"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٣‎٣‎٢] (١٧٨٢/١٤٨٧)

Saltan of
'Oman and
the Pasha of
Baghdad,
1825.
.Detention of
a British
official on a
voyage down
the Tigris,
1830.
Admonition
addresied by
Haji 'Ali
Riza Pasha to
the Turkish
officials at
Bairah with
reference to
the respect to
be shown for
British rights,
1831.
Disapproval
by the Govern
ment of India
of a proposal
by the Politi
cal Agent in
Turkish 'Iraq,
involving
prolonged
absences on
his part from
Baghdad,1838.
Report by
Mr. J. B.
Fraser on the
state of the
Pash&liq,
1834.
suggesting' British mediation. The Government of Bombay, however
instructed these officers to limit their intervention to the use of influence
with the parties separately, and, as the Pasha declined to listen to Captain
Taylor's advice, the Sultan was informed that he was at liberty to take
any action he pleased. The sequel has already been described above.
In 1830 Dr. Baikie, an Assistant Surgeon of the Madras establish
ment, was detained, on a voyage down the Tigris in a Political Agency
boat flying the British flag, by an Arab Shaikh, who irregularly obliged
him to pay a heavy duty on his baggage. He subsequently memorialised
the Bombay Government, and his claim was referred to the Political
Agent in Turkish "'Iraq, but the result is not stated.
Shortly after his appointment to the Pashaliq of Baghdad, Haji 'Ali
Riza Pasha addressed a formal order to the Qadhi, Mufti, Mutasallim
and A'yan of Basrah by which they were enjoined to show the utmost
respect for the rights and privileges of the British representative at
Basrah, " his agent, interpreters, proteges and dependents, and the
" subjects of the Government arriving from Hindoostan, and their ships
' f and merchants, and all others soever.'"' This document, which was dated
2nd October 1831, was publicly read in the Mutasallim's Council at
Basrah and was officially registered in the offices of the Qadhi and the
Daftardar.
In July 1833 Lieutenent-Colonel Taylor, the British Political Agent
in Turkish 'Iraq, proposed that he should be authorised, in view of the
predominance of Russian influence and the prevalence of Russian intrigue
in Turkey, to travel as much as lie thought fit in the northern districts
of the Pashaliq, and even to reside occasionally at a point nearer than
Baghdad to the supposed scene of Muscovite activity. The Government
of India, however, concurring with the Government of Bombay, held
that Baghdad itself was, as the seat of the Local Government, the very
point at which vigilance against Russian designs was most required, and
that the continuous presence of the Political Agent there was also
necessary on account of the generally unsettled state of the Pashaliq;
and they therefore directed him, in December 1833, to remain at Baghdad
unless he should receive orders of a different tenor from His Majesty's
Government.
The attention of the British Government seems to have been now
directed in a particular manner to the field of Turkish'Iraq; and in
November 1834 the traveller Mr. J. B. Fraser, already mentioned, who
had been commissioned to visit that country and Persia, reported in great
detail upon the administrative condition of the Baghdad Pashaliq. A
copy of his report was forwarded by the Political Agent, Colonel Taylor,
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