Appeal Addressed Queen Victoria by Two Jewish Merchant Brothers to Rescue them from their Distress. Persia, 1880

Appeal Addressed Queen Victoria by Two Jewish Merchant Brothers to Rescue them from their Distress. Persia, 1880

Letter from two Jewish merchant brothers from Persia to the Queen of Britain, with a request to rescue them from their distress. Teheran, 19th century.

Rare authentic appeal to the queen of the British Empire, to save the life of a Jewish family exiled to Teheran and whose lives are endangered due to an economic entanglement. In this rare and special letter, two Jewish merchant brothers tell their painful personal story: Their father had been wealthy, but the wheel turned and he lost his property. He passed away leaving many debts behind him, so that his sons were forced to flee from the city of Goram Jazeera, near Assyria Hynu Muzal (Mosul in southern Iraq) to the cities of Persia, where they borrowed money to purchase merchandise. The merchandise was stolen from them - not just once or twice - they describe in detail the series of events and attempts to appeal to the consul etc., but to no avail. Their situation is too difficult to bear and their children and wives are suffering starvation. They are trying to be extricated from the distress by direct appeal to Queen Victoria 'to have mercy on us, show kindness to us, and write to Senior Thompson to assist us and take our money ..."

This letter's story is essentially the story of Jews in exile in various places and periods who groaned under the yoke of the non-Jews and were subject to trampling and plunder.

[1] page, blue paper. 35x21 cm. Oriental handwriting. Embossed seal of a lion impressed on the bottom of the leaf.

Very fine condition, fold mark.