I have had frequent discussions with my Persian friends upon the general condition of the female sex in this country; and cannot better illustrate the subject than by relating what passed on an occasion when I made a violent attack on their usages in this particular, and brought them into strong contrast with those of the civilized nations of Europe.
I began by stating, that, by making slaves of one half of the creation they made tyrants of the other. "I am only surprised," I said, "how your females can bear the subjection and confinement to which they are doomed. How our Christian ladies would scorn such restraints! Their minds are cultivated as carefully as those of their fathers, brothers, or husbands, who trust for their good conduct to their sense of virtue and religion, rather than to strong doors and high walls. We desire," I added, "that those who share our pleasures and our toils should be acquainted with the world in which they live, that we may possess not only an affectionate wife, but an intelligent friend.
"Your Mahomedan ladies, on the contrary, are shut up like wild animals: whilst moving from one inclosure to another they travel in a curtained carriage; or, if walking, they are enveloped in robes which merely admit of their breathing and seeing their way through small eye-windows. Besides, they are not allowed to have any communication but with their husbands, children, or slaves. What with flattering one, coaxing another, beating a third, and fighting a fourth, these ladies must have a fine time of it in this world; and as to the next, though they are not denied Paradise, as we Europeans often erroneously believe, they are only promised, as a reward for the most pious life, half those blessings which await the virtuous of the male part of the creation!
"Your females," I said, "are married while mere children, and the consequence is, they are old women at twenty-five. This furnishes you with an excuse for forming other connexions, and treating your first wives with neglect."
This attack was listened to with symptoms of impatience; every one seemed anxious to answer, but precedence was given to Jaffier Ali Khan, and the ladies of his country could not have had a better advocate.
"Really, sir, you form a very erroneous judgment of the condition of our women. In this, as in many other instances, where our religion or our customs are concerned, vulgar errors pass from one to another till they are believed by all. Many persons in England imagine that a pigeon was taught to pick peas from the ears of the Prophet, who thought he might succeed by this device in persuading the ignorant that the pigeon was a celestial messenger. They also say that his tomb at Mecca is supported between heaven and earth by means of a loadstone. If true, it would be a miracle; but it is not true: nevertheless people believe it, and the more readily, because it is wonderful. Now," said Jaffier, "it is the same with half the stories about our women. Why, I am told, it is a common belief with you that Mahomed has declared women have no souls! If you read the Koran you will find that our Prophet not only ranks women with men as true believers, but particularly ordains that they shall be well treated and respected by their husbands; he has indeed secured that by establishing their right to dowers as well as to claims of inheritance. He also has put it out of the power of a husband to hurt the reputation of his wife, unless he can produce four witnesses of her guilt; and should he have witnessed that himself, he must swear four times to the fact, and then by a fifth oath imprecate the wrath of God if he is a liar. Even after this, if the wife goes through the same ceremony, and imprecates the wrath of God upon her head if her husband does not swear falsely, her punishment is averted; or if she is divorced, her whole dower must be paid to her, though it involve the husband in ruin. What protection can be more effectual than this?
"Then a woman who is divorced may marry again after four months, which is believed to be soon enough. These widows, I assure you, sir, when they have a good dower, are remarkable for consulting their own judgment as to a second choice; they are not like young giddy girls, who are guided by their parents or the reports of old nurses or match-makers."
"But how do they see or hear," said I, "sufficient to direct them in their choice?"
"Why," said Jaffier Ali, "they see and hear much more than you imagine. Besides the liberty they enjoy of going abroad, some of the rooms in the merdâneh, or man's apartments, are only divided by a curtain or skreen from the zenâneh, or female apartment; and the ladies can, when they choose, both see and hear through that as much as they desire."