The always-great British Libary Asia and Africa blog shared images from a Gift to Kings / Gift to Viziers, recently purchased at auction. This tract on principles of ethics and government includes forty brief sections (bāb), each with four brief maxims, all “selected by sages from the books of the ancients”.
The copy of the manuscript shown in the BL blog was written and illuminated for presentation to the heir apparent, Prince (later Shah) Muhammad Riza Pahlavi (reigned 1941-1979). It was probably produced at or near Tehran, in 1925-6.
As the BL blog says, “it may be of interest to quote a few of the maxims presented for the edification of the future sovereign.” Chapter Twenty-Nine includes “four things do not last: an unjust ruler; an old man without sense; unlawful property; and the passing days”.
While I’m (almost) sure the Prince read this sage advice, he seems to have been much more interested in expensive cars. The National Car Museum of Iran has some of the last Shah’s cars, alongside others from Pahlavi and Qajar collections. As well as his legendary Miura Lamborghinis, Bizzarinis (that really is a car name!), he added to his father’s Rolls Royce collection. Click here to see a video of some of the cars – look from 3.02 mins to see the 1950s bronze C30 Chrysler coupe prototype bought by the last Shah for his second wife, Soraya Esfandiary. It has a – literally – gold dashboard, refrigerator, record player and air conditioning.