"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٣‎١‎٨] (١٧٨٢/١٤٧٣)

1318
The quarters oi the town on the south-western bank of the Tigris
were pillaged by the Pasha's excited soldiery, the loss falling ohiefly ou
the non-'Aqaili inhabitants, a number of whom were even killed bv the
troops. It remained for the Pasha to settle as best he could with the
bhaikh of the Zubaid and with Sulaiman Grhanim, whom he had
invited to join him, and whose services he now no longer required.
How the 'Anizah and "Aqail complications actually eaded we do not
know; but at the end of 1834 there were signs, such as dissensions among
the Anizah, which portended an early break-up of the blockade of
Baghdad.
fh^ghdM The Ministration of the Baghdad Pashaliq as it was in the year
PfchaUq in 1834 has been depicted in highly unfavourable colours by Mr. J. R
Fraser. The industrious classes, especially the agriculturists, were so
harried by official exactions and by Arab raids that they had reduced
their operations within the narrowest possible limits, and their position
compared unfavourably with what it ha<l been under Sulaiman Pasha,
from 1779 to 1802, or even under Dawud Pasha. Of the revenue
collected in the towns of Baghdad and Basrah, it was estimated
that more than a half was lost to Government by the dishonesty of the
collectors. Large tracts of country were held by officials as Tamlik,
that is in lieu of salary, and the profits of such estates had ordinarily
been underestimated for the purpose by at least two-thirds. The
unsettled state of the country was as unfavourable to trade as it was to
agriculture. The customs duties were not framed, but were collected and
accounted for by Government officials with every circumstance of
dishonesty. The dues payable for the privilege of engaging in various
trades were leased to contractors who were guilty of scandalous abuses.
the mint fraud was prevalent to such an extent that ten piastre pieces,
which were supposed to contain a third part of silver, contained in fact
only a ninth. The desert routes had become practically impassable for
small caravans on account of banditti, and the only tolerably safe line of
communication with places abroad was the Shatt-al ; Arab below Basrah,
pon which the rivei-bank chiefs exacted heavy dues from passing boats,
blame for this unfortunate condition of affairs was laid, however,
y r. h iasei lather on the established system of government than on the
ng Pasha, whom he described as being " to a certain extent liberal
(( rj. 611 ^kteued in his views, ; and in regard to whom he remarked :
f( country is exhausted, his people impoverished and his power and
(( . ^ 0 ^ m P roveri:ien t w ill probably terminate with himself, deepen
ing the gloom of confusion that must follow, like a bright light