"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٥‎٥‎١] (١٧٨٢/١٧٠٦)

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1551
in regard to the treatment of Consuls really meant nothing, and that the
circular had been drafted simply in order that it might be divulged, with the
object of producing an impression on the mind of the British Government.
In 1899 Sulaiman Baig, the son of Mansui Pasha, a former Shaikh
of the Muntafik tribe, approached Her Britannic Majesty's Consul at
Basrah with a view of obtaining British protection, by which a nationality
was probably meant, for himself; but his advances were declined by
Mr. Wratislaw. In 1902 similar steps were taken by other leading
members of the same tribe through the medium of an Indian Muhamma-
dan. The applicants in the latter case seem, after meeting with a rebuff
from the British representative at Basrah, to have addressed themselves
unsuccessfully to the Russian Consul-General at Baghdad.
In 1903, on the advice of Sir Arthur Hardinge, His Britannic
Majesty's Minister at Tehran, an effort was made through the British
Residency at Baghdad to moderate the action of the Persian Mujtahids
at Karbala and Najaf, whose influence was being exerted, as has already
been described, to promote opposition in Persia to measures of the Shah s
Government. Sir A. Hardinge thought that the chief motive by which
the Mujtahids were actuated might be fear of Russian preponderance m
Persia- and he hoped that, by a friendly and sympathetic attitude on
the part of the intermediary employed, these reputed leaders of Persian
public opinion might be induced to explain their real views and objects,
which were somewhat obscure, and even to address him a letter on the
subject The message below, after being approved by Lord Lansdowne,
His Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, was accoidmg y
communicated verbally in July 1903 to Agha
Sharabiyani, through Mirza Muhammad Hasan, M ubsin ;
Dragoman of the British Residency at Baghdad and afteiwa ds British
Vice -Consul at Karbala, than whom no one more suitable for the accom
plishment of such a mission could have been chosen :
The British Government is a _ finn supporter of the
political interests are identical with t o*e o a i ' f f their respect for the
Oudh Bequest is, to take a small matter, 8ubject s; and they will
Muhammadan religion, w uc is ^ But they strongly depre-
never favour measures to do Fer6ia raflr e harm than good. What-
cate all appeals to leligiou ? tariff) it has been agreed to, not only by the
ever may be said against the * ' a „ QT , he changed by negotiation
Bossians, but also by England and r difflcaUies. If the
with .hose three ^ ^
Hazrat have any complaints against tl
Relations of
BritiBh
oHicials
with the
Persian
Mujtahids of
Karbala and
Najaf, 1903.
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