Persian Laymen, 1898
The laymen are divided into three classes, viz., the counts or lords, middle class and low class.
From: 1898 C.E. To: 1898 C.E.
Location: Iran
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
From Modern Persia by Mooshie G. Daniel, 1898.
The laymen are divided into three classes, viz., the counts or lords, middle class and low class.
The middle class live mostly in town and cities. Their occupation is merchandise; to carry goods to Europe and import goods into Persia. Others are manufacturing carpets, rugs, etc. Others are ironsmiths, silversmiths, carpenters, druggists, butchers and masons. A great number are secretaries for lords, counts, and in military service. The life of this class is very happy indeed. Their homes are quite comfortable, and kept in good order. Their tables are spread with enough of the good things to satisfy. This class do none of the work that custom has assigned to the lower classes. Pride would not allow it. Custom requires them to have smooth hands—not always white, for some prefer to dye them red.
The women of the middle class take life easy. They are not often allowed to go outside without permission of their husbands or mothers-in-law. In some instances the older ladies spend their time making rugs, shawls, and carpets—some of which are very beautiful and costly. The young ladies and brides spend their time in making caps, purses, head-covering, dresses, etc.
An unmarried girl is positively required and it is the duty of her mother to teach her how to make rugs, carpets and embroidery work, etc., for her marriage. One of her first duties is to learn to dress herself handsomely. The face and brow will be colored with red and white paints. The eyes and eyebrows with black paint. The hands and feet are dyed with hana, a kind of paint that colours them red.
The shirt worn at home by women is an article made of silk or cotton. It is short, open-breasted, well embroidered, is red or white and reaches to the middle of the thigh. Over the shirt is the eula-ja, rather loose, with long sleeves fastened with buttons of silver.
The shalwar is similar to the ordinary skirt, only it is very short. Some wear from three to ten of these skirts. The outer one is very rich and trimmed with gold lace. The head covering is called char-kat and is made square of a long, embroidered article of fine silk or thin cotton, and is fastened under her chin. Sometimes at home they are bareheaded. Hose are white and long. The hair is generally black, heavy, braided and spread on her back. In front it is parted in the middle when bangs are not worn. The hair is usually painted to appear black and smooth.
Harem Costume. Images from book, by Mooshie G. Daniel.
The middle class of women are fond of jewelry, but do not burden themselves with heavy ornaments as do some of the lower class. They usually wear two or three finger rings, small earrings of gold, bracelets and necklace. There is frequently a large emerald, incased in gold, hanging from the necklace, bearing this inscription: "There is no god but Allah."
Beautiful ornaments of gold and silver are attached to the ends of their braided hair.
When a wife has perfumed and adorned herself, she will await the coming of her husband from his shop. She knows at what time he will return home. An hour before his coming she will go before the mirror to see if she is dressed beautifully enough to please her husband. Ten minutes before his arrival she will prepare a delicious kalyon (which is a smoke and water pipe). Holding it in her hand she will rise and offer him the kalyon, saying, "My lord, command your pleasure."
He will take the pipe and smoke. While he is sitting she will sprinkle perfume on his head and clothes. For several minutes they exchange the pipe and smoke alternately. This is the first thing which a husband of the middle class expects of his wife—not to work for him but to adorn herself and please him. It cannot be said that the Mohammedan does not love his wife. He buys her whatever she asks for; not because he considers her his equal, but for the sake of his own pleasure.
Most men of the middle class, at some time in life, go on a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina.
After a pilgrim returns he is given the title of Ha-jeh and thereafter wears a turban on his head instead of the ordinary cap; The cap commonly worn by the Persian is about eight inches high, has no brim and is black in color.
The shirt is of white cotton, open in front and fastened with a button on the right shoulder.
The trousers are very much like the bloomers worn by some bicyclists of modem times, and old people wear garments even wider than bloomers. They are made of wool or cotton and are usually black. The coat is called ar-ka-look. Some are long enough to reach the ankle, while others reach about the middle of the thigh. The sleeves fasten at the wrist by a button of silk cord. There is a pocket on either side near the belt. Various colors are worn.
The gima or overcoat is a heavy wool garment reaching to the knee, the lower part of which is pleated. Itis opened in front and fastened with a number of buttons. The belt is a large piece of linen folded many times around the waist. Some wear heavy and costly shawls.
A Persian Officer. Image by Mooshie G. Daniel.
It is a general custom to shave the head except a small place on each side of the head just over the ear and a spot on the crown of the head. The hair-covered spots are called zoolf and are dyed with hana. The most religious men and the aged shave the entire surface of the head.
The young men shave the beard, except the mustache, till the age of thirty years, after which time the beard is clipped at the length of about one inch till the age of forty. After the age of forty the beard is never cut.
The mustache is never shaved by young or old. It is a mean thing to do, and is against their religion. No man has been seen in Persia with a smooth upper lip except Europeans. A man who will shave his mustache is not a Mohammedan but an infidel; not a man, but a girl. The long mustache is regarded as the glory of man.
The lower class of people are farmers and day laborers and among them is much misery. They work long hours and get from fifteen to twenty-five cents a day. Their clothing is of cheap material, poorly made, and shorter than the garments of the higher classes. In order to save time and soap their clothes are sometimes not washed for a month. Some farmer's wives use the sickle all day long in the field during harvest-time.
Many women do the lighter work of killing weeds. Sometimes a woman will take her babe to the field with her and leave it in the care of an older child while she labors. In the fall of the year the laborers are busy in the vineyards, a great abundance of grapes being produced in this country.
A familiar scene of an evening is to see men and women trudging homeward bearing heavy burdens of fruit, raisins, etc., stored in baskets. Some of the children are employed through the day looking after and feeding the cattle, buffaloes and sheep, while it is the duty of others to carry food and drink to the workers in the fields.
In the winter the men are employed feeding cattle or in weaving coarse cloths for the clothing of the lower class. Others who are not thus engaged spend the winter in carrying dried fruits, wheat, fuel and various kinds of goods to the cities on donkey caravans.
The women of this class spend the winter in spinning cotton and wool, making carpets, sacks, etc., and in sewing garments for their children and husbands. Young girls are busy in preparing useful articles for their wedding.
The dozen or more holidays that come during the year are celebrated by this class in having big dinners, and the women cease from the heavy burdens of their labor for the day and attempt to beautify themselves after the fashion of the women of the higher classes with paint and finery.
Daniel, Mooshie G. Modern Persia. Henderson & Company, 1898.
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