"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٥‎٨‎٦] (١٧٨٢/١٧٤١)

1586
Mr. Plowden, then Resident, advocated the creation of British Consular
Agencies at Karbala and Kadhimain; but the time was considered
iaappropriate for moving in the matter on account of discussions in
regard to new Consular Agencies which were already in progress between
His Majesty's Government and the Porte.
In 1890 Colonel Tweedie, as Resident, in proposing a reorganisation
of Oudh Bequest arrangements, made further suggestions on the subject;
and the terms of his reference may be quoted verbatim, as throwing
considerable light on the character of the Karbala Agency at that and
at an earlier period :
At Karbala, on the contrary*, not only is it impossible for the Residency to be
left unrepresented ; but one of the wants of the present time is the provision of a
better agency than we hav^ had there hitherto, This twofold statement requires
some exposition. Imprimis, Karbala, us already noted, is three days by ordinary
travelling from Baghdad. Next, some four or five thousand P>ritish Indian subjects
(counting Kashmiris, but not mere pilgrims) are settled there. Cases are therefore
frequent in which immediate action or protection on the part of the Kesidenoy is
demanded. Perhaps an ludian commits a murder, or is murdered; or dies suddenly,
leaving mule-loads of valuables ; perhaps another is pressed as a conscript, or sent
to prison. Oat of this might naturally issue the proposal to retain in situ
the present Indian Distributor, Muhammad Taki Khan, gazette him Agent,
and pay him from imperial revenue. But not to touch again on the contingency
(i.e., if Nawab Sir Ikbal-ud-Daula's Will should stand) of this man's
finding himself soon a principal executor under it, with all his amiable qualities,
and all his prestige as an Ind'un of position, it is perfectly impossible to regard him
as in our sense an official. In Dr. Bowman's memorandum a glimpse of him is
given, also a typical instance of how a factotum lodged in his skirts has been suffered
to fieece people. I r nder the old regime ne simply was a post set up by the Xawab
Sir Ikbal-ud-Daula at Karbala. With the Nawab's iniluence (at time possibly evi'n
wealth) to back him, there is no doubt that he could by innumerable circuitous
methods protect at Karbala those having to be protected, and constrain even the town
officials j many of whom may have owed their appointments to Sir Ikbal-ud-Daula's
interests with their Government. But all that is ended. What is now required
for Karbala cum Najaf is an out and out official, transferable elsewhere at any time;
whose status should be that of an Attache posted to this Residency, and available
for service chiefly at those two important centres. Some may hold that because our
subjects there are Shias, the Attache should be a Shia also. With deference I am
here inclined to differ. A European would be out of his element; but as the Ottoman
officials of the two towns in question, as of this country generally, are chiefly Sunnis;
and as it would be on his personal influence and acceptance with them that our
representative's power of helping Indians in their affairs with the Local Government
would turn, I think he should be a Sunni. A coin of the realm is as good for
ObLjanll officialdom in the hand of a Shia as of a Sunni. But for an employe with no
aecret service fund to aid him the more in touch he is personally with the authorities
the better for those depending on him. Dr# Bowman also, as will be observed, records
it in his memorandum, and the truth of it may be taken as absolutely certain, that
Viz., in opposition to K&dhimain and Najaf.