Modern Persia | Page 8

joined himself to his relations. He frequently attacked Lutf-Ali and
defeated him in 1795. He was then able to establish his throne in the
southern part of Mazandaron. This great Eunuch king founded the
dynasty which rules to-day, restored the kingdom as it was under
Karim-Kurd and conquered Georgia and Kharason. But he was
assassinated May 14, 1797. His nephew Futten-Ali-Shah (1797-1834)
engaged in three wars with Russia and was defeated each time. As a
result he lost his territory in Armenia, and a great part of Persia, namely
from the Caucassian mountains to the river, Aras, which now fixed the
boundary between Russia and Persia. Futteh-Ali in his last war with
Russia in 1826 was entirely defeated. Beside losing some part of his
territory he paid the sum of 1,800,000,000 rubles ($9,000,000) to
Russia. The death of the Crown Prince, Abbos Mirza, in 1833 seemed
to give the final blow to the declining fortune of Persia, as he was the
only man who seriously attempted to raise his country from the state of
abasement into which it had fallen. Futteh-Ali had seven sons. One of
them Johon-Suz-Mirza lives to-day. Seven years ago he was governor
in the author's city; and came to visit the college of Oroomiah with a
hundred princes and counts with him. He is a very ostentatious man.
After the death of the Crown Prince each of the seven sons claimed to
be inheritor of the throne, while the father was still living. At the same
time the Crown Prince Abbas-Mirza had a son named Mohammed.
Futteh-Ali when quite old and near to death, by the aid of Russia made
Mohammed, his grandson, king (1834-1848). Nayib-Al-Saltana acted
as regent during the boyhood of Mohammed. When he came to power
for himself he conceived the idea of restoring Bloogistan, Afghanistan,
and a great part of Turkoman to Persian dominion. He was especially
anxious to take Herat, the key to India, but was resisted by England.
The war was terminated in 1838.
[Illustration: FOUNDER OF THE PRESENT DYNASTY.]
Nasiruddin (defender of his religion), the late Shah who was
assassinated May 1, 1896, a young man eighteen years old and very
energetic succeeded to the throne of his father in 1848. Following his
father's example the new Shah tried to restore Afghaniston and

Bloogiston but was compelled by England to sign an agreement on Jan.
25, 1858 by which he was bound not to interfere further in the internal
affairs of Herat.
In 1856 he violated this treaty and took the city of Herat. After a severe
war with England in 1857 in which his loss was 20,000 soldiers he
relinquished Herat but he added to Persia many provinces in the
western part of Afghaniston and Bloogiston, and also some states in
Turkoman. He was one of the best kings of Persia. He visited Europe
three times, once in 1873. He had European ideas and was a
well-educated man. He started a good system of postal-telegraph and
had trained after the European discipline 30,000 soldiers. Above all he
founded a beautiful college in Teheran which is called in Persian
Daralfnoon (or the place of science). The present Shah, Mozuffur-uddin
was born March 25, 1853 and succeeded to the throne of his father May
1, 1896. In 1892 the author saw him at Oroomiah College. He came
with a large retinue to visit being entertained at the home of Dr.
Cochran. The work of the college pleased him and he made it a gift of
thirty pounds. He is a very kind and liberal man, especially toward the
poorer of his subjects. We believe God will make him to be good to the
oppressed Christians.
The list of kings who have reigned over Persia as regular kings make a
total of 255.
CHAPTER III.
ARCHITECTURE OF PERSIA.
The architecture of Persia is of considerable interest from the fact that
the Persians added to their own the architecture of Assyria and Egypt,
when they conquered those mighty empires. Hence the composite
nature of the designs of some of her most famous buildings. A brief
study of the old city of Persepolis will enable us the better to
understand the nature of the architecture of this land so rich in
magnificent ruins. (The author wishes to give credit to McClintock and
Strong's Encyclopedia, for a large part of the following pages. He has

extracted many quotations from this work.) This city called "The Glory
of the East," the ancient capital of Persia, is situated in the province of
Faris, on the river Araxes. Darius, Hastaspes, Xerxes, Artaxerxes and
others tried to make it one of the grandest cities in all the world.
Unfortunately it was destroyed by Alexander the Great, and now
contains only some ruins of the royal palaces. First is the Chehly