"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٢‎١‎٣] (١٧٨٢/١٣٦٨)

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history of Turkish ■'Iraq and to rise eventually to the governorship of the
Pashaliq. Sulaiman, during his first term of office at Basrah^ ruled with
moderation and distinguished himself by his freedom from rapacity ; but he
incurred the jealousy of Isma'il, the Kehiyah of the Baghdad Pasha ; and,
notwithstanding a protest by the British Agent at Basrah; he was removed,
early in 1768, for his negligence in not sending enough money to Baghdad,
and for failing to meet some large bills drawn by his master the Pasha
against the public revenues of Basrah.
"Abdur Rahman Baig, who, by paying a considerable bribe at Baghdad
and promising to make Basrah a financially more productive province,
had secured his own nomination to the Mutasallimate, did not retain his
position long. In October 1768 the post was again vacant, the holder
having died suddenly, not without suspicion of poison.
Thereupon Sulaiman Agha was immediately reinstated in the Deputy-
Governorship ; but his conduct towards the British and Christians in
general was unsatisfactory during this, his second period of rule; and in
1769 he was actually removed by the Pasha on the representations of
the East India Company's Agent.
The attitude of Y usuf Agha, the new Mutasallim, towards the foreign
community was friendly; but in August 1771, to their great regret, he was
displaced in favour of Sulaiman Agha, whom the Pasha had now re-
appointed. This Yusuf Agha may have been identical with one Haji
^usuf who had charge of the town of Basrah in October 1763. ■
Sulaiman Agha seems after this,—with a short interval, ending in
1773, during which he was again replaced by Yusuf Agha,—to have
retained the Mutasallimate until the capture of Basrah by the Persians
in 1 < ? 6, after the close of the period with which we are now concerned.
His creditable conduct in the defence of the town will be noticed in its
proper place.
'Abdur
Rahman
Baig, 1768.
Sulaiman
Agha, 1768-
69.
Yusuf Agha,
1769-71.
Sulaiman
Agha, 1771
—76.
tsrk
Administrative head-quarters in Turkish 'Iraq in 1758 and 1765.
Interesting and minute accounts of Baghdad and Basrah, then as now
the two mam seats of government in Turkish 'Iraq, have been left by the
travellers Ives and Niebuhr, who visited them in 1758 and 1765-66
respectively.
The form of government at Baghdad was the same, in miniature, ps that
at Constantinople. Most official appointments within the limits of his