Page 53 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

Chapter II. 31
Your Excellency knows that the Pasha is a person greatly advanced in years; my Into
addresses have spoken o£ his increasing infirmities, and I am now sorry to confirm what I
formerly mentioned from report that Ilis Highness had totally lost the use of his body from the
waist downwards. Tho Pashaw has in all seven children—three sons and four daughters.
Tim oldest of the former is near twelve years old ; the two others are infants, and tho four
daughters arc married or aflianccd to tho following of his officers :—
To tho Thir or Ministor ... * Married.
ToSelom Deg, Into Muisnlum of Dussorn ...
To DaoiuI Aga Ilnsnudar ... ... Affianced.
To Nesocf Agn, llnpnjular Ilinssy .„ •••
The Pashaw’s principal Councillors arc the Mushroff Eftcr, sometime sinco made Dafterdar
Effendi, Mohammed and Abdnll Aziz Hog. Tho Government of tho two principal dependen­
cies, that is to say, Bussoraand Mirdin, arc at present filled by Negum Beg and Abdullah Aga.
From tbo timo of my arrival at this court to the present moment, tho Pashaw lias more
particularly delivered himself and his affairs to tho Council and management for the Minister
in this respect has never been more than a shadow of two persons; tho late Divan Effendisi, who
was suspected t.o havo died poisoned and tho present Dafterdar Ir,ffendi, who was brought
forward on the Divan Effendisi’s disease. Consecutive acts of imprudence. Folly and injustice
bad lessened that respect, for his person and government which tho Pashaw had been near
twenty years in acquiring ; and his lato disgraceful desertion of the Cif.y, his unjust and in­
human orders, after quitting it himself on account of tho plague, that no one else should bo per­
mitted to do so, and his shameful negligence in respect to Meshed Ilossien, have given the
death blow to his character, whether as a good man, or a good Governor, and whenever he ia
called away from hence, whether it He by the course of nature or by orders from the Porte, ho
will feel in that moment the sad reflexion of having outlived his character, his reputation and
his honor.
The domestic embarrassments which the Pashaw has to struggle against are the consequen­
ces of the plague which has made its appeavanco in the city ; the divisions which form separate
interests, prevail in his harem and amongst his sons-in-law and counsellors; the turn against
turn of popular opinion in this City and the ill-favored slate (I liavo great reason to think) his
affairs arc in at Constantinople. It is more than probable his infirmities will soon remove him
from the midst of this ditfieultics, but if they should not, I cannot conceive the Porte will
or indeed can support him against the loud complaints which will be mado against him from
all Mohammedan countries on the affair of Meshed Ilossain.
In wbat manner soever we shall loose him, the public here have long talked of a number
of pretenders to the succession and has fixed them to be bis eldest sou, his sons-in-law and
Abdullah Aga the late Mussalutu of Uussora. It is in a paper of this sort above that I could
venture to trouble Your Excellency with a short sketch of characters which ave only interesting
from the situation of those to whom they belong.
The Pashaw's eldest son's name is Ussed Beg and his early age makes it unnecessary to
say more than he is reported to be a boy of some parts and good disposition.
The Khia, whose name is Ally, was raised to this dignity, and married to the only daugh­
ter the Pashaw had born in Wedloch, in consequence of the part he acted in the massaire of
Ahmed Kia of whose character and abilities, I cannot presume Your Excellency to be ignorant.
He is a Georgian by birth, was a slave to the Pashaw, and may be probably about forty years
of age. He is neither a man of business uor a man of Pashaw, lie has not parts for the one,
and his fanaticising prevents his being the other. During the time of his servitude in tho
palace, he applied himself particularly, it is said, t> the study of the Khoran, its commentaries
and Closes which acting on paits more than commonly circumscribed has caused him to consider
the orthodox profession and exorcise of Islamism, as containing every excellent accomplish­
ment a Mancan possesses, has given him a prejudice against persons of other sects of his own
religion, which often impolitely manifests itself, and has given him a detestation and abhor­
rence of Christians and Jews, which he frequently does not choose the most proper time of
expressing. His behaviour in public is puerile and disgusting; and many amongst those
belonging to bis own household, hut most of the inhabitants of the town disliko him. It is
singular that his devotion and bigotry have not procured him many friends amongst the Corps
of Oulimas, but the mystery is explained when it is mentioned that the Kia destroys the
friendship, they would otherwise have for him from a similarity of principles and opinions
by making the rudest and most nml « pro/m speeches Mis personal courage, notwithstand­
ing the part he acted in the murder of Ahmed Kia, 1 have just reason from Mr. Raymond’s
accouut of him in his campaigns against the Casa els, to esteem very doubtful. lie is said to
be steady where he professes friendship, and I ought to do him the justice to say that, if ho
docs ever depart from his word, it is unwillingly. So that upon tho whole, it' the Pashaw
must be succeeded by one of his former Georgian slaves, 1 incline to think tho Kia is in many
respects the pvoper persons for t hat purpose, for some of his defects may bo lesseued by good
couusel, which I have never found or heard him to be averse from receiving.

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