Saed News: Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, who was accustomed to writing daily memoirs about court events, once recorded a story about a duck that was said to be in love with a eunuch of the royal harem. We can see the appearance of this duck and its beloved, Haji Rahim the court eunuch.
According to SAEDNEWS, citing Faradid, in the Shah’s memoirs there is a description of a “romantic duck” that was always attached to a court eunuch named Haji Rahim:
“Last year, when Amin al-Soltan went to Qom, on his return he brought this duck, which he had caught from the Qom River, and presented it to us. We placed it in the palace pond. The duck is brown in color and naturally very affectionate; it always needs to love someone. At first, it fell in love with one of the swans in the pond and followed it everywhere. Later, its affection for the swan ended and it became attached to Haji Rahim, the eunuch of Layla Khanum. Wherever Haji Rahim goes, the duck follows him, kissing his feet and even attacking others who approach him.”
The Shah also wrote that at night, when Haji Rahim went to the inner court to sleep, the duck would wait by the door until morning, calling out until he appeared.
Recently, archival photos from the Golestan Palace have been published online, showing Haji Rahim and his duck. In one group photo, the duck can still be seen standing beside him, refusing to leave his side.
