Page 253 - Journal of Asian History_Neat

luurmtl >'J t>o Awcrmw ()rmital Sonet t/, !)(i S (IS70)
I'M
„ further report." implicated the gov- Council look the initiative, moving from ita
the report
.„l «,f Ur ... Ill-’ H.w.l U=>li.l r.'volt a.-. well.” previous position of passive caution to one of
Henceforth there are no more references found active support.
muhnumc documents to Bahrein as “a On the twelfth and thirteenth of that month
in the
hmitled to the state” and therefore firmans wore issued by the Imperial Council to
territory su
protected. Should another governor general LahsA, Bagdad and Basra. In the case of the fir­
show himself anxious to invade Bahrein he would man to Bagdad, the intention was to gain inde­
find the Imperial Council insistent on careful pendent informed testimony on the truthfulness >
planning and execution but otherwise prepared of the Lahsfi reports.
to support him.
Thirteen years later such a situation arose. To the governor general of Bagdad: :
:•
Early in the spring of 15715, the judge of Lahsa The governor general of LahsA has sent a report saying
reported to the Imperial Council that Bahrein that the conquest of the fort on Bahrein is aa easy
matter, that the defending troops arc few, and that tho ;
was a prosperous island with more than 300 ships now stationed at Basra would suffice for the cam- ,
villages (karyc) and that it would be a simple
paign. Hastiness cannot be accepted; careful preparation :
matter to seize it. The reply, addressed to the is important. You have in the past held the position of ,
governor general of Lahsii was couched largely governor general of Lahsii and know the facta. I there-.’
in the form of questions. What are the sources fore order that careful plans be made. How many galleys .*
of the judge’s information? How reliable are they? and fighting men (marines? cenkfI) would in fact bo:
necessary? ... Is it likely that the Portuguese ships at
Are the troops of Bahrein in fact weak? If so,
Hormuz will come in reprisal? The governor general of
why? How would you undertake the conquest? Lahs& reported that the island if conquered would yield ,
If additional troops would be needed, how many? (annually! 40,000 fildri. In fact, if the fxardc is ignored,,
When should they arrive in Labsa? What equip­ what would the income be? That much? More? . . .“
ment would be needed? Just how much income
The firmans to Lafosa and Basra, however,
would be derived from this conquest?51 I found
convey no hint that the Imperial Council had
no mention of a reply to this request for informa­
any major reservations concerning the campaign.^
tion; perhaps none was made. Sinfin, governor
In the orders to Lafysa are requests for clarification '
general of Lahsa, died shortly after and the prov­
of several support problems, the availability of
ince was administered temporarily by the gover­
nor general of Basra until a new appointment was iron for cannon and cannon balls, sufficient 1
troops and transportation ;s* the orders to Basra :
confirmed on or before June tenth, 1574.52
The campaign was far from forgotten, how­ are in the same vein, with a cautionary note to.C
ever. Even before the new appointment troops cooperate fully with Lahs& on all matters con-"
were moved into Lafisfi from Basra.54 Ilyas ceming the campaign.57
Bey, the new governor general, once he had es­ Simultaneous with and within three weeks oLi
these queries, five more orders went out to Iraq|
tablished himself, turned promptly to the cara-
paign plans. In June of 1575 he corresponded with and Syria, all related to supplies for the cam-3
Istanbul on the question of ships that would be paign. The machinery of war was slowly pushed!
required.54 But it was not until November that the into motion. To Aleppo went orders to send lum-3
ber to Basra via Birecik, and if they could be3
" Ibid.
spared tools and equipment for shipbuilding.1®
“M 22:92, 10 $afer 981/11 June 1573. The judge’a
report is summarized in the narralio. To Diyarbekir went a request for 500
11 M 24:911, 19 Safer 982/10 June 1574.
M M 2-4:913, 15 Safer 982/6 June 1574. 400 Janissaries 11 M 27:200, 9 $a’bAn 983/13 November 1575.
were sent to Basra to replace them; there is no other " M 27:19. 8 S*’bin 983/12 November 1575. Clear!;
indication of the size of the transfer. miacopied as if addressed to Basra.
.. M .Cyli 3: P' m> 18 $,Jer S®/® May 1575; and »T M 27:206, 9 $a’b&n 983/13 November 1575.
M teyh 3: p. 128. 22 Safer 983/2 June 1575. M M 27:203, same date.

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