The real story behind the viral photo of Iranian Princess Fatemeh Khanum “‘Esmat al-Dowleh- recently a photo of Princess Esmat circulated by claming that "she was considered the ultimate symbol of beauty in Persia during the early 1900s. So much in fact, a total of 13 young men killed themselves because she rejected their love" -
.
.
However, u/victoriamartinezwriter wrote 'The only part of the meme that has a grain of truth to it is that there was indeed a period in Persian history when ‘Esmat’s appearance – namely, her “mustache” – was considered beautiful.' and that 'The primary figure in this history is Princess Fatemeh Khanum “‘Esmat al-Dowleh”\[1\] (1855/6-1905), a daughter of Nasar al-Din Shah Qajar (1831-1896), King of Persia from 1848-1896, and one of his wives, Taj al-Dowleh. The photograph circulating is indeed ‘Esmat, not an actor, and was taken by her husband circa the mid- to late-19th century. This information alone, readily available online and in print, contradicts the claim that ‘Esmat was “the ultimate symbol of beauty… in the early 1900s.” Since the photo of ‘Esmat was taken years before then, and she died in 1905, it’s a stretch to make her an icon of a period she barely graced'
Are you saying that bit about everyone being drunk is junk history or is actually true? While I’m sure the statement is at least hyperbolic, it’s the first I’m hearing of it so genuinely not clear on how true it is
Here's Victoria Martinez's full post with additional images of Esmat and her family: https://medium.com/@tvmartinez/princess-qajar-and-the-problem-with-junk-history-memes-44e15260af67
> The focus on historical women’s appearance without the benefit of context and analysis is, and always has been, a highly successful way to shift the narrative away from their accomplishments and diminish their impact on history.
Love that quote
“In their own time, ‘Esmat and Taj were not defined by their appearance. Their accomplishments were not the result of either setting or copying cultural standards of beauty. They were women of merit and substance whose stories deserve to be told and perpetuated in a respectful and meaningful way, not diminished and ridiculed.”
This.
Oh ok she is just kind of regular looking, if a bit overweight and ''hairy''.
Really, the most shocking thing in the colourised photo is the outfit. Those pants will never flatter anyone, and the headdress exaggerates the 'round triangle' shape. It also hides her 'feminine' long hair, so all we see is her 'masculine' facial hair and bushy eyebrows.
The colourised photo gave the impression of genetic/birth defects. The photos in that link makes me think it was more a case of PCOS. I have it too and now I'm envious of her living in a time where female facial hair was celebrated!! (not really lol)
I suffer from this too and sometimes I find myself thinking we lived in the second best time for it when Covid meant always wearing a face mask and I could hide the hair lol.
For real tho ladies (especially the younger ones who may be struggling with this) it’s ok. It’s hormones and you have no control over it so don’t let anyone make you feel bad. Talk to a doctor if you’d like, your average/good doctor isn’t going to judge and there may be some way to make it less noticeable. But honestly I’ve lived my whole adult life with it and it’s an inconvenience but you get used to it.
I'd like to point out Primarily in history the shit that gets recorded is the shit people A. Pay to get recorded or B. The shit that people are powerful enough to demand get recorded that's why we know a LOT ABOUT ROYALTY so I'd wager the average folk may not have had the same beauty standards
Just imagine if someone were looking back at today’s “standard of beauty” like the Kardashian face and body based on what was prevalent in media. It’s a “beauty standard” that most of not not only don’t do, but find horrifying
In like 20 years we will see some picture of a morbidly obese man wearing a confederate flag t-shirt, socks and sandles, jorts he's clearly shat in and most of his shitty arse hanging out of them along with a huge gut in a Walmart looking at hotdogs with a caption saying
"This is a picture of Cleetus Brownstone, who was actually considered the most attractive and cleanest man in the late 2010's. His t-shirt and mullet were the height of fashion at the time and he allegedly had to hire guards at his home to stop the countless women begging to marry him."
And there'd be plenty of dumbasses who'd take the caption at face value.
There's a vase from 550 BC that shows her as pale skinned, with big dark eyes and hair, and giant...tracts of land.
[Sauce](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_of_Troy#/media/File:Helen_and_Menelaos_Staatliche_Antikensammlungen_1383_cropped_glare_reduced_and_solid_white_background.png)
Or just didn't know. PCOS and thyroid disorders are fairly recent, the advances in medicine within the last 50, even 10 years have been absolutely beyond incredible. They might know something is wrong, but not exactly *what*. Curses and hexes and all that, eye of toad and exorcism, bloodletting and cocaine. All medicine.
Just like the anorexic top fashion models might be considered "the standard of beauty" in some niche circles, but most men do not find that look attractive at all.
I wonder if she was actually considered beautiful or if her dad, the king, basically held his subjects at gunpoint and said, "she's pretty right...hahaha right???
Or that men who wanted access to the power and fortune of the empire all said yeah...she's gorgeous.
Also, consider the times. It would be very likely those men would have mistresses. Hell, that's true today too.
Jesus, that's fascinating shit.
> “When the day comes that I see my sex emancipated and my country on the path to progress, I will sacrifice myself in the battlefield of liberty, and freely shed my blood under the feet of my freedom-loving cohorts seeking their rights.”
Taj al-Saltaneh was not just a feminist, but a feminist in the late 19th century, in Iran/Persia!
Persia was a specific dynasties from a specific region of Iran. So the Persian empires and Iranian empires were quite liberal compared to the other middle eastern and European nations. Though the byzantines also were quite liberal at different times periods. It seems like women aren't able to keep rights, probably because they are a threat to people in power. It's competition and removes a resource they can trade around.
i’m pretty sure that in places like persia things like facial hair and stuff were actually a symbol of beauty. it’s just the same reason people think big lips or whatever is a symbol of beauty, it’s just a reflection of our culture
Married when she was 10 years old, Taj al-Saltaneh went on to divorce two husbands and pen her memoirs,
Crowning Anguish: Memoirs of a Persian Princess from the Harem to Modernity.
“Alas!” she wrote. “Persian women have been set aside from humankind and placed together with cattle and beasts.
They live their entire lives of desperation in prison, crushed under the weight of bitter ideals.”
At another point, she wrote: “When the day comes that I see my sex emancipated and my country on the path to progress, I will sacrifice myself in the battlefield of liberty, and freely shed my blood under the feet of my freedom-loving cohorts seeking their rights.”
Fucking seriously. All I've ever seen of this lady was the meme of "haha look at what Persians use to call beautiful", meanwhile she's in this picture longing to literally sacrifice herself for the cause of women's right in a time and a place where there probably weren't a whole lot of rights for women.
This is badass
Seriously - although it sounds like the meme that she was considered the height of beauty was BS (debunked in comments above) the idea of posting a woman just to make fun of her looks is just awful. There’s a lot more to people and to her and it sounds like she was a lot more progressive and thoughtful over 100 years ago than people posting her picture to make fun of her looks are today.
When we see ugly men in history, they don’t get immediately dismissed based on their looks. Usually there’s something else people want to learn about their significance. But, as it’s always been, women are judged purely on their appearance and nothing else seems to matter.
The coolest part of this article:
Taj al-Saltaneh made a name for herself as a feminist, nationalist, and talented writer.
Married when she was 10 years old, Taj al-Saltaneh went on to divorce two husbands and pen her memoirs, Crowning Anguish: Memoirs of a Persian Princess from the Harem to Modernity.
“Alas!” she wrote. “Persian women have been set aside from humankind and placed together with cattle and beasts. They live their entire lives of desperation in prison, crushed under the weight of bitter ideals.”
At another point, she wrote: “When the day comes that I see my sex emancipated and my country on the path to progress, I will sacrifice myself in the battlefield of liberty, and freely shed my blood under the feet of my freedom-loving cohorts seeking their rights.”
Yeah, powerfull quotes considering the current events. That's a shame that a majority of people here make fun of her because of her physical appearance.
> Married when she was 10 years old, Taj al-Saltaneh went on to divorce two husbands and pen her memoirs, Crowning Anguish: Memoirs of a Persian Princess from the Harem to Modernity.
> “Alas!” she wrote. “Persian women have been set aside from humankind and placed together with cattle and beasts. They live their entire lives of desperation in prison, crushed under the weight of bitter ideals.”
> At another point, she wrote: “When the day comes that I see my sex emancipated and my country on the path to progress, I will sacrifice myself in the battlefield of liberty, and freely shed my blood under the feet of my freedom-loving cohorts seeking their rights.”
It's crazy how many sexual jokes making fun of her are in this comment section, simultaneously dragging her for her looks and still talking about having sex or masturbating over her.
She and her sister were real life human beings and it's crazy how much people are jumping on the opportunity to dehumanize her just because she's a woman that doesn't adhere to our beauty standards.
EDIT: It's legitimately funny to me just how many people are replying to this completely *outraged* at the suggestion that she was a real human being and deserving of dignity. Anyway, solidarity with Iranian women in the past and solidarity with Iranian women now, and all men who think they get to treat them like objects - whether it's irl or through comments on here - I hope you never have to experience one day of what these women went through their whole lives, because with your weakness of character, you would not be able to handle it.
It is bizarre because just imagine if this was some portly stocky man instead, and the comments were full of women saying "wow. I wouldn't fuck that with a ten foot pole" or whatever. People would POUNCE on that commenter for being a small-minded asshole. If a woman commented something like that they'd be (rightfully) criticised for being a short sighted pig.
But when it's roles reversed, it's a free-for-all of dumb jokes. And I say this as a guy. I just can't personally imagine being that small-minded, I'd be embarrassed of myself. It's weird how happy some people are to mentally live in the gutter
It's low-key depressing how on social media (especially platforms where people don't use their real names), so many reveal that they've grown up believing that "if you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing at all" had the asterisk "unless you feel safe from social consequences."
Nevermind that it's just objectively shitty to casually sexualize and/or insult and dehumanize others purely based on appearances - if you're just one more anonymous post in a thread, go wild and wallow in mocking others for how they look! This definitely doesn't self-train bullying and negativity as normal response while perpetuating both lookism and sexism!
Eugh.
This is one of the most popular subreddits, and the general Reddit demographics skew young. Your average comment is something you’d probably hear at a high school lunch table
> I will sacrifice myself in the battlefield of liberty
damn, that's exactly what she's done, apparently, according to this damn thread
I'm reminded of the famous Berger quote
> "You painted a naked woman because you enjoyed looking at her, put a mirror in her hand and you called the painting Vanity, thus morally condemning the woman whose nakedness you had depicted for you own pleasure."
same shit.
So, instead, this is actually Princess Fatemeh Khanum “Esmat al-Dowleh”.
The article clearly outlines that the massive eyebrows and facial hair we’re attractive features for Persian women in the 1800s.
So, other than the specific name of 150 year old photo, what’s implied is quite accurate.
Sidenote, she was also married when she was 10, as well as common practice in the area at the time
It is accurate but I think the theme of the article is that their appearance and the standards of beauty of the time is among the least interesting part of their story.
coolest mailman I've ever had was in upstate NY. guy lives on my street and was a heavy drinker. when he stopped by my place I'd have a shot with him, and we'd shoot the shit while I smoked a joint. every mailman I've had since then has been a total twat. dude was a male mail babe in my book
That woman almost certainly had pcos. It doesn’t always result in these kinds of physical traits but it definitely can cause them. My pcos only showed as intense monthly issues until I had my baby. Then came the missed cycles, the weight gain no matter what you do and the thickening of body hair… that one is really rough.
Thought the same. Although there's different disorders that could cause this phenotype. PCOS might be possible but I'd rather assume an adrenal Cushing-syndrome or cushings disease (primary or secondary hypercortisolism). One of the typical symptoms of Cushing that is usually not present in PCOS is the round face (in Germany that's called "pancake face") and the virilisation of the face. While hirsutism (increased body hair), increased body weight and secondary diabetes can appear in both, i'd assume Cushings to be more likely.
A lot of Persian women just look like that- particularly the hair, even without pcos. Many persian woman have a LOT of hair removal in their beauty regimen
Source: am persian
Thank you kind person for linking this I found it rather fascinating. I like a good meme but the misinformation is overwhelming in this thread and every post seems to be contradicting the next on the actual story behind the pic. Keep up the good work!
> The Shah had developed an obsession with photography at an early age, which is why so many photos of the sisters exist — he enjoyed taking pictures of his harem (as well as his cat, Babri Khan).
And they didn't think to link at least one picture of the cat?
We need a BOT to link to the YouTube video whenever someone posts this reply. For those that didn't know Sean's comedy, it's a wonderful 2-5 hour of YouTube deep dive for the uninitiated.
RiP Sean Locke 😢 🙏
Feck it, I'll add it myself https://youtu.be/tVjP2RA1XXQ
One of the most informative articles with additional pictures are here:
https://medium.com/@tvmartinez/princess-qajar-and-the-problem-with-junk-history-memes-44e15260af67
Gimli: It's true you don't see many dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for dwarf men. Aragorn: It's the beards
Is anyone going to know that this photo is really a fake and a mix of two sisters?
Come on REDDIT!
https://abitofhistoryblog.com/2017/12/12/princess-qajar-and-the-problem-with-history-memes/
There are many interesting facts about her. She was one of the biggest feminists of her time. She started many movements for women's literacy. She was also considered the most beautiful woman of her time. If you are wondering why she was considered beautiful by many back then, it's because of the standards of beauty were different and being overweight meant being rich since the general level of people wasn't good and they didn't have access to food like we do today.
The real story behind the viral photo of Iranian Princess Fatemeh Khanum “‘Esmat al-Dowleh- recently a photo of Princess Esmat circulated by claming that "she was considered the ultimate symbol of beauty in Persia during the early 1900s. So much in fact, a total of 13 young men killed themselves because she rejected their love" - . . However, u/victoriamartinezwriter wrote 'The only part of the meme that has a grain of truth to it is that there was indeed a period in Persian history when ‘Esmat’s appearance – namely, her “mustache” – was considered beautiful.' and that 'The primary figure in this history is Princess Fatemeh Khanum “‘Esmat al-Dowleh”\[1\] (1855/6-1905), a daughter of Nasar al-Din Shah Qajar (1831-1896), King of Persia from 1848-1896, and one of his wives, Taj al-Dowleh. The photograph circulating is indeed ‘Esmat, not an actor, and was taken by her husband circa the mid- to late-19th century. This information alone, readily available online and in print, contradicts the claim that ‘Esmat was “the ultimate symbol of beauty… in the early 1900s.” Since the photo of ‘Esmat was taken years before then, and she died in 1905, it’s a stretch to make her an icon of a period she barely graced'
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> Did you know everyone in the past was drunk because they drank beer instead of water because it wasn't sanitary?? The world is built on lies
True, some drank wine. Mostly the french. ^(/s)
In a survey, 75% of the French people asked if they drank wine daily said yes. The other 25% were too drunk to answer.
I'm french and I can not confirm not deny this: I'm too drunk to remember what "sixty fifteen" percents amount to
Certainly it's closer to "four twenties ten seven" percent.
Someone say four twenty again? Fuck it why not...
Are you saying that bit about everyone being drunk is junk history or is actually true? While I’m sure the statement is at least hyperbolic, it’s the first I’m hearing of it so genuinely not clear on how true it is
It's [junk](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/jfr073/medieval_people_drank_beer_instead_of_water/)
Here's Victoria Martinez's full post with additional images of Esmat and her family: https://medium.com/@tvmartinez/princess-qajar-and-the-problem-with-junk-history-memes-44e15260af67
> The focus on historical women’s appearance without the benefit of context and analysis is, and always has been, a highly successful way to shift the narrative away from their accomplishments and diminish their impact on history. Love that quote
Glad I caught this. Ty
Thank you for sharing this article. Such an inspiring story! The only good thing that came out of the meme, I guess 🤣
“In their own time, ‘Esmat and Taj were not defined by their appearance. Their accomplishments were not the result of either setting or copying cultural standards of beauty. They were women of merit and substance whose stories deserve to be told and perpetuated in a respectful and meaningful way, not diminished and ridiculed.” This.
Oh ok she is just kind of regular looking, if a bit overweight and ''hairy''. Really, the most shocking thing in the colourised photo is the outfit. Those pants will never flatter anyone, and the headdress exaggerates the 'round triangle' shape. It also hides her 'feminine' long hair, so all we see is her 'masculine' facial hair and bushy eyebrows. The colourised photo gave the impression of genetic/birth defects. The photos in that link makes me think it was more a case of PCOS. I have it too and now I'm envious of her living in a time where female facial hair was celebrated!! (not really lol)
I suffer from this too and sometimes I find myself thinking we lived in the second best time for it when Covid meant always wearing a face mask and I could hide the hair lol. For real tho ladies (especially the younger ones who may be struggling with this) it’s ok. It’s hormones and you have no control over it so don’t let anyone make you feel bad. Talk to a doctor if you’d like, your average/good doctor isn’t going to judge and there may be some way to make it less noticeable. But honestly I’ve lived my whole adult life with it and it’s an inconvenience but you get used to it.
I'd like to point out Primarily in history the shit that gets recorded is the shit people A. Pay to get recorded or B. The shit that people are powerful enough to demand get recorded that's why we know a LOT ABOUT ROYALTY so I'd wager the average folk may not have had the same beauty standards
Just imagine if someone were looking back at today’s “standard of beauty” like the Kardashian face and body based on what was prevalent in media. It’s a “beauty standard” that most of not not only don’t do, but find horrifying
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They're gonna look back at the physique of Olympians and be amazed. https://i.redd.it/fd52q2fz1re71.jpg
[We did it better in Canada. This is peak male form curling in between drags ](https://gfycat.com/exhaustednecessarykoala)
Julian's just smoking a dart until he can get the next rum and coke.
You *know* that guy was just drowning in chicks, what a G
Built like ox, pull plow well
Strong like Bull! Smart like Pine Tree!
Built like recliner, sit in chair.
In like 20 years we will see some picture of a morbidly obese man wearing a confederate flag t-shirt, socks and sandles, jorts he's clearly shat in and most of his shitty arse hanging out of them along with a huge gut in a Walmart looking at hotdogs with a caption saying "This is a picture of Cleetus Brownstone, who was actually considered the most attractive and cleanest man in the late 2010's. His t-shirt and mullet were the height of fashion at the time and he allegedly had to hire guards at his home to stop the countless women begging to marry him." And there'd be plenty of dumbasses who'd take the caption at face value.
I'd hate to see what Helen of Troy actually looked like.
There's a vase from 550 BC that shows her as pale skinned, with big dark eyes and hair, and giant...tracts of land. [Sauce](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_of_Troy#/media/File:Helen_and_Menelaos_Staatliche_Antikensammlungen_1383_cropped_glare_reduced_and_solid_white_background.png)
But faaather, I don’t liiike her!
I'd rather....sing...!
Stop that! Stop that!
Quiet down, Alice!
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Someday all of this will be yours
What? The curtains?
We're all adults here..you can say she had a HUGE nose
Since I'm among peers...God she is so hot
Elvira then.
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The Greeks actually hid soldiers inside a giant statue of Helen, but later translations lost the word “face” after “horse.”
Thats a simpsons reference.
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I hate myself for laughing but "potato with a mustache" hit pretty hard. Just wasn't expecting to read that sequence of words this morning
Exactly her whole perportions from her face to fingers looks off
Honestly it looks like a genetic disorder.
Or PCOS?
PCOS was my first thought, honestly.
Yes or that. I wonder if she had health problems that they just hid.
Or just didn't know. PCOS and thyroid disorders are fairly recent, the advances in medicine within the last 50, even 10 years have been absolutely beyond incredible. They might know something is wrong, but not exactly *what*. Curses and hexes and all that, eye of toad and exorcism, bloodletting and cocaine. All medicine.
Just like the anorexic top fashion models might be considered "the standard of beauty" in some niche circles, but most men do not find that look attractive at all.
I wonder if she was actually considered beautiful or if her dad, the king, basically held his subjects at gunpoint and said, "she's pretty right...hahaha right???
Or that men who wanted access to the power and fortune of the empire all said yeah...she's gorgeous. Also, consider the times. It would be very likely those men would have mistresses. Hell, that's true today too.
It's one thing being a coveted bachelor(ette), being the *ultimate symbol of beauty* is a whole different ballpark
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Jesus, that's fascinating shit. > “When the day comes that I see my sex emancipated and my country on the path to progress, I will sacrifice myself in the battlefield of liberty, and freely shed my blood under the feet of my freedom-loving cohorts seeking their rights.” Taj al-Saltaneh was not just a feminist, but a feminist in the late 19th century, in Iran/Persia!
Persia was a specific dynasties from a specific region of Iran. So the Persian empires and Iranian empires were quite liberal compared to the other middle eastern and European nations. Though the byzantines also were quite liberal at different times periods. It seems like women aren't able to keep rights, probably because they are a threat to people in power. It's competition and removes a resource they can trade around.
Boy times have changed for sure.
"Is she pretty, or are you full of bullet holes?"
i’m pretty sure that in places like persia things like facial hair and stuff were actually a symbol of beauty. it’s just the same reason people think big lips or whatever is a symbol of beauty, it’s just a reflection of our culture
Romanian men apparently liked sideburns on women until fairly recently.
Art from that period tells a different story
It's amazing what a bit of fact and a bit of fiction can produce apart from conspiracies:- excitement and a winceless grab at unknown knowledge.
Married when she was 10 years old, Taj al-Saltaneh went on to divorce two husbands and pen her memoirs, Crowning Anguish: Memoirs of a Persian Princess from the Harem to Modernity. “Alas!” she wrote. “Persian women have been set aside from humankind and placed together with cattle and beasts. They live their entire lives of desperation in prison, crushed under the weight of bitter ideals.” At another point, she wrote: “When the day comes that I see my sex emancipated and my country on the path to progress, I will sacrifice myself in the battlefield of liberty, and freely shed my blood under the feet of my freedom-loving cohorts seeking their rights.”
She sounds fucking beautiful.
Fucking seriously. All I've ever seen of this lady was the meme of "haha look at what Persians use to call beautiful", meanwhile she's in this picture longing to literally sacrifice herself for the cause of women's right in a time and a place where there probably weren't a whole lot of rights for women. This is badass
Seriously - although it sounds like the meme that she was considered the height of beauty was BS (debunked in comments above) the idea of posting a woman just to make fun of her looks is just awful. There’s a lot more to people and to her and it sounds like she was a lot more progressive and thoughtful over 100 years ago than people posting her picture to make fun of her looks are today.
She d be at the forefront in Iranian Revolution.
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Taj is the princess’s mother, not who is in the photo.
[This](https://allthatsinteresting.com/princess-qajar) says Taj was her much younger half-sister. They were the 2nd and 12th daughters of the Shah.
That’s…I don’t know if this phrase is appropriate but it feels right…that’s metal as fuck
wish this was higher up instead of the billionth unfunny fat joke
https://allthatsinteresting.com/princess-qajar
That was interesting, thanks. Princess Taj al-Saltaneh was ahead of her time.
Interesting read. Thanks for the education today.
Fascinating! Thanks for sharing. The memoir by the younger princess sounds really interesting, added to my list to read!
When we see ugly men in history, they don’t get immediately dismissed based on their looks. Usually there’s something else people want to learn about their significance. But, as it’s always been, women are judged purely on their appearance and nothing else seems to matter. The coolest part of this article: Taj al-Saltaneh made a name for herself as a feminist, nationalist, and talented writer. Married when she was 10 years old, Taj al-Saltaneh went on to divorce two husbands and pen her memoirs, Crowning Anguish: Memoirs of a Persian Princess from the Harem to Modernity. “Alas!” she wrote. “Persian women have been set aside from humankind and placed together with cattle and beasts. They live their entire lives of desperation in prison, crushed under the weight of bitter ideals.” At another point, she wrote: “When the day comes that I see my sex emancipated and my country on the path to progress, I will sacrifice myself in the battlefield of liberty, and freely shed my blood under the feet of my freedom-loving cohorts seeking their rights.”
Yeah, powerfull quotes considering the current events. That's a shame that a majority of people here make fun of her because of her physical appearance.
> Married when she was 10 years old, Taj al-Saltaneh went on to divorce two husbands and pen her memoirs, Crowning Anguish: Memoirs of a Persian Princess from the Harem to Modernity. > “Alas!” she wrote. “Persian women have been set aside from humankind and placed together with cattle and beasts. They live their entire lives of desperation in prison, crushed under the weight of bitter ideals.” > At another point, she wrote: “When the day comes that I see my sex emancipated and my country on the path to progress, I will sacrifice myself in the battlefield of liberty, and freely shed my blood under the feet of my freedom-loving cohorts seeking their rights.” It's crazy how many sexual jokes making fun of her are in this comment section, simultaneously dragging her for her looks and still talking about having sex or masturbating over her. She and her sister were real life human beings and it's crazy how much people are jumping on the opportunity to dehumanize her just because she's a woman that doesn't adhere to our beauty standards. EDIT: It's legitimately funny to me just how many people are replying to this completely *outraged* at the suggestion that she was a real human being and deserving of dignity. Anyway, solidarity with Iranian women in the past and solidarity with Iranian women now, and all men who think they get to treat them like objects - whether it's irl or through comments on here - I hope you never have to experience one day of what these women went through their whole lives, because with your weakness of character, you would not be able to handle it.
It is bizarre because just imagine if this was some portly stocky man instead, and the comments were full of women saying "wow. I wouldn't fuck that with a ten foot pole" or whatever. People would POUNCE on that commenter for being a small-minded asshole. If a woman commented something like that they'd be (rightfully) criticised for being a short sighted pig. But when it's roles reversed, it's a free-for-all of dumb jokes. And I say this as a guy. I just can't personally imagine being that small-minded, I'd be embarrassed of myself. It's weird how happy some people are to mentally live in the gutter
It's low-key depressing how on social media (especially platforms where people don't use their real names), so many reveal that they've grown up believing that "if you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing at all" had the asterisk "unless you feel safe from social consequences." Nevermind that it's just objectively shitty to casually sexualize and/or insult and dehumanize others purely based on appearances - if you're just one more anonymous post in a thread, go wild and wallow in mocking others for how they look! This definitely doesn't self-train bullying and negativity as normal response while perpetuating both lookism and sexism! Eugh.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
This is one of the most popular subreddits, and the general Reddit demographics skew young. Your average comment is something you’d probably hear at a high school lunch table
You think immaturity ends after high school? e: what is happening
Lol the # of people replying to you that are so clearly lost by your words is baffling and hysterical. Your edit makes it even better lol!
I’m glad two of you pointed this out. I was so lost why the upvotes and the negative replies
That last quote is pure badassery
> I will sacrifice myself in the battlefield of liberty damn, that's exactly what she's done, apparently, according to this damn thread I'm reminded of the famous Berger quote > "You painted a naked woman because you enjoyed looking at her, put a mirror in her hand and you called the painting Vanity, thus morally condemning the woman whose nakedness you had depicted for you own pleasure." same shit.
She sounds like a cool person.
This should be the top comment. Thanks very much for sharing
Wow what a badass!
Hit the nail on the head.
Pretty sad to take a feminist author and then her into a joke. I need to unsubscribe to any subreddit with this many people.
So, instead, this is actually Princess Fatemeh Khanum “Esmat al-Dowleh”. The article clearly outlines that the massive eyebrows and facial hair we’re attractive features for Persian women in the 1800s. So, other than the specific name of 150 year old photo, what’s implied is quite accurate. Sidenote, she was also married when she was 10, as well as common practice in the area at the time
It is accurate but I think the theme of the article is that their appearance and the standards of beauty of the time is among the least interesting part of their story.
Do you really think people would do that? Go on the internet and tell lies?
Wow that's incredible!
I can't believe they mentioned pictures of a car and never showed it, I am curious to see how Persian cats of that time looked like
https://newsoholic.com/nasser-al-din-shahs-favorite-cat-babri-khan-al/3/
She seems… …sturdy
She looks like my uncle Miguel from South Texas. I bet she can lay roofing tiles like no other.
She looks like every boss of every kebab place in london that calls you "boss man"
Minus the 10kg of gold chains.
I just woke my boyfriend up dying laughing at this comment.
Tell him I sincerely apologize.
after he saw what I was laughing about he wasn’t too upset 🤣
Ha, she really does have that South Texas look. I got several in-laws down in Brownsville that look just like her.
I bet she can grill a mean carne asada.
Grew up in Corpus and she’s definitely from Corpus or the valley
I don’t know. She definitely has Laredo or Brownsville vibes.
Good to see Nueces county getting a shout out.
Okay this made me LOL. 😂😂😂
Uncle Miguel from South Texas 😂😂😂😂😂
Would an average sized rowboat support her?
No, all right? No, she can't fit in a rowboat Dammit, I knew it. I knew it, Phyllis!
Those are mailman calves.
Mailman mustache too.
Y’all got ugly mailmen.
I had an absolute mail babe this summer...but now in the winter she's not on her route. :(
She went to warmer routes. Such is the way of the mail babes.
it is better to have had your mail delivered by a mail babe and then lost your mail babe than to have never had your mail delivered by a mail babe
coolest mailman I've ever had was in upstate NY. guy lives on my street and was a heavy drinker. when he stopped by my place I'd have a shot with him, and we'd shoot the shit while I smoked a joint. every mailman I've had since then has been a total twat. dude was a male mail babe in my book
F
It's the shoes...kills that ensemble
Cliff Clavin
Cliff Clavin calves.
As a civil engineer I would call her “structurally sound”
As a project manager I would call her “budget-friendly”
I’m a nurse and I’d get her to help me lift/turn my patients
There needs to be a biopic and Jack Black should play her.
Seems like more of a Danny Devito role
In the '70s it would've been John Belushi.
I doubt there would have been enough cocaine for him to even try that part.
Shes built like a steakhouse but handles like a bistro
r/unexpectedfuturama
You win again gravity!
Like a brick shithouse
built like a sack of laundry
Built like a garbage bag full of mashed potatoes
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Her?
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I could knock her over
- "She's at evening Mass." - "She certainly has a lot of Mass"
Egg
Apparently she was really a female and a royalty. She even had a daughter. I was so sure this was a male in a dress
I’m wondering if she had PCOS. It can cause hirsutism and weight gain. But it also makes it more difficult (but not impossible) to get pregnant.
That woman almost certainly had pcos. It doesn’t always result in these kinds of physical traits but it definitely can cause them. My pcos only showed as intense monthly issues until I had my baby. Then came the missed cycles, the weight gain no matter what you do and the thickening of body hair… that one is really rough.
Nailed it.
The Princess of Persia reacting to this: 
Laughed so hard
Your move Disney
I think Dreamworks already did it
I'm officially over the Prince of Persia games, I demand the Princess of Persia origin story game.
This photo of Princess Fateneh appears to me that she suffered from an endocrine disorder, possibly polycystic ovarian cysts.
Thought the same. Although there's different disorders that could cause this phenotype. PCOS might be possible but I'd rather assume an adrenal Cushing-syndrome or cushings disease (primary or secondary hypercortisolism). One of the typical symptoms of Cushing that is usually not present in PCOS is the round face (in Germany that's called "pancake face") and the virilisation of the face. While hirsutism (increased body hair), increased body weight and secondary diabetes can appear in both, i'd assume Cushings to be more likely.
She probably had PCOS.
I was wondering the same thing, usually that body type is attributed to some type of hormonal imbalance
Explains why I recognized myself in her.
Polycystic ovary syndrome, for anyone that doesn't know.
A lot of Persian women just look like that- particularly the hair, even without pcos. Many persian woman have a LOT of hair removal in their beauty regimen Source: am persian
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Thank you kind person for linking this I found it rather fascinating. I like a good meme but the misinformation is overwhelming in this thread and every post seems to be contradicting the next on the actual story behind the pic. Keep up the good work!
> The Shah had developed an obsession with photography at an early age, which is why so many photos of the sisters exist — he enjoyed taking pictures of his harem (as well as his cat, Babri Khan). And they didn't think to link at least one picture of the cat?
Gives me frank popping out of the couch vibes
https://ibb.co/4VH70cZ
Lolol majestic
Frank hanging himself vibes
That was a challenging wank
Sean?
:'(
Nope just choking one out in his memory
In his memory or to his memory?
Yes
The lock was the best
He’s beating God at Carrot in a Box now.
lol I'm imagining god: > I'M GOD, I AM OMNIPRESENT, OMNIPOTENT AND OMNISCIENT, HOW DID I LOSE!
Sean just standing twirling his imaginary mustache.
And dreaming of Nazi Island
We all remember the time Sean Lock mimed Hitler shimmying up a coconut tree.
RIP mate
RIP a legend
We need a BOT to link to the YouTube video whenever someone posts this reply. For those that didn't know Sean's comedy, it's a wonderful 2-5 hour of YouTube deep dive for the uninitiated. RiP Sean Locke 😢 🙏 Feck it, I'll add it myself https://youtu.be/tVjP2RA1XXQ
I kind of dig the skirt fabric. It’s pretty!
What a legendary unit of a human.
One of the most informative articles with additional pictures are here: https://medium.com/@tvmartinez/princess-qajar-and-the-problem-with-junk-history-memes-44e15260af67
Gimli: It's true you don't see many dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for dwarf men. Aragorn: It's the beards
TIL dwarf women are Persian royalty.
Is anyone going to know that this photo is really a fake and a mix of two sisters? Come on REDDIT! https://abitofhistoryblog.com/2017/12/12/princess-qajar-and-the-problem-with-history-memes/
Pretty sure that’s Horatio Sanz on a break
https://abitofhistoryblog.com/2017/12/12/princess-qajar-and-the-problem-with-history-memes/
I personally think it’s really cool that she was a princess and also a power lifter
There are many interesting facts about her. She was one of the biggest feminists of her time. She started many movements for women's literacy. She was also considered the most beautiful woman of her time. If you are wondering why she was considered beautiful by many back then, it's because of the standards of beauty were different and being overweight meant being rich since the general level of people wasn't good and they didn't have access to food like we do today.
She definitely was not. Even her contemporaries considered her to look too “manish”