Page 91 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

Chapter HI- 69
(vii) Disturbances among Khazail, Montofok and othor tribes: construction of the
telegraph line, 1864-66.
143. An expedition was now organized by Naxnik Pasha against the
Khazail tribe, whose Chief Sheikh ftlutluk had recently nearly dragged himself
into open rebellion in conjunction with the cx-Chief of the Muntetiks, Sheikh
Mansur.

No. 60, dated the 7th Scptorabor 1804.
Prora—Colonel A. II. Kkmiull, c.n,, liar Majesty’s Consul-General at Bagdad,
To— His Exckllrnct iiir Rioht Hon’d lb Sin H. L. Bulweb, o.c.d , Her Britannio Majostj'a
Ambassador, Consi&nlianplo.
His Excellency Namik Pasha has engaged in new military combinations, which, I appre­
hend, may uot only compel the postponement of
Political A , November 1804, Not. 180.181,
operations for the construction of the Mesopotamian
Telegraph, but may even bar their proscoution for another year.
The object of the present expedition is the coercion of the Khuzail tribe, originally
Bedowin, but which, having been located many years in the neighbourhood of Shcnafioh, has
exercised dominancy over the more settled communities inhabiting t.ho districts situated
between that place and Nijjcf on the one side and Aboo Juwarced on the other. To this
end a force, consisting of 3,000 regular troops and 1,000 irregulars, marched from Dewanioh
on the 4th instant. The offence of Sheikh Mootluk, Chief of Khuzail, who is also the appoint­
ed farmer of the above districts under Government, is not that he lias failed to discharge his
revenue liabilities, for it is admitted that he has even supplemented the punctual payment of
tribute by presents of horses and also money, or that he took an overt part in tho late revolt,
but that ho has declined to do homage in person t*» the Turkish authorities, and that he
harboured tho Dhuwaglim and Alboo Hussan tribes, who lately cut up a Turkish detachment.
Before undcrlaking this measure His Excellency did me the honor to consult mo regarding
it. I said that however patriotic Ilis Excellency's desire to reduce the larger tribes of Turkish
Arabia under complete control, I was of opinion that the force at his disposal was unequal
to tho purpose, not, perhaps, to heat the Arabs wherever they should encounter the main body
of the Troops, but to maintain tho positions which might be successively occupied ; and that
in consequence, and for a period probably very protracted, not only would the highways of
communication be rendered impassable, hut the settled districts would be exposed to incursions,
leading, of course to the usual results, a desolated country, stoppage of trade, and loss of
revenue, which, sooner or later, must oblige the Government to compromise its aims and to
restore mattere to their normal condition. I readily admitted that the dominancy of the
Aral-s over the most fertile portions of this province was a great evil; but it was an evil which
could not he overcome by isolated and convulsive efforts at coercion, and was assuredly(the
lessor evil compared with the state of anarchy accruing upon failure. On my instancing the
more recent case of the Alontrjig tribe, His Excellency did notdony that the attempt to establish
Turkish rulo at Sukesh Shiookh had had this issue. Sheikh t'uhvd, the Government nominee,
after the defection of Sheik Munsoor, had declined to visit Bagdad for tho purpose of being
invested; bad even declined to assume the functions of bis office until provided with the
contract whereby tho Government was bound to relinqui-h for three years the policy it had
initiated ; and, mistrusting still the assurances given by His Excellency, had purposely
abstained from exerting his authority to restore order, while be refused positively to co-operate
in any expedition against sheik AloMuk. The official year would lapso on the 11th instant,
and ono thousand purses only had bo^n paid by Sheik Fuhud in the form of revenue. Up to
a very late date this Chief, though apparently master of the position and acknowledged by
all the Monte fig tribes, had not advanced beyond Durajee, the limit of his own territory:
and though . twice called upon to furnish a safe conduct to the boats laden with telegraph
materials, or with.grain destined forJclda. ho had as often professed his inability to do so,
on the grouud lhat his rival was unsubdued and that the river was open to his incursions.
Viewing uli the circumstances of the cas« and the obligations which weighed upon His
Excellency, the prrs-nt lime, I thought, would be specially ill-chosen for the movement under
con tcmplation ; its effect would be to unite Sheiks AJuotluk and Munsoor in a common cause,
and by confirming tho fears of Sheik Kuhud lor bis own independence, completely alienalo that
Chief also from the 6ide of Government.
For some days His Excellency appeared to hesitate between a policy of conciliation and
the employment of military for :e ; but his own proclivities being in tho latter direction and
being urged by flatterers, whom I believe to be so little bis friends as to desire to involve him in
difficulties which snould lead to his recall, ho took his final 1 evolution in the manner above
staled. That Sheikh Moult ah and his adherents would retire before the troops, as he is now
reported to have done by a telegraphic despatch from Dewanioh, was of course only to be
expected; but the result will belie all pus*. experience if his withdrawal into the desert be not
the forerunner of serious mid oxlondud disturbances.
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