem is the most imposing. His Majesty is no longer the crown prince. He is king now – the king. This means that my words are the words of the king. And the words of the king are the words of God. So I am asking you to behave yourselves and to listen closely to whatever I say. Not a single mosquito leaves the harem without my permission, and not a single mosquito enters the harem without my permission. I will talk about the rest later on. Your rooms are ready, the beds are made and the hamam is warm. Take your time and get some rest.’

  He asked all the mothers to stand with their sons and daughters, and he let them enter the harem first. Then he sent the women without children in one by one, where they were met by servants who took them to their rooms.

  The women gazed in amazement at their new accommodation. It was a gigantic oval-shaped building three storeys high, with more than a hundred rooms. There were countless passageways leading from one part of the building to another, with many covered courtyards onto which dozens of rooms opened out. There were tea rooms, resting rooms, reading rooms, medical treatment rooms, dining rooms, music rooms, massage rooms, hookah rooms, storytelling rooms, a hairdresser’s and a very large hamam where more than a hundred women could bathe at once. There were more rooms than women, so everyone had plenty of space. It was easy for newcomers to lose their way in this vast maze of a building during their first weeks until they learned to find their rooms almost by instinct.

  Behind the building was a large garden with fruit trees, long avenues lined with fragrant flowers, and benches for sitting and lying in the leafy shade. In the middle of the garden was a large pond filled with colourful fish and surrounded by wooden divans. Majestic carpets were scattered everywhere, and everything was decorated in fine, colourful silk.

  The women with children were given spacious apartments at the back of the building, and the young women who had recently joined the harem had rooms off the long corridor on the first floor. So if the shah wanted to sleep with any one of them he never had far to go.

  Most of the women in the harem came from the countryside. The shah had noticed them among the spectators during his travels and had taken them along with him. At first the women were very happy that the shah had chosen them; they felt as if luck had come to perch on their shoulders like an eagle. Once they arrived in the harem, however, the shah would spend only a few nights playing with them. He fondled them, bit them, pinched them in the neck, in the breasts and in the thighs, and then brutally took them by force. After that he usually never returned. These young, illiterate women found themselves in an intricate labyrinth of religion, superstition, disease, gossip, power games, female deception, spying and shady political intrigue. They were kept prisoner day and night, and killed time by putting on make-up, smoking hookahs, eating and quarrelling with each other.

  Once the women had fixed up their rooms Khwajeh Bashi took his place at the entrance to the harem. To his delight the move had occurred without incident. A young servant brought him a hookah. The overseer leaned back on a cushion and looked at the women, who were getting themselves ready for the evening meal.

  Slowly darkness fell. The servants lit the candles in the lanterns. A hint of sadness hung over the harem. A cat, the shah’s cat, crept inside and jumped up on a ledge. She too watched the women in the twilight.

  4. The Grand Vizier

  Having received the shah’s approval, Grand Vizier Mirza Kabir sent a couple of army units to the eastern and southwestern provinces to arrest the shah’s rebellious half-brothers.

  When the shah’s
father had felt his end was near, he had expressly asked Mirza Kabir to help his son until he was able to assume total control. The father of Mirza Kabir had been the first vizier of the late king, and the young Mirza Kabir had served as his father’s assistant. Later he succeeded his father as vizier to the old king. He was quite aware of what state the country was in. Mirza Kabir was beloved by the people, but he had many enemies in high places, including the corrupt princes and politicians. He followed developments in Russia, England and France, and he knew his own land was lagging far behind the countries of the West. The unemployment, illiteracy, disease and extreme poverty in Persia grieved him deeply, as did his inability to prevent a small elite from enriching themselves and gaining enormous power.

  One of his most influential opponents was Mahdolia, the mother of the crown prince. She had formed a shadow cabinet made up of several old, experienced politicians. She also had ties with a number of clerics, who claimed they were in contact with the divine energies.

  The vizier had done everything he could to limit Mahdolia’s power. He tried to keep corrupt people away from the old king. His goal had been to centralise power in order to make the land governable, but in this he did not succeed. Now, as grand vizier to Shah Naser, Mirza Kabir saw a new opportunity to realise his plans to modernise the country. He wanted to create businesses, construct roads, build hospitals and introduce a western educational system, and he had educated the future shah to go along with his plans for renewal. But without the shah’s approval his dreams would never come to fruition. He certainly didn’t expect any support from the ruling elite. They backed Mahdolia, the mother of the shah, in an effort to fill their own pockets. They had done well for themselves under the rule of the shah’s father, and now they owned houses, castles and even entire villages.

  Mahdolia tried to frustrate the man at every turn. She was determined to limit his influence on her son, whom she constantly belittled with remarks like, ‘You’re not your own man; you’re the slave of your master.’ Or: ‘You’re the king, but you behave like that man’s errand boy. Don’t be so servile.’ And: ‘That vizier is using you to advance his own plans. Don’t forget that he’s supposed to obey you, and not the other way round.’

  Mirza Kabir came from a distinguished and independent family whose men had always exercised considerable literary and political influence. For five generations the family had produced viziers to serve the country. Mirza Kabir himself tried to act with only the interests of the country at heart. According to tradition the shah held the reins of power and the vizier was subordinate to him. It was the vizier’s task to inform the shah of the latest events and developments, which always had to be done with the greatest caution.

  One day, after the shah had undergone a neat beard trimming, the vizier requested an audience with him to bring him up to date.

  ‘Your Majesty, we are living in turbulent times. Russia is ready to attack the kingdom from the north. The British army is in the east, waiting to seize upon any pretext to use our country in order to safeguard their presence in India.

  ‘Being king is a weighty responsibility. I have taught you about the nation’s past and I have openly discussed your predecessors’ strong and weak points. I have spent a great deal of time in Russia and I am aware of the changes taking place in England. Now more than ever a statesman is responsible for the welfare of his subjects. The time when people could get by with a cow, a bit of land and some wool to spin is over. The world is plunging ahead, but we are standing still. We must build factories, just as England and Russia are doing. With factories we could provide jobs for thousands of people. We will have to send our clever young men to France, England and Russia to be educated. Our children must learn to read. That is why we want to set up seven schools in Tehran. The French can help us create a new school system.’

  ‘Is that all?’ asked the shah with irony.

  ‘I would like the shah to endorse these plans. Pay no attention to those who don’t understand such things.’

  ‘And who might the vizier be referring to?’ responded the shah, greatly irritated by this indirect indictment of his mother.

  ‘The Persian Empire is like a terminally ill patient who has been handed over to you and to me. Rule like a Russian tsar and like a British king, not like your forefathers. I appeal to you to limit the size of your harem. The women you already have are enough for all eternity.’

  ‘The vizier is not to meddle in our private affairs. The vizier would be wise to understand where his limits are,’ said the shah. Somewhere in the back of his mind he could hear his mother reproaching him.

  ‘Your Majesty must excuse the vizier. He is only doing his duty. I was told by your father to be tough and honest with you. And to alert you to your responsibilities.’

  ‘We are the king now and the vizier is no longer under any obligation to instruct us,’ answered the shah.

  ‘I am not instructing you. The contact between the vizier and the shah must always be straightforward, honest and professional. I only ask Your Majesty not to come to any decisions without first consulting his vizier.’

  ‘No more insults. The vizier is speaking to the shah. Watch what you say. We will decide what must be decided.’

  ‘The vizier would never presume to insult the king. On the contrary, I value your discernment. Your reading knowledge of French is excellent, so we have ordered French books for Your Majesty. They concern the astonishing changes that are taking place in Europe. Your Majesty must keep himself informed.’

  ‘There is nothing we must do,’ said the shah.

  ‘Of course, there is nothing the shah must do, but the shah might like to know that millions of his subjects in the countryside are working like slaves for the large landowners. They have nothing, while their masters live in resplendent castles. There is nothing the shah must do, but the shah might like to know that beyond the walls of his palace thousands of poor people are fighting for their existence while the princes lead blissful lives in Tehran. There is nothing the shah must do, but the shah might like to know that he cannot rule the land as it was ruled in his father’s and grandfather’s day. Should you decide to do so, I am afraid it could mean the end of your dynasty. You know I am serious. The shah must distance himself from the forces that are working against us. I need your help to modernise the country. I believe that in the near future you will have to undertake a journey to England or France.’

  The shah was silent. He loved to travel. He travelled through his own land a great deal and had already been to Russia twice. But as king he did not dare leave the country. He knew its history and he knew what could happen if the shah were absent.

  ‘The shah may want to think this over,’ the vizier added.

  Shah Naser rang his little bell. The chamberlain came in and the shah motioned to him to lead the vizier out.

  5. Mahdolia, the Mother

  Mahdolia was very young when she fell pregnant. She protected her son, the crown prince, as a lioness protects her cub. She never left him alone, afraid the other women would harm him in some way out of jealousy. Because she and the king were from the same tribe Mahdolia was the chosen wife, queen of the nation. She was the king’s confidante and she knew the country’s state secrets. When her husband took ill she became the decision-maker. The only thing standing in her way was Mirza Kabir. Now that her husband had died she tried to rule the land through her son.

  Mahdolia mirrored herself on Catherine, the tsarina of Russia. Deep in her heart what she really wanted was to be the Catherine of Persia. She knew how important it was to tread a cautious path between the Russians and the British. She did not trust the British. They were cunning politicians who cared about nothing but their own interests. And the Russians weren’t much better. Over the course of two wars they had seized a couple of large cities in the province of Azerbaijan. But Mahdolia knew that if she wanted to exert any influence at all, she would have to side with one of the two great powers. She had chosen the Russians.
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  Mahdolia wanted to hold the shah’s allegiance and keep him out of the hands of the vizier. She had told her son on several occasions that at a suitable moment she was going to confide a secret in him. That moment had now come.

  Her coach was stopped at the palace gate by the new head of the guards. ‘Who is in the coach?’

  ‘The queen,’ said the coachman.

  The guard was about to check, but Mahdolia forestalled him. She opened the little hatch and shouted, ‘What’s going on here?’

  The guard was startled by the force of her personality. He saluted and let the coach pass.

  ‘Mother! Your Highness!’ cried the shah as Mahdolia entered the hall of mirrors.

  ‘What is this all about? Is the shah a prisoner in his own palace?’ she shouted angrily.

  ‘What do you mean, Mother?’

  ‘It’s as if no one was allowed to move without the vizier’s permission. Not even the shah.’

  ‘No, Mother. No. It’s not as bad as all that.’

  ‘I don’t feel comfortable here. The walls have ears. Let’s go and sit somewhere else.’

  The shah led her to his conference room.

  ‘You’ve ended up in a snake pit. Not only do you have enemies in England and Russia, but you have them here under your own roof as well. First of all, let me warn you again about the vizier. My informants have proof that the vizier wants to seize power. He is sending boys to England and France to study. He wants to introduce reforms that leave no room for the shah, and he wants to change the army so it owes its allegiance to him. What is the shah doing in the meantime? Signing all the papers the vizier thrusts under his nose?’

  ‘Mother, what you say is not true. I am aware of everything that is going on, and the vizier does nothing without my knowledge. He is like a father to me.’