Page 105 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

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Chapter III. 83

To-day, Thursday, the troops going out of the town, demolished tho entrenohments of the
robols and roturned, and it is said that tho authorities intend lo destroy tho gardous closo to the
walls of tho town.
180. Tho Governor-Goncral, Akof Pasha, requested tho Consul-Goncral to
warn tho British Indian subjects against joining the insurgents. This tho
Consul-Goncral did oll'ectually through the Honorary British Agent at Kcrbolla.
181. Thcro appears to have boon disturbances also atNnjaf, and the British
Indian subjects thorc also were warned
Political A, October 1877, No*. 201—218.
accordingly, and attempts were made,
through tho mujtahids of Najaf to put a stop to tho disturbances, as appears
from tho following roport, dated 5th August 1877, of the Mujfahid to tho
Consul-General :—

Tiaoilalion of a Report from Syed Alt Baiih-ool Ooi.oom, Mu j tabid of NrjjefF, dated 28th
Rojib 1294=9th August 1877.
In acknowledging tho receipt of your letter strictly enjoining that I should ufo every
effort in putting a stop to the quarrel and disturbances that have taken place between tho
mischievous persons of the tribe of Zogurt and the Imperial Ottoman troops, I havo the honour
to bring to your honour’s notice that such quarrols havo always been and arc of frequent
rcourrenco at Nejjcff, some times occurring between tho two tribes of Nojjcff themselves who
are called Zogurt and Shumurt, and somotimes betweeu these tribes and the Turkish troopg,
and that I havo, ns is patent lo all, on every occasion of such disturbance, nover failed in
using my best efforts towards putting an ond to them. I thunk God that on the present
occasion, owing to our intervention, it did not last more than two or three days. My inter­
cession towards the suppression of tho disturbance was asked by Moor Alai Magee Reg, the
Commandant of the troops, and my attendance at the Government Office being required
1 was also invited there by tho authorities to the same effect. The rebellious party having
by this time taken their position at Cufa, about a parasang and a half distant, and placed
themselves in a state of defence, we sent thorn word and letters until wo restored in them a
feeling of confidence lo some extent that we would obtain pardon for them from the authorities.
After which I instructed my nephew, Agha Syud Ali Nuckoe, whose services I employ on
such occasions, being myself unable to attend personally on account of mv ill-health, and
deputed him to the rebels ncoompnnicd with a party consisting of Ulemas, Elders and Chiofa
of the Ilindia Arabs. This party brought the rebels into Nejjcff to pray for mercy, exhibiting
on their person tho marks indicative of submission usual to Arabs, that is, their heads
uncovered and the ropeliko tie of the head let down round their necks accompanied with
rcpentful expressions and prayers for pardon ; they were thus conducted to tho barracks and
made to fall upon the hands and feet of the Meer Ali, and tho Ulemas beggod pardon for
them, which the Meer Ali granted, and gave them leave to go. Thus tranquillity wai
restored to the inhabitants of the town, and thanks God everything is now quiet.
182. The correspondence on tho subject of tho Oudh Bequest throws
considerable light on the constitution of the body of Mujtahids at Kerbella
and Najaf (see pages 279 el seq hereafter).
183. The Russian loans contracted by the Shah of Persia, the changes in
the customs administration and the ascendancy of Russia at Tehran roused great
discontent among the Persians, which was fanned by tire Shiah clergy in Persia
and the Persian Ulema in Turkish Arabia. Thus a powerful movement was
started against the then Grand Vizier Atabeg-i-Azam, which was skilfully
directed by the court party opposed to tho Atabeg’s regim6 and were anxious
to bring about the reinstatement of Amin-es-Dowlah, now an exile from
Persia. The leading Persian Mujtahids in Turkish Arabia (Najaf) Aghat
Fa2ll Sha7'abionit Eoji Mohomed Hussain, Mina Khalil Mamughani, Mullah
Kadhim Khorasani, played an important rdle in this clerical agitation against
the then Persian regime.
184. In April 1903 the Consular Agent at Kerbella reported that the
Secret E., Juno 1903, No, 4. Ulema at Najaf had addressed a strong
Secret E., May 19U5. No. 295. protest to the Shah in regard to the state
of things in Persia, and that under the Shah’s instructions the Persian Consul-
General at Baghdad had proceeded to Kerbella and Najaf in order to offer
His Majesty’s salutations to Agha Fnzil* Sharabiani and JUnji Mirza Hussain,
son of Mirza Khalil, and to explain to them, that matters bad been misrepre­
sented to them. But they wero not apparently satisfied.
• Faiil Sharabiani died on Dccomber 1904.