Wilhelm Wassmuss:

Description of Soulet ed Doule(Sowlat al-Dowleh) and Departure

Soulet is a man of very tall and stately stature; he wears a mustache, has a robust and healthy appearance, and I estimate his age to be between thirty-five and forty years. His clothing and headgear are the usual Persian style, though I noticed he wore black lacquer shoes of the European kind, for which Persians in general seem to have a fondness.

This is a real photograph of Soulet ed Doule Qashqai, which was taken from Mr. Wassmuss’s book, page 85, and colorized using Google’s Artificial Intelligence.

His demeanor was one of natural politeness, which, over the course of our meeting, escalated into repeated assurances of friendship. He readily gave me information about the different Qashqai tribes, their population figures, and so on. However, when I brought up the topic of the upcoming elections, he declared that he did not concern himself with politics. It was obvious that he attached little importance to the elections. In the old Parliament, the Qashqai were represented by one deputy, but I believe the tribes are entitled to several representatives.

The conversation naturally turned to weapons, and he asked why Germany allowed the English to confiscate all the rifles in the Persian Gulf, especially since a large portion of them came from Germany. I replied that the Persian government itself had banned the importation of weapons. Incidentally, I only saw magazine rifles among the Qashqai riders, partly Mausers and partly an English brand. Soulet stated, with what seemed to me a certain deliberateness, that each Qashqai only possessed one rifle. Repeatedly during the conversation, he made the remark that his wish was for peace and order to prevail in South Persia. When I asked him what he thought of the Gendarmerie, he said that their presence was very much to be welcomed. He also affirmed his devotion to the Shah.

A characteristic remark of his was understood by my Mirza, who was fluent in Turkish. During the banquet, the Serdar remarked to his minister in Turkish, which he believed was unfamiliar to anyone except the Qashqai: “I am giving the German such a cordial reception only because Germany, unlike England and Russia, does not interfere in Persian affairs and does not threaten the country.” I had the impression that Soulet ed Doule was conscious of his responsibility toward the Persian state.

The next morning, a young stallion was brought forward, along with a carpet and two small blankets, which were presented as a guest gift for me. Despite the early morning hour and although I had already taken my leave the previous evening, Soulet ed Doule himself appeared and thanked me once more for my visit. More than thirty riders, accompanied by his minister, escorted me as far as the village where my caravan was located.

This is a photo taken from Mr. Wassmuss’s book, page 88, and colorized using Google’s Artificial Intelligence.

The horse, the grey stallion Schahsade (Shahzadeh), would henceforth accompany Wassmuss almost constantly, after the Foreign Office, following some back and forth, finally permitted the acceptance of the gift as his personal property.