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Story
January 16, 1876
Lyon County Times
Yerington, Silver City, Dayton, Lyon County, Nevada
What is this article about?
Account of the Ottoman Sultan's daily visits to his menagerie, acquisition of exotic animals, slaves, and art through gifts from officials and provinces; details on palace staff, harem, expenditures exceeding 10 million dollars annually, and budget discrepancies.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
THE SULTAN AND HIS HOBBIES
He pays almost daily visits to his collection of wild beasts and birds. Some he makes favorites, while to others he takes a dislike, from the tone of their voices or other causes, and they are banished from the imperial gardens to the extremity of the seraglio. Men-of-war are sent to all parts of the world to increase his collection, and the governor of every province tries to afford him an agreeable surprise by costly presents—Arabian horses, carpets, fruits, etc.
So, too, wealthy Mohamedans, as soon as they purchase a handsome slave, send her to the Sultan, who never refuses her. The presents, of course, do not come out of the officials' own pockets, but rather serve to swell their gains, for they take ten horses from the taxpayers for one that they send the Sultan.
Of late years pictures and vases from China and Japan have accompanied these gifts, the Sultan having taken a passion for these and having spent this year $300,000 on pictures. The palace expenditure has been $10,000,000 a year ever since his accession.
His servants number 5,500—the kitchen employing 500, the stables 400, the menagerie 100; while there are 400 calkijs, 400 musicians, 300 doorkeepers of the twenty-one palaces and kiosques, and 160 porters. The harem has 1,200 inmates.
The Sultan has 25 aids-de-camp, 7 chamberlains, 6 secretaries, and at least 150 employees with various functions. There are 50 medical men, 150 black eunuchs, and 100 harem messengers.
Many of these servants are married, and feed their families with the broken meat, while they have under servants, so that 7,000 persons are daily fed in the palace, at an average cost of five francs a day or £500,000 a year. The horses, 600 in number, are mostly presented by the Khedive, who also annually sends costly jewels, pictures and birds. The stables cost at least 40,000, and the harem 160,000; while the pensions to the imperial family amount to £1,821,600, and repairs to the palaces and kiosques £80,000—not to speak of the Sultan's passion for building, which since his accession must have swallowed up at least £560,000.
His nominal civil list being only £1,240,000, the remainder of the £2,000,000 must figure in the budget under other items.
He pays almost daily visits to his collection of wild beasts and birds. Some he makes favorites, while to others he takes a dislike, from the tone of their voices or other causes, and they are banished from the imperial gardens to the extremity of the seraglio. Men-of-war are sent to all parts of the world to increase his collection, and the governor of every province tries to afford him an agreeable surprise by costly presents—Arabian horses, carpets, fruits, etc.
So, too, wealthy Mohamedans, as soon as they purchase a handsome slave, send her to the Sultan, who never refuses her. The presents, of course, do not come out of the officials' own pockets, but rather serve to swell their gains, for they take ten horses from the taxpayers for one that they send the Sultan.
Of late years pictures and vases from China and Japan have accompanied these gifts, the Sultan having taken a passion for these and having spent this year $300,000 on pictures. The palace expenditure has been $10,000,000 a year ever since his accession.
His servants number 5,500—the kitchen employing 500, the stables 400, the menagerie 100; while there are 400 calkijs, 400 musicians, 300 doorkeepers of the twenty-one palaces and kiosques, and 160 porters. The harem has 1,200 inmates.
The Sultan has 25 aids-de-camp, 7 chamberlains, 6 secretaries, and at least 150 employees with various functions. There are 50 medical men, 150 black eunuchs, and 100 harem messengers.
Many of these servants are married, and feed their families with the broken meat, while they have under servants, so that 7,000 persons are daily fed in the palace, at an average cost of five francs a day or £500,000 a year. The horses, 600 in number, are mostly presented by the Khedive, who also annually sends costly jewels, pictures and birds. The stables cost at least 40,000, and the harem 160,000; while the pensions to the imperial family amount to £1,821,600, and repairs to the palaces and kiosques £80,000—not to speak of the Sultan's passion for building, which since his accession must have swallowed up at least £560,000.
His nominal civil list being only £1,240,000, the remainder of the £2,000,000 must figure in the budget under other items.
What sub-type of article is it?
Biography
Curiosity
What themes does it cover?
Social Manners
What keywords are associated?
Sultan Hobbies
Menagerie Collection
Palace Expenditures
Imperial Gifts
Harem Inmates
Ottoman Opulence
What entities or persons were involved?
Sultan
Khedive
Where did it happen?
Imperial Palace, Seraglio
Story Details
Key Persons
Sultan
Khedive
Location
Imperial Palace, Seraglio
Event Date
Of Late Years, Ever Since His Accession
Story Details
The Sultan maintains vast collections of wild beasts, birds, art, and slaves through global expeditions and provincial gifts; employs thousands in palace operations with enormous annual expenditures on staff, harem, stables, and buildings, far exceeding his official civil list.