so that his full designation is “Ḥájji Mírzá ‘Abdu’l-Ḥusayn Khán-i-Káshání Waḥídu’l-Mulk.” This appalling complexity of nomenclature is no doubt one of the great obstacles to the popularization of Persian history. Nor are the titles easily remembered unless their signification be understood, and the only alternative would appear to be to translate them and use their English equivalents, though the effect of this would be rather quaint, as may be seen by applying this operation to five lines (14–18) on p. 165 of this book, which would then read:
“The King then moderated his demands, merely asking for the expulsion of some of the deputies (Taqi’s son, He-whose-counsel-is-sought-by-the-State, and Master Help-of-God), and the great preachers Master Beauty-of-the-Faith and Pilgrim King-of-the-Orators.”
Throughout this book I have, as a rule, placed titles in italics, but not always, else the name of the lately deposed Sháh, Muḥammad ‘Alí, would have been in roman type, and that of his grandfather Náṣiru’d-Dín (“the Helper of the Faith”) in italics, which seemed to me incongruous.
I should like in conclusion to thank the numerous friends who have aided me in the compilation of this work, and especially Mírzá Muḥammad of Qazwín, who read all the proofs and supplied me with numerous valuable notes and corrections; Shaykh Ḥasan of Tabríz, who gave me similar assistance for part of the book; and Mr Alfred Rogers, who kindly undertook the laborious task of preparing the Index. My thanks are also due to the University Press for the care and taste to which this book, and the illustrations which it contains, owe so much, and to many friends and correspondents in Persia who have supplied me with information, suggestions and illustrative materials. The warm sympathy with the Persians by which several of them are animated has done much to kindle and sustain my own enthusiasm, and it is my earnest hope that this book may do the same for others.
September 3, 1910.
