Page 315 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

Chapter XVI. 283
13. Oar records are laden tbon with several disquisitions of our Political
Officers on the question—Colonel Twcedio
Intern*] A., May 1801. Noi. 179—190.
Internal A,» February 1892, Noa. G7—GG and Colonel Mookler among others, which
Internal A., Juno 1892, Noa, 207—213. do not err on tlio side of clearness. The
Internal A., Juno 1891, Noa.203-237.
abuses prevailing in tho administration of
the endowment appoar to havo been the following—
14s. The sum of Rs. 14-,853-3-S were paid quarterly to the Mujtahids who were
permanent residents at Korbclla, and the same amount to tho Mujtahids who were
permanent residents at Najaf. Theso amounts were drawn quarterly and wero
shown in tho accounts of tho Treasury as paid to Syud Mahomed Bakir at
Kerbella and Syud Mahomed Bahr-ul-Ulum at Najaf. They wore really paid
to tho Residency Shroff, a Jew named Eliabu Ezekiel Danaus, who was tho
Agent or representative at Baghdad to the two above-named Mujtahids and
there seemed reason to believe that these two Mujtahids had mortgaged those
allowances or a large portion of them to tho shroff as interest on the money
which they borrowed from him whenever they had need. Tho shroff, however,
always produced tho receipts of the Mujtahids and that was regarded as suffi­
cient.
15. Although these two Mujtahids were shown in tho Treasury accounts as
receiving Rs. 14i,853-3-8 per quarter, they really only received in round num­
bers Rs. 9,850 per quarter, Rs. 5,000 per quarter baying been diverted to Agba
Mahomed Khau, known as tho Native Agent at Kathiinain, for distribution to
poor Indians at that placo and Rs. 5,000 per quarter having been similarly
diverted to Mahomed Ibrahim Khan, our Consular Agent at Kerbella, for dis­
tribution to poor Indians tliero.
16. We cannot find that any instructions wero ever issued to tho Mujtahids
regarding tho mode or the objects of their distribution, but their distribution was
sovcral years ago found so unsatisfactory and untrustworthy that it was thought
advisable to appoint a supervisor who should supervise these distributions. Tho
supervisor, botli for tho Kerbolla and Najaf, had for several years past been our
Consular Agont at Korbella, a British Indian subject named Mahomed Ibrahim
Khan, a brother of tho Agent at Kathimain, but, as a matter of fact, it was
found that ho did not supervise tho distribution at all, that he was never present
at it but loft it all in the bauds of ono of bis Munshis, who was himself a sti­
pendiary of this trust fund.

17. Mahomed Ibrahim Khan signed his name in English on every page of
the distribution account, but his signatures were put on each page of the account
several days after the distribution, at which ho was never present, had been
completed.
18. The Mujtahids distributed tho money that went to them among a
number of their own relations and friends.
19. The distribution at Kathimain was made by Agha Mahomed Khan
who was known as the Native Agent at Kathimain. He had no official position
but was in many ways useful as a sourco of information and as an unofficial
correspondent. He first undertook to perform bis present duties several years
ago and it was clearly understood that ho was to receivo no salary from any
source. His first duty was to supervise tho distribution of tho Oudh Bcqu°st
at Kathimain. It was of courso quite wrong that any of this money should
havo been diverted to Kathimain, a suburb about 6 miles from Baghdad and
on tho other side of the river, but it appears to have been dono under the advice
of Nawab Sir Ikbal-ud-Dowlali who seems to havo had an overwhelming influ­
ence over some of the Resident.
20. As a matter of fact, a large proportion of the money found its way into
tho pockets of a number of Agha Mahomed Khan’s relations, as their salary for
assisting him in tho distribution, of which there was little.

• 8cc Chapter IV (ix) of this Trccii ante for ft genealogical tabic of till) family
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