'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎343] (392/714)

TEHERAN
343
a sort of Iranian Jardin des Plantes, or Zoo, is evidenced by the
rent of oOO bans per annum exacted by the crown from the lessee
of a small coffee-honse at the entrance of the garden. In the
neighbourhood of Doshan-Tepe are two other royal shooting-boxes
Kasr Piruz to the south, and Surkheh Hissar to the north. Further
to the east is a more considerable hunting-lodge on the banks of
the Jajrud.
The Shah, as I have indicated, is not the sole patron of the
slopes of Shimran. His sons and the nobility in general have
British followed the royal example, and there are many tasteful
atluthek beautiful residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. perched on the hill-sides or
hidden m the valleys. ^Gf these, by no means the least
agreeable is the summer residence of the British Legation in the
village of Gulahek, about six miles from the northern gate of the
capital, and said to be 700 feet higher in elevation. The seignorial
i ights of this village the lordship of the manor, in fact—were pre
sented by Mohammed Shah to Sir John Campbell in 1835- the
grounds and garden, in which stand the Minister's residence, were
the gift of the reigning sovereign. Under the terms of 'these
concessions the villagers of Gulahek, which consists of about 100
houses, enjoy quite peculiar privileges, being exempt from the
obligations both of conscription and of the billeting of troops. Their
assessment is payable to the British Government, and is levied by
the Legation. Petty jurisdiction is exercised among them by a
village hedkhoda (or headman), who is nominated by the British
Minister, and is responsible to the member of the Legation invested
with Consular functions. As at Teheran, there are more than
one edifice in the enclosure belonging to the Mission ; but the main
building alone is of any size. This is supplemented by a great
Indian durbar A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family). -tent, which is pitched outside and serves as a dining
and drawing room during the summer months. The surrounding
garden is a dense thicket of trees, and, though not comparable with
what we style a garden here, is yet far better adapted to the torrid
climate, from which its shade in the summer affords an invaluable
protection. The recent purchase of a neighbouring garden, with
its water-supply (every gallon of the precious fluid having a well-
ascertained and costly market value), has added to the attractions
of a residence without which it would be impossible for the staff
of a European Legation to remain at the capital during the hot
months. Kussia is similarly favoured in the possession of the