"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٤‎٢‎٨] (١٧٨٢/١٥٨٣)

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■'Amarah to fetch Shaikh Fahad-al-' Ali, a rival of Shaikh Mansur, who was
encamped on the bank of the Tigris near that place. Colonel Kemball,
the British Political Agent at Baghdad, at this time favoured the Pasha's
plan in regard to the Muntafik country, for he expected that it would
facilitate, if realised, the construction of the telegraph line.
But the opposition of the Muntatik to Namiq Pasha^s schemes was
stronger and more genuine than had at first appeared. Shaikh Fahad
declined the post of Turkish Qaim-Maqam at Suq-ash-Suhyukh on its
being offered to him; and the smaller Muntafik Shaikhs avowed a resolve
to defend their ^a.si-independence, if need be, by force of arms. In the
circumstances the Pasha, who had meanwhile summoned additional
troops to Baghdad from Musal and Kirkuk and made other military
dispositions for coercing the Muntafik, appeared to renounce the idea
of changing the arrangements for the government of their territory and
signified his willingness to appoint Shaikh Nasir, the brother of Shaikh
Mansur, to be head of the tribe and farmer of the revenue of the districts
for a period of one year on the same terms as the^late Shaikh Bandar.
Colonel Kemball was at this stage of the case brought into the proceed
ings in a manner which he has described as follows :—
Shortly after my return from Bussorah I received a communication, signed by
that* Chief and, other elders of the Muntafik, deprecating the plan formed by the
Pasha and soliciting my intervention to dissuade him from its further prosecution,
which communication T immediately submitted to the perusal of His Excellency
with the draft of my proposed reply. This reply was, of course, superseded by His
Excellency's change of intention, but I subjoin it in copy forf Yoar Excellency's in
formation, as indicating the course that, with His Excellency's approval, I had deter
mined to adopt on the occasion ; when, however. Shaikh Nassir's Agent was quitting
Baghdad, charged with the summons to his Chief, he waited upon me to state that no
hope existed of its being complied with, unless I would pledge my word as a guarantee
for the Sheikh's personal security. I declined, of course, to take upon myself such a
responsibility, unless so solicited in writing by Namik Pasha, to whom I accordingly
referred him ; but his feai'B, it seems, not permitting him to broach this condition to
His Excellency, I thought it my duty to advise Namik Pasha of what had passed
between us. His Excellency replied that the solemn pledges he had already given,
together with the prospect of investiture, would suffice, in his opinion, to re-assure
bheikh Nasir and for the present he would not avail himself of my intervention.
After this, on the 11th February 1864, Shaikh Nasir entered Baghdad,
having first insisted on and obtained an unusual guarantee for his im
munity from arrest. But nothing was settled between him and the
Local Government. The Pasha demanded that the Shaikh should pay
* viz., Shaikh Nasir.
t H. B. M.'s Charge d'Affaires at Constantinople.