'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' [‎101v] (206/226)

[ xxxiv
merely for preserving 1 tranquillity in the larg-e country he oeeupies,
receives in Tumleek districts valued at near 30 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of Piasters, and
which are in fact worth three times the money; in like manner,
the Ayeil Sheikh receives 10 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees , but virtually what costs the Govern
ment 30 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees .
To proceed with this picture of misgovernment of 8,000
horse, Albanians and others, born upon the duftur of the Pachalic as
effective troops, and for whom their officers regularly draw full pay
and rations, scarcely one-third are extant, and these for want of disci-
pline and leaders are nearly inefficient. In fact they can be considered
as scarcely less dangerous to Government than to the enemy, nor can
much more be said in favour of the Nizam or regular troops, of whom
there are only about 400 or 500 in the Pachalic, while on the contingents,
which should be furnished by Arab and Koordish tribes, no dependence
whatever can be placed.
Unable therefore to protect the country or to control the freebooters
by which it is overrun and the capital threatened by any forces
of his own, the Pacha finds himself obliged to have recourse to the
very dangerous system of calling in one tribe to oppose another. The
natural consequence of this has been that all of them have become
friends and enemies in their turn, and all in their turn have encroached
more or less upon the best lands of the Pachalic until none in fact re
main to it save the district immediately connected with the cities of
Bagdad and Bussorah.
A glance at the events of the last few years will illustrate the
effects of the system and serve also to give an idea of the immediate
condition of the Pachalic. About three years ago the powerful tribe
of Jerbah, a branch of the Shummer, who, in consequence of one
of these forced concessions had been settled in the rich district of the
Dijail and the lower part of the Jezeerah, became as usual troublesome
and clamorous for a further extent of land. Their demands being rejected
by Government they threatened to enforce them, and the Pacha, with
the view of weakening their power by creating internal divisions,
appointed, as their Sheikh, a young man named Shulash in lieu of
Suffook } their former Chief, now a rebel to his authority, and the former
was duly installed along with the portion of the tribe which adhered to
him in the lands of the Dijail, till then held by the whole.
Suffook on this retired with the principal part of the tribes to
Upper Mesopotamia, where he ravaged the country, stopping the roads,
and plundering all caravans, and took part with Yehia Pacha of Monsul,
then lying under the displeasure of Government. In the following 1 year
Yehia Pacha having been deposed and Suffook himslf having-been parti
cularly exasperated by certain measures of this Government. He came
down from the upper districts and, as is well known, invested Bagdad itself
and plundered the country around it without suffering the smallest in
terruption from Government. It was in fact incapable of offering any
resistance, and the new Sheikh Shulash, unable to show front to the
stronger branch of his tribe, had retired to a safe distance.
After a blockade of about two months, however, the Arabs suddenly
broke up their camp and went their way; no cause could be assigned for