File 1290/1905 'Mesopotamia: Oudh Bequest' [‎56v] (117/260)

—
3Z
14. Another useful enterprise would be to establish a school or schools in
which the children of Indian Shi’ahs settled in the country could be educated
and enabled to earn a living. At present the course of the best domiciled
Indian families, nearly all Shiah, is a descending one from generation to
generation ; and the sight is pathetic, not to say tragic. The first generation,
now extinct, were rich noblemen,—Nawabs of Oudh or members of the Royal
Family of Delhi; the second are gentlemen, moderately well off ; the third,
owing to the progressive subdivision or termination of pensions and allowances,
are poor people; and the fourth generation will he—in some cases already
are ~ beggars, untrained to any profession or trade. Besides these there are
• the still more numerous progeny of families poor from the beginning. Per
mission to establish schools with technical branches could not, I think, be
refused by the Turkish Government.
15. Yet another desideratum is.a good hospital at Karbala, which would
also serve Najaf, and might alleviate much suffering among Persians as well
as Indians. For its establishment an authorisation of the Porte would be
required, and the doctor in charge must he in possession of the Constantinople
diploma ; but these are not insuperable difficulties.
16. The fact is that there are almost no limits to the good work
which might be undertaken for the benefit of undeniably “ deserving
persons ” if the distribution of the Ondh Bequest were philanthropically and
tactfully controlled. The sum—Rs. 10,000 a month—is so large as to make
nearly anything possible, with good management.
17. I cannot refrain from reverting to the rather disappointing impression
which the views of a representative committee of Lucknow Shi’ahs have made
upon me. From the time of my arrival here I have not ceased to exercise
influence, even undue influence, in the interests.of the Indians ; yet it appears
that I am regarded in India as little better than an obstructionist. I have
made the revolutionary proposal that the distribution of a large part of the
funds by the Mujtahids should be subjected to Government control—a proposal
of whose propriety in the eyes of Government I was doubtful—and the only
qomment is that my plan is “ a step in the right direction”, but unsatisfactory
and insufficient.
The object of the Lucknow Shiahs is, apparently, to devote the whole of
the funds to ** charity ”, non-Indian Sui’ahs being perhaps excluded from the
benefits of the distribution. This very '* charity,” especially to Indians, is in
my opinion one of the greatest dangers to be guarded against in the whole
situation. General Tweedie, for tea years Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. at Baghdad, will
I think pardon me if I make use of the following phrase in a private letter
that he wrote me recently, in which, referring to distributions under the old
system, lie says: “ But such a bounty has produced lamentable pauperism,
and demoralisation in the Karbala and Najaf country ”. And, having been
present in person throughout one long distribution by the committee at
Karbala in the spring of 1910, I can bear personal testimony to the dangers.
“ of a degrading charity ”, which are perhaps not inferior to the evils of
embezzlement by the distributors. The only reliable safeguard against both
inconveniences appears tonne to be a respectable committee working in the
full light of publicity under the close surveillance of the British Political
Resident at Baghdad.
3 8. My letter No. 312* of the 11th April 1910 (especially paragraph 7)
* Pro. No. 49 in General A., December 1910, Nos. must, 1 fear, have failed to COJlvey my
eo meaning if it appeared to the Govern
ment of the United Provinces to “ imply the acceptance of two principles ......
firstly the distribution amongs a number of Mujtahids |of sums approxi
mately equal, and secondly the repudiation on the , part of the British Gov
ernment of. all responsibility for the use made by the recipients of this
money
Personally I am opposed to a system of equal grants to a fixed number of
Mttjtahids. So also, I believe, was my immediate predecessor Colonel Ramsay.
So also was a Mujtahid of Karbala who resigned his allowance under the Oudh
1.7