'Precis Containing Information in regard to the First Connection of the Hon'ble East India Company with Turkish Arabia, as far as the Same Can Be Traced from the Records of the Bombay Government, together with the Names of the Several British Residents and Political Agents Who Have Been Stationed at Bagdad [Baghdad] and Bussorah [Basra] between A.D. 1646 and 1846, accompanied by Other Information' [‎72r] (145/226)

WITH TURKISH ARABIA A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. —1646 TO 1846. 113
beginning the contest, but as soon as the Beratalis saw our preparations they fell back,
and hied off by another avenue, taking up their station at a coffee-house close by. All
the bazars were immediately shut.
" "J-kiHgs continued in this state for a quarter of an hour after the advance of the
.Beratalis. At last the Malarajee Bashi, or Commandant of the Pacha's infantry
guard (an old friend of mine, whose life I had on a former occasion saved), accom
panied by the second officer of the Choadars, advanced alone and applied for
admission in a respectful manner. The latter offered to be the bearer of any
thing I might have to say to the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , the former came to sit with me in the
mean time, and found means secretly to assure me that he would use his best influence
to prevent the corps he commanded from firing a single shot against the house which
had saved his life. I immediately wrote a note in Turkish to the Pacha, informing him
of the conduct of the Mohindar, and complaining of the outrage Of this note I had
no opportunity of taking a copy, but it merely contained what 1 have above stated.
" After the lapse of some time Jowseraff Bashi (the principal leader of the cabal)
accompanied by the Dufterdar Effendi (an old and intimate friend of mine) and Hajee
Emin, the merchant formerly spoken of, arrived on the part of the Pacha to propose terms.
I would, however, listen to nothing while the troops were under arms, and after much soli-
citation on their part and assistance on mine, with the detail of which it would be
useless to trouble you, all they could obtain from me was a promise that I would not
leave Bagdiid during the night, and which I gave because as I told them nothing was
further from my intentions; they wanted to extort a promise that I would not attempt
to leave the town till the affair was finished, but this I of course refused. All this
dissension was carried on with a show of great politeness on the part of the Govern
ment, with abundance of frivolous, excuse and unsatisfactory assurances.
Some delay still occurred before the troops were drawn off, the night was far
advancing, and 1 positively refused to utter a word more while a single Turk remained
in the neighbourhood. At last a Turkish officer came to report to me that all the troops
were withdrawn from the quarter of the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , we remained notwithstanding
under arms all night for fear of a surprise; they were in the same state in the
iralaee, and detachments still remained in some distant quarters of the city, as
the 1 acha was given to understand that some Parishes had shown a disposition to
rise in our favor. The Commandant of a Corps of Imperial Turkish artillery, just arrived
from Constantinople to serve against the Persians, expressly told the Pacha that unless
ne produced an order from the Sultan he would not suffer one of the Imperial Corps
under his command to act against the representative of a power at peace with their
common master, and I have since been informed that a great many armed Arabs on
the opposite side of the river were only waiting for the signal of a shot or two from
the liesidency to rise en masse and create a diversion in our favor. I am, however, happy
that matters were not carried to such an extremity, and that a contest was not entered
into, which must have caused a dreadful massacre, and the termination of which
was uncertain from want of an ostensible Chief to head the rising in the town and
overawe the Pacha's party in the Palace."
250. Mr. Rich concluded his letter by describing the situation of
himself and his establishment at the date of his letter. The following-
is an extract from this portion of his report:—
I and the whole establishment here are literally prisoners. No objection have
•n 1 r ' la ^p. ^ ti 1 . 6 departure of the gentlemen* who have been my guest, and who
w ui set off immediately. It has been distinctly intimated to me from the Pacha that
1 am not to be allowed to quit Bagdad. He sees that he has in the violence of a
moment gone so far that he must go further and I am to be the sufferer - ; the period of
my captivity has not been defined, but I am aware that I am to be considered in the
light of a hostage. This detention, from which I see no prospect of a liberation durin" -
the summer, is in itself prejudicial to my affairs and dangerous to my health, which is
in a \ ery precarious state ; but for what further sufferings I may be reserved, and to
what it may be his wish to compel me, I cannot conjecture. I might indeed easily
escape, but I will never abandon those who stood by me in the hour of peril as long
* The three officers above alluded to.
P