Page 79 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

Chapter III- C7
A few days ago at any rate tho confidential Agent whom I had Rent to Nr-jjcf to look
after intorCBts of tho British Indian Residents returned with letters from the Chiof Priest,
etating that every thing had been arranged without blood shed; that the rebel chief and his
immediate followers had.retired to Ilillah where they wore assured an honorable treatment,
and that tho Indian Residents who had been preparod to remove to Kcrhella if hostilities had
supervened were accordingly still remaining in the place thankful for the warning and assist-
anco whicli had been givon them.
Of the termination of tho affair I am only informed at present through Turkish Channels
and I cannot therefore place much dependence on the acoounts. Namilc Pasha, however'
stated to mo in a rccont visit which I paid to him, that on tho day following the departure
my Agent, tho Turkish Officer .who had conducted the previous negocialions had judged i**
necessary to arrert other parlies in Nejjcf who had not withdrawn with the chief, * that th°
followers of theso parties attempted a rescue; that tho townspeople then rose; that stree^
fighting was maintained for 24- hours with considerable loss on either side; that tbero was o^
course a good deal of pillage and destruction of property; hut that ultimately the Arab
combatants were driven out of tho place, and that the authorities were now employed ia
restoring order and returning to their proper owners the effects which had been plundered-
This may bo doubtless a correct version of tho story hut I am rather disposed to think that
the whole matter was prearranged, that the chiefs were previously enticed away, and that tho
towns people, when off their guard and relying on the capitulation wero surprisod by the
Turkish troops and put to the sword. If any great excesses had been committed and British
property had suffered to any serious extent 1 should doubtless have already heard from tho
Chief Priest on the subject; his silence leads me to hope that the Indians have escaped without
much injury and that it may not therefore be necessary to complain of what looks, however,
very much like a systematic caso of deception and bad faith.
137. In 1854 there was a fresh insurrection in Najaf, the events of which
are detailed below :—
S. C., 2Ctb Maj 1854, No. 4G.

No. 3, dated Baghdad, tho 25th January 1864.
From—Majob II. Rawlinbon, Hor Majesty's British Consul-Gonoral at Baghdad,
To—Tho Right Hon'ble Viscount Stbatfobd db Rkdcliffb, o.c.b., Her Britannic Majostj’s
Ambassador at Constantinople.
Consequent on tho withdrawal of llicrogular garrisons from the Euphrates, there has been
another “ emeu to ” at Ncjjcf similar to that which occurred under the Government of Namilc
Pasha.
Tho Chiefs of the Shemort and Zegoort Arabs, who have been located from time
immemorial in tho town, and were only displaced and dispersed by the active measures Namilc
Pasha adopted against them, recently took advantage of the withdrawal of all the regular
troops to Baghdad, to assemble their followers to the number of 2,000 men and to ciTcct a
forcible entry into the place. They met with little or no opposition and being new firmly
established in the town they are prepared to 6et the Turkish authorities at defiance.
Reshid Pasha has already sent out one of the most influential of tho Baghdad Ulema to
treat with the Arabs, and to endeavour to persuade them to withdraw without provoking a
contest with the Turkish troops, but His Excellency foreseeing a probability that this
Mission may be unsuccessful, has also marched a pretty strong detachment of troops to
Killah, and has further arranged with the officer in Command at Denaneya that in the event
of the Arabs maintaining tbeir position, a combined movement should bo directed from
those two points against the city with a view of dislodging them and driving them again into
tho desert.

No. 8, dated Baghdad, 5th April 1854.
From—Majob II. C. Rawlinson, Her Majesty’s British Consul-Gonoral at Baghdad,
To—The RionT Hon'blb Viscount Stbatfobd dk Redcliffb, o.c.b., Hor Alajosty’s Ambassador
at Constantinople.
In continuation of my despatch No. 6, which announced that Reshid Pasha, during his
sojourn at Hilla, would probably take in hand
Volume 14 of 1854, page 121. the affairs of tho neighbouring town of Nejef,
where tho unruly tribes of Shemoort and Zegoort had recently again established themselves
in defiance of the authority of the Government. I have now the honour to report that a
collision took place about a week ago, between tho Arabs in question and the Turkish
garrison of Nejef, and that after two days' fighting the obnoxious tribes have been again
expelled from the place. The Turkish loss is, I believe, limited to 4 killed and about 20
woundod, but the Arabs have suffered much more severely and several unoffendiug citizens
havo also perished in tho tumult. During tho contest thero was of course some violence
offered by both parties to tho property of tho townspeople, but I am assured by the individual
who officiates as British Agent at NejeE, that after tho expulsion of tho Arabs, all articlos
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