The Khanoom Bala, Nasser al-Din Shah's Temporary Wife: The King Would Change the Accents of the Harem Girls So They Wouldn't Speak Like Peasants !

Finally, the summer retreat was over, and after four days at Imamama (a villa), the Shah set his course back to the capital. He and the harem returned to the royal court, and I went directly to Amin Aqdas's house. There, I spent some time learning the proper manners and behavior: how to eat, how to dress, how to speak, and even the rituals of dealing with the Shah in matters of love and marriage. Amin Aqdas was a kind, charismatic, and intelligent woman. The Shah had trusted her with the harem’s secrets and entrusted her with important matters. After spending a few weeks with Amin Aqdas, one day Amin Khaghan, who was a short man and the brother of Amin Aqdas, and worked as a facilitator for his sister, went and brought Hajji Mulla Ali Akbar, the official cleric who performed the temporary marriages, to the court.

Amin Khaghan acted as my guardian, and the chief eunuch, Wakel, prepared the marriage contract. I sat behind the curtain while they were on the other side. Amin Aqdas was present, and Hajji Mulla Ali Akbar officiated the temporary marriage contract, and I said "Yes." The witnesses then said, "Congratulations!"

From that moment, I became the Shah’s wife, and I was truly fulfilled. Any doubts I had at the end, fearing the Shah might change his mind about marrying me, vanished completely.

That very evening, Amin Aqdas told me, "Zivar! Now you need to pay attention to your appearance. Take care of your grooming and cleanliness. Nasser al-Din Shah cares deeply for a woman’s cleanliness and grace, but he doesn’t care much about a sharp nose or almond-shaped eyes. Wear perfume, especially violet-scented perfume. The Shah really likes violet perfume. Once a week, be sure to have a beauty routine. I’ll instruct the beautician to bring you some European rouge and a box of white soap. I’ll also provide you with anything else you need. Just make sure you don’t disgrace me in front of the Shah."

That same day, a beautician worked on my appearance, teaching me how to do my makeup, and I was given three rooms, three servants, and two maids to arrange my household. Thus, I became one of the temporary wives in Nasser al-Din Shah’s harem.

You didn’t mention when you officially married Nasser al-Din Shah, or when the wedding night took place?

Not everything can be revealed! That is a secret of marriage, and it shouldn’t be written in a magazine. I can only say in brief that it was a month before the wedding night. We went to Qom, and at one of the gardens on the way, known as the "Hauz-Sultan Garden," I first visited the Shah under a special canopy prepared for him. From then on, I was one of the temporary wives for the Shah for the next ten years.

As I mentioned, many women and girls from various cities and villages across Iran were brought to Nasser al-Din Shah’s harem. Their accents varied significantly, but the girls who were to become temporary wives were trained. In a short time, they learned the proper manners of interacting with the Shah, and their accents were altered to avoid sounding like peasants. Beautiful girls from Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz, Kashan, and even remote villages across the country were brought to the harem. Of course, they needed entertainment and leisure.

Occasionally, "magicians" would visit the harem, and we would sit in the tent to watch their performances. They would spray perfume in the room beforehand so that the smell of the dirty magicians, who often were shabby and filthy, wouldn’t bother the women of the harem. You can’t imagine how filthy these magicians and clowns were. Some didn’t even wear socks, and filth and misery were dripping from them, but the women of the harem would laugh out loud at their tricks.

One of the tricks the magicians did, which I witnessed several times, was placing an egg under the eunuchs. They would tell the eunuchs to sit on the egg and rub against it. Suddenly, they would bring out several chicks.

We, the ladies of the harem, had various pastimes. Sometimes, we played "Alak Dolak" (a type of game), and occasionally, the Shah himself would join us when he had the time. He often became a "partner" in the game, with the favorites and the beautiful ladies being on his team. Moreover, the Shah enjoyed hitting the "Alak" (which is a piece of wood used in the game) to show his strength by hitting the other players with strong blows.

Another activity we regularly engaged in was dance and song. In the evenings, when the Shah came into the inner quarters, the women gathered around him, praising and adoring him. Everyone would say something and then burn incense to prevent evil spirits from causing harm. Afterward, Nasser al-Din Shah would go upstairs. At this time, female musicians would enter and begin playing and dancing to entertain him.

When the Shah ate dinner, only Agha Mohammad and one reader were allowed to be present, except when the Shah personally decided to dine with one of the women. In this case, the lady would rise from the table hungry, as it was customary for women to show that they had a "small stomach," pretending to eat little as it was considered a virtue. The Shah, aware of this custom, would sometimes feed her special bites, especially from dishes like "Khoresh" (stew) and "Tah-Dig" (crispy rice). After dinner, the women would rush back to the Shah’s room, and the music and dancing would continue.

Among the women in the harem was one who played the piano very well. I don’t know where she learned it, and I’ve forgotten her name after seventy years. One played the tambourine, another sang, and almost all of us knew how to dance. Many times, there was no need for musicians, and the women themselves would perform for the Shah, playing instruments and dancing to make him happy.

Sometimes, we were taken to the palace museum, where we could admire the valuable jewelry and antiques. We even witnessed performances. At the museum, there was a jewel-encrusted box with a golden rooster inside. When it was wound, the rooster would flap its wings and sing, and it was so amazing that we would be captivated, watching it through the glass.

I won’t forget one day when we were taken to the museum, and a group of blind male musicians came and performed. They were around ten people, with a few women who were not blind. They were known as the "Momen Koor" group. We all sat on golden chairs, and the Shah sat on a jewel-encrusted throne. The Momen Koor group sang new songs, and the dancers performed new dances. These musicians were so skilled that they amazed everyone. Despite being blind, they made no mistakes in their performance.

Interestingly, most of the women quickly memorized each new song sung by the Momen Koor group and learned the new dances. Within an hour or the next evening, they would inform the Shah that they were ready to perform, immediately showcasing what they had learned, and receiving rewards.

At the end of the year, the women would celebrate "Chaharshanbe Suri" (the last Wednesday of the year) with a special ceremony. During this time, six or seven trays would be brought, filled with jars, and the women would swing them around their heads and hit them on the ground to ward off bad luck. They would then light a fire, and all the women would jump over it. The Shah would also participate, jumping over the fire last. On this day, the Shah would be very happy and give various gifts to the women, some more than others.

I remember one Chaharshanbe Suri when the Shah jumped over the fire, the corner of his cloak caught fire, and he took it as a bad omen. They immediately consulted with the astrologer, who said that fire was a symbol of light, and it would bring good fortune to the Shah. Whether this good fortune occurred or not, I don’t know, but I do know that the Shah didn’t sleep a single night in his bed for a while afterward.