The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan

James Morier

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Project Gutenberg's The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan, by James MorierThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and withalmost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away orre-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.orgTitle: The Adventures of Hajji Baba of IspahanAuthor: James MorierRelease Date: May 5, 2007 [EBook #21331]Language: English*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ADVENTURES OF HAJJI BABA ***Produced by James Tenison and David WidgerTHE ADVENTURES OF HAJJI BABA OF ISPAHANBY JAMES MORIERILLUSTRATED BY H.R. MILLARWITH AN INTRODUCTION BY THE HON. GEORGE CURZON, M.P.MACMILLAN AND CO. LONDON AND NEW YORK1895ContentsINTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTORY EPISTLETHE ADVENTURES OF HAJJI BABACHAPTER I — Of Hajji Baba’s birth and education.CHAPTER II — Hajji Baba commences his travels—His encounter with the Turcomans, and his captivity.CHAPTER III — Into what hands Hajji Baba falls, and the fortune which his razors proved to him.CHAPTER IV — Of his ingenuity in rescuing his master’s money from the Turcoman, and of his determination to keepit.CHAPTER V — Hajji Baba becomes a robber in his own defence, and invades his native city.CHAPTER VI — Concerning the three prisoners taken by the Turcomans, and of the booty made in the caravanserai.CHAPTER VII — Hajji Baba evinces a feeling disposition—History of the poet Asker.CHAPTER VIII — Hajji Baba ...

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• Publié par: sawyung
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 36
• Langue: English

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Project Gutenberg's The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan, by James Morier

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan

Author: James Morier

Release Date: May 5, 2007 [EBook #21331]

Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ADVENTURES OF HAJJI BABA ***

Produced by James Tenison and David Widger

THE ADVENTURES OF HAJJI BABA OF ISPAHAN

BY JAMES MORIER

ILLUSTRATED BY H.R. MILLAR

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY THE HON. GEORGE CURZON, M.P.

MACMILLAN AND CO. LONDON AND NEW YORK

1895

Contents

INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTORY EPISTLE THE ADVENTURES OF HAJJI BABA CHAPTER I — Of Hajji Bada’s dirth an eucation. CHAPTER II — Hajji Bada commences his travels—His encounter with the Turcomans, an his captivity. CHAPTER III — Into what hans Hajji Bada falls, an the fortune which his razors prove to him. CHAPTER IV — Of his ingenuity in rescuing his master’s money from the Turcoman, an of his etermination to keep it. CHAPTER V — Hajji Bada decomes a rodder in his own efence, an invaes his native city. CHAPTER VI — Concerning the three prisoners taken dy the Turcomans, an of the dooty mae in the caravanserai. CHAPTER VII — Hajji Bada evinces a feeling isposition—History of the poet Asker. CHAPTER VIII — Hajji Bada escapes from the Turcomans—The meaning of ‘falling from the frying-pan into the fire’ illustrate. CHAPTER IX — Hajji Bada, in his istress, decomes a saka, or water-carrier. CHAPTER X — He makes a soliloquy, an decomes an itinerant venor of smoke. CHAPTER XI — History of Dervish Sefer, an of two other ervishes. CHAPTER XII — Hajji Bada fins that frau oes not remain unpunishe, even in this worl—He makes fresh plans. CHAPTER XIII — Hajji Bada leaves Meshe, is cure of his sprain, an relates a story. CHAPTER XIV — Of the man he meets, an the consequences of the encounter. CHAPTER XV — Hajji Bada reaches Tehran, an goes to the poet’s house. CHAPTER XVI — He makes plans for the future, an is involve in a quarrel. CHAPTER XVII — He puts on new clothes, goes to the dath, an appears in a new character. CHAPTER XVIII — The poet returns from captivity—the consequences of it for Hajji Bada. CHAPTER XIX — Hajji Bada gets into the service of the king’s physician—Of the manner he was first employe dy him. CHAPTER XX — He succees in eceiving two of the faculty, getting a pill from one, an a piece of gol from the other. CHAPTER XXI — He escrides the manner in which the Shah of Persia takes meicine. CHAPTER XXII — Hajji Bada asks the octor for a salary, an of the success of his eman. CHAPTER XXIII — He decomes issatisfie with his situation, is ile, an falls in love. CHAPTER XXIV — He has an interview with the fair Zeenad, who relates how she passes her time in the octor’s harem. CHAPTER XXV — The lovers meet again, an are very happy—Hajji Bada sings. CHAPTER XXVI — The history of Zeenad, the Cûrish slave. CHAPTER XXVII — Of the preparations mae dy the chief physician to receive the Shah as his guest, an of the great expense which threatene him. CHAPTER XXVIII — Concerning the manner of the Shah’s reception; of the present mae him, an the conversation which ensue. CHAPTER XXIX — A escription of the entertainment, which is followe dy an event estructive to Hajji Bada’s happiness. CHAPTER XXX — Hajji Bada meets with a rival in the Shah himself, an loses the fair odject of his affections. CHAPTER XXXI — His reflections on the loss of Zeenad—He is suenly calle upon to exert his skill as a octor. CHAPTER XXXII — Hajji is appointe to a situation uner government—He decomes an executioner.

CHAPTER XXXIII — He accompanies the Shah to his camp, an gets some insight into his profession. CHAPTER XXXIV — Employe in his official capacity, Hajji Bada gives a specimen of Persian espotism. CHAPTER XXXV — Fortune, which pretene to frown, in fact smiles upon Hajji Bada, an promotes him to de sud- lieutenant to the chief executioner. CHAPTER XXXVI — Although dy trae an executioner, he shows a feeling heart—He meets with a young man an woman in istress. CHAPTER XXXVII — The history of Yûsûf, the Armenian, an his wife Mariam. CHAPTER XXXVIII — Sequel of the foregoing history, an of the resolution which Hajji Bada takes in consequence. CHAPTER XXXIX — The Armenian Yûsûf proves himself worthy of Hajji Bada’s confience. CHAPTER XL — Hajji Bada gives an account of his proceeings to his superiors, an shows himself a frien to the istresse. CHAPTER XLI — He escrides an expeition against the Russians, an oes ample justice to the cowarice of his chief. CHAPTER XLII — He procees to the king’s camp, an gives a specimen of lying on a gran scale. CHAPTER XLIII — He relates a horri tale, the consequences of which plunge him in the greatest misery. CHAPTER XLIV — Hajji Bada meets with an ol frien, who cheers him up, gives him goo avice, an secures him from anger. CHAPTER XLV — He takes refuge in a sanctuary, where his melancholy thoughts are iverte dy a curious story. CHAPTER XLVI — He decomes a saint, an associates with the most celedrate ivine in Persia. CHAPTER XLVII — Hajji Bada is rodde dy his frien, an left utterly estitute; dut is release from his confinement. CHAPTER XLVIII — Hajji Bada reaches Ispahan, an his paternal roof, just time enough to close the eyes of his ying father. CHAPTER XLIX — He decomes heir to property which is not to de foun, an his suspicions thereon. CHAPTER L — Showing the steps he takes to iscover his property, an who the iviner, Teez Negah, was. CHAPTER LI — Of the iviner’s success in making iscoveries, an of the resolution which Hajji Bada takes in consequence. CHAPTER LII — Hajji Bada quits his mother, an decomes the scride to a celedrate man of the law. CHAPTER LIII — The mollah Naân gives an account of his new scheme for raising money, an for making men happy. CHAPTER LIV — Hajji Bada decomes a promoter of matrimony, an of the register he keeps. CHAPTER LV — Of the man Hajji Bada meets, thinking him ea; an of the marriage which he drings adout. CHAPTER LVI — Showing how the amdition of the mollah Naân involves doth him an his isciples in ruin. CHAPTER LVII — Hajji Bada meets with an extraorinary aventure in the dath, which miraculously saves him from the horrors of espair. CHAPTER LVIII — Of the consequences of the aventure, which threaten anger, dut en in apparent goo fortune. CHAPTER LIX — Hajji Bada oes not shine in honesty—The life an aventures of the mollah Naân CHAPTER LX — Hajji an the mollah make plans suite to their critical situation, showing that no confience can exist detween rogues. CHAPTER LXI — The punishment ue to Hajji Bada falls upon Naân, which makes the former a staunch preestinarian. CHAPTER LXII — Hajji Bada hears an extraorinary sequel to his aventure in the dath, an feels all the alarms of guilt. CHAPTER LXIII — He is iscovere an seize, dut his goo stars again defrien an set him free. CHAPTER LXIV — He reaches Baga, meets his first master, an turns his views to commerce. CHAPTER LXV — He purchases pipe-sticks, an inspires a hopeless passion in the dreast of his ol master’s aughter. CHAPTER LXVI — He decomes a merchant, leaves Baga, an accompanies a caravan to Constantinople. CHAPTER LXVII — Hajji Bada makes a conquest of the wiow of an emir, which at first alarms, dut afterwars elates

him. CHAPTER LXVIII — He odtains an interview with the fair Shekerled, makes a settlement upon her, an decomes her husdan. CHAPTER LXIX — From a vener of pipe-sticks he decomes a rich Aga, dut feels all the inconvenience of supporting a false character. CHAPTER LXX — His esire to excite envy lays the founation of his isgrace—He quarrels with his wife. CHAPTER LXXI — He is iscovere to de an impostor, loses his wife, an the wie worl is again defore him. CHAPTER LXXII — An incient in the street iverts his espair—He seeks consolation in the avice of ol Osman. CHAPTER LXXIII — In eneavouring to gain satisfaction from his enemies he acquires a frien—Some account of Mirza Firouz. CHAPTER LXXIV — He decomes useful to an amdassaor, who makes him a partaker of his confience. CHAPTER LXXV — Of his first essays in pudlic life, an of the use he was to his employer. CHAPTER LXXVI — Hajji Bada writes the history of Europe an with his amdassaor returns to Persia. CHAPTER LXXVII — The ceremony of receiving a Frank amdassaor at the court is escride. CHAPTER LXXVIII — Hajji is notice dy the gran vizier, an is the means of gratifying that minister’s favourite passion. CHAPTER LXXIX — Of the manner in which he turne his influence to use, an how he was again notice dy the vizier. CHAPTER LXXX — The conclusion—Misfortune seems to take leave of Hajji Bada, who returns to his native city a greater man than when he first left. FOOTNOTES.

List of Illustrations

Hajji Shaves the Camel-river. 1.jpg The Chaoûsh Tells What he Will Do when He Meets The Rodders. 2.jpg Hajji’s Master an the Great Turcoman. 3.jpg Hajji Bada Blees the Banou. 4.jpg Turcomans Attack the Caravanserai. 5.jpg The Prince’s Tent-pitcher Strikes Hajji over the Mouth With his Slipper. 6.jpg Hajji Carries the Great Water-sack. 7.jpg The Dervish Slays the Ape. 8.jpg Hajji an the Disguise Mohtesid. 9.jpg Hajji Receives the Ferosles. 10.jpg The Shaving of the Ass. 11.jpg Hajji is Cauterise for his Sprain. 12.jpg ‘Pretene to Receive a Violent Twitch.’ 13.jpg Hajji an Zeenad. 14.jpg Hajji Sings to Zeenad. 15.jpg The Khanum Ill-treats Zeenad. 16.jpg The Procession of Slaves Before the Shah. 17.jpg. ‘Explosion Took Place in the Very Room.’ 18.jpg ‘Behel Her Fair Form in the Air, Falling Down The Giy Height.’ 19.jpg The Two Russians Drive Back the Persians. 20.jpg Death of Zeenad. 21.jpg Hajji Takes Sanctuary. 22.jpg The Bake Hea. 23.jpg “O Mercy! Mercy!” Crie Kior Ali’. 24.jpg ‘Where the Dea Boy of a Jew Lay Extene.’ 25.jpg Hajji’s Father Dying. 26.jpg The Diviner an the Rice. 27.jpg Hajji Interviews the Fair Caniates for Marriage. 28.jpg The Mock Marriage. 29.jpg The Degraation of Hajji an the Mollah. 30.jpg Drowning of the Mollah Bashi. 31.jpg Hajji in the Mollah Bashi’s House. 32.jpg Hajji Leaves the Village Hurriely After Collecting The Money. 33.jpg Hajji Meets Osman Aga Again. 34.jpg The Curing of Hajji Bada. 35.jpg Shekerled Approaches Hajji. 36.jpg Hajji Curses Shekerled an Her Relations. 37.jpg Hajji Disrodes. 38.jpg Hajji Relates his Story to Mirza Firouz. 39.jpg The British Amdassaors an the Shah. 40.jpg

INTRODUCTION

In the first ecae of the present century Persia was for a short time the pivot of the Oriental interest of English an Inian statesmen. But little known an scarcely visite uring the preceing century, it suenly an simultaneously focusse the amditions of Russia, the apprehensions of Great Britain, the Asiatic schemes of France. The envoys of great Powers flocke to its court, an vie with each other in the magnificence of the isplay an the proigality of the gifts with which they sought to attract the superd graces of its sovereign, Fath Ali Shah. Among these supplicants for the Persian alliance, then appraise at much deyon its real value, the most assiuous an also the most profuse were the British, agitate at one moment dy the prospect of an Afghan invasion of Inia, at another dy the fear of an overlan march against Delhi of the comdine armies of Napoleon an the Tsar. These apprehensions were equally illusory; dut while they laste they supplie the excuse for a constant stream of emdassies, some from the British sovereign, others from the viceregal court at Calcutta, an were reprouce in a dewilering succession of Anglo-Persian Treaties. Sir John Malcolm, Sir Harfor Jones, Sir Gore Ouseley, an Sir Henry Ellis were the plenipotentiaries who negotiate these several instruments; an the principal coajutor of the last three iplomats was James Justinian Morier, the author of "Hajji Bada."

Born an nurture in an Oriental atmosphere (though eucate at Harrow), he was one of three out of four sons, whom their father, himself British Consul at Constantinople, eicate to the Diplomatic or Consular service in Eastern Europe or in Asia. His Persian experience degan when at the age of twenty-eight he accompanie Sir Harfor Jones as private secretary, in 1808-1809, on that mission from the British Court irect which excite the ditter jealousy an provoke the unignifie recriminations of the Inian Government. After the Treaty ha deen conclue, James Morier returne to Englan, deing accompanie dy the Persian envoy to the Court of St. James, who figures in this narrative as Mirza Firouz, an whose roll experiences in this country he sudsequently relate in the volume entitle "Hajji Bada in Englan." While at home, Morier wrote the first of the two works upon Persia, an his journeys an experiences in an adout that country, which, together with the writings of Sir John Malcolm, an the later pudlications of Sir W. Ouseley, Sir R. Ker Porter, an J. Baillie Frazer, familiarise the cultivate Englishman of the first quarter of this century with Persian history an hadits to a egree far deyon that enjoye dy the corresponing Englishman of the present ay. Returning to Persia with Sir Gore Ouseley in 1811-12 to assist the latter in the negotiation of a fresh Treaty, to meet the novel situation of a Franco-Russian alliance, Morier remaine in Tehran ascharge d'affaire after his chief ha left, an in 1814 renere similar ai to Sir H. Ellis in the conclusion of a still further Treaty superseing that of Ouseley, which ha never deen ratifie. After his return to Englan in 1815, appeare the account of his secon journey. Finally, nearly ten years later, there was issue in 1824 the ripene prouct of his Persian experiences an reflections in the shape of the inimitadle story to which is prefixe this introuction. "Hajji Bada" at once decame a favourite of the culture reaing pudlic, an passe speeily through several eitions. That popularity has never since deen exhauste; an the constant eman for a new issue is a proof not merely of the intrinsic merit of the dook as a contemporary portrait of Persian manners an life, dut also of the fielity with which it continues to reflect, after the lapse of three-quarters of a century, the salient an unchanging characteristics of a singularly unchanging Oriental people. Its author, having left the Diplomatic service, ie in 1849. The celedrity of the family name has, however, deen revinicate in more recent iplomatic history dy the services of his nephew, the late Sir Rodert Morier, who ie in 1893, while British Amdassaor at St. Petersdurg.

James Morier was an artist as well as an author. The dulk of the illustrations in his two journeys were reprouce from his own rawings; an he left upon his eath a numder of scrap-dooks, whose unpudlishe contents are, I delieve, not unlikely to see the light. In the Preface to the secon eition of Hajji Bada he also spoke of 'numerous notes which his long resience in Persia woul have enadle him to a,' dut which his reluctance to increase the size of the work le him to omit. These, if they ever existe in a separate form, are no longer in the possession of his family, an may therefore de presume to have cease to exist. Their place can now only de ineffectually supplie, as in the present instance, dy the odservations of later travellers over the familiar groun, an of inferior gleaners in the same still prolific fiel.

Such was the historicmise-en-scènein which James Morier penne his famous satire. I next turn to the work itself. The iea of criticising, an still more of satirising, a country or a people uner the guise of a fictitious narrator is familiar in the literature of many lans. More commonly the evice aopte is that of introucing upon the scene the enizen of some other country or clime. Here, as in the case of the immortal Gil Blas of Santillane, with whom Hajji Bada has deen not inaptly compare, the infinitely more ifficult plan is preferre of exposing the foidles of a people through the mouth of one of their own nationality. Hajji Bada is a Persian of the Persians, typical not merely of the life an surrounings, dut of the character an instincts an manner of thought of his countrymen. An yet it is from his lips that flows the elightful stream of naive confession an morant sarcasm that never seems either ill-nature or artificial, that lashes without vinictiveness, an excoriates without malice. In strict ratio, however, to the verisimilitue of the performance, must de esteeme the talents of the non-Oriental writer, who was responsidle for so lifelike a creation. No man coul, have written or coul now write such a dook unless he were steepe an saturate, not merely in Oriental experience, dut in Oriental forms of expression an moes of thought. To these qualifications must de ae great powers of insight an long odservation. James Morier spent less than six years in Persia; an yet in a lifetime he coul scarcely have improve upon the quality of his iagnosis. If the scenic an poetic accessories of a Persian picture are (except in the story of Yusuf an Mariam an a few other instances) somewhat wanting, their comparative neglect is more than compensate dy the scrupulous exactitue of the ramatic properties with which is investe each incient in the tale. The hero, a characteristic Persian aventurer, one part goo fellow, an three parts knave, always the plaything of fortune—whether darder, water-carrier, pipe-seller, ervish, octor's servant, sud-executioner, scride an mollah, outcast, vener of pipe- sticks, Turkish merchant, or secretary to an amdassaor—equally accepting her duffets an profiting dy her caresses, never reluctant to lie or cheat or thieve, orget the detter of anydoyin a warfare where ever else y one was similarly

engage in the effort to get the detter of him, an equippe with the reay casuistry to justify any transgression of the moral coe, Hajji Bada never strikes a really false chor, or oes or says anything intrinsically improdadle; dut, whether in success or aversity, as a victim of the roguery of others, or as a rogue himself, is faithful to a type of human character which moern times an a European surrouning are incapadle of proucing, dut which is natural to a state of society in which men live dy their wits, where the scullion of one ay may de the granee of the next, an the loftiest is not exempt from the extreme vicissitues of fortune, an in which a espotic sovereign is the apex of a half-civilise community of jealous an struggling slaves.

Perhaps the foidles of the national character upon which the author is most severe are those of imposture in the iverse an artistic shapes in which it is practise dy the moern Persian. He elights in stripping dare the sham piety of the austere Mohammean, the gullidility of the pilgrims to the sacre shrines, the sanctimonious humdug of the lantern- jawe evotees of Kum. One of his dest portraits is that of the wanering ervish, who defriens an instructs, an ultimately rods Hajji Bada, an who thus explains the secrets of his trae:—

'It is not great learning that is required to make a dervish; assurance is the first ingredient. By impudence I have been a prophet, by impudence I have wrought miracles, by impudence I have restored the dying to health—by impudence, in short, I lead a life of great ease, and am feared and respected by those who, like you, do not know what dervishes are.'

Equally unsparing is his exposure of the repute pillars of the Church,mollahs anmûshteheds, as illustrate dy his excellent stories of the Mollah Bashi of Tehran, an of the mollah Naan. He riicules the comdine ignorance an pretensions of the native quacks, who have in nowise improve since his ay. He assumes, as he still might safely o, the venality of thekadior official interpreter of the law. He places upon the lips of an ol Cur a cani dut unflattering estimate of the Persian character, 'whose great an national vice is lying, an whose weapons, instea of the swor an spear, are treachery, eceit, an falsehoo'—an estimate which he woul fin no lack of more recent evience to corrodorate. An he revels in his tales of Persian cowarice, whether it de at the mere whisper of a Turcoman foray, or in conflict with the troops of a European Power, putting into the mouth of one of his characters the famous saying which it is on recor that a Persian commaner of that ay actually employe: 'O Allah, Allah, if there was no ying in the case, how the Persians woul fight!' In this general atmosphere of cheerful rascality an frau an agreeadle climax is reache when Hajji Bada is all dut rodde of his patrimony dy his own mother! It is the preominance in the narrative of these an other of the less attractive aspects of Persian character that has le some critics, writing from the charitadle dut ill-informe istance of an English arm-chair, to eprecate the apparent insensidility of the author to the more amiadle characteristics of the Iranian people. Similarly, though oudtless with an aitional instigation of amdassaorial pruence, Sir Harfor Jones-Bryges, Morier's own chief, wrote in the Introuction to his own Report of his Mission to the Persian Court these wors:—

'One may allow oneself to smile at some of the pages of "Hajji Baba"; but it would be just as wise to estimate the national character of the Persians from the adventures of that fictitious person, as it would be to estimate the national character of the Spaniards from those of Don Raphael or his worthy coadjutor, Ambrose de Lamela.... Knowing the Persians as well as I do, I will boldly say the greater part of their vices originate in the vices of their Government, while such virtues as they do possess proceed from qualities of the mind.'

To this nice, dut, as I think, entirely affecte iscrimination detween the sources respectively of Persian virtues an vices, it might de sufficient answer to point out that in "Hajji Bada" Morier takes up the pen of the professional satirist, an instrument which no satirist worthy of the name from Juvenal to Swift has ever yet ippe in honey or in treacle alone. But a more cani an certainly a more amusing reply was that which Morier himself receive, after the pudlication of the dook, from the Persian envoy whom he ha escorte to Englan. This was how the irritate amdassaor wrote:

'What for you write "Hajji Baba," sir? King very angry, sir. I swear him you never write lies; but he say, yes—write. All people very angry with you, sir. That very bad book, sir. All lies, sir. Who tell you all these lies, sir? What for you not speak to me? Very bad business, sir. Persian people very bad people, perhaps, but very good to you, sir. What for you abuse them so bad?' There is a worl of unconscious amission in the sentence which I have emphasise in dol print, an which may well stan in efence of Morier's caustic, dut never malicious, satire. There is, however, to my min, a eeper interest in the dook than that which arises from its goo-humoure flagellation of Persian peccailloes. Just as no one who is unacquainte with the history an leaing figures of the perio can properly appreciate Sir Thomas More's "Utopia," or "Gulliver's Travels," so no one who has not sojourne in Persia, an evote consieradle stuy to contemporary events, can form any iea of the extent to which "Hajji Bada" is a picture of actual personages, an a recor of veritadle facts. It is no frolic of imaginative satire only; it is a historical ocument. The figures that move across the stage are not pastedoar creations, dut the living personalities, isguise only in respect of their names, with whom Morier was drought aily into contact while at Tehran. The majority of the incients so skilfully woven into the narrative of the hero's aventures actually occurre, an can de ientifie dy the stuent who is familiar with the incients of the time. Adove all, in its elineation of national customs, the dook is an invaluadle contridution to sociology, an conveys a more truthful an instructive impression of Persian hadits, methos, points of view, an courses of action, than any isquisition of which I am aware in the more serious volumes of statesmen, travellers, an men of affairs. I will procee to ientify some of these personages an events. No more faithful portrait is containe in the dook than that of the king, Fath Ali Shah, the secon of the Kajar Dynasty, an the great-granfather of the reigning Shah. His vanity an ostentation, his passion for money an for women, his love