File 1290/1905 'Mesopotamia: Oudh Bequest' [‎103v] (211/260)

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and Russia under the pretext of protecting their interests. He said that if
this happened, Turkey would also become active, and the whole Muhammadan
world be disturbed.
Sayed KadUm Yezdi.-M the Vice-Consul’s first visit he said that the
Oudh Bequest was certainly meant to reach the poor, and that this misfit be
arranged through a banker acting under the orders of the Muitahids He
said that he would require time for consideration before he could sav whether*
he ^ aD ^ discl , iss . tlle matfcer - 0n the second visit Sayed Kadhim
said that, if the Vice-Consul wished to ensure a place in Paradise, he must do
what he could to get the Oudh Bequest money for the poor. Sayed Kadhim
condemned the conduct of the present recipients, and said that ijthe opinion
o the leading and first class Mujtahids a change in the present arrangements
w s required. He said that the leading Mujtahids could never be got to give
a pint and unanimous ppinion. When the Vice-Consul asked him whether
was^knt eXPreSS theSG VieWS t0 mG P ersoriall y 1 Came to Nedjef, the Sayed
Mnlla KadUm Khorasani.—'Re was found discussing Persian nolitie^
and news and denouncing foreign loans. He said that he would like to see a
change m the present arrangements for distributing the Oudh Bequest but
would take no active part in bringing it about: for fear of incurril the
enmity of the present recipients. n ° tne
He said that be was continuing to support the Parliamentary party He
totTs^n to theT'oe" Went t0 866 ^ h6 W ° Uld repeat ^ what
Sheikh Abdulla Mazandarani.-.’lhh man agreed with Mulla Kadhim
Khorasam that a change was needed. He said that perhaps ElOO mfeht
be paid by each of the ten recipients at Nedjef into a fund to nri™' •
by the leading Mnjtahids or'by the Co Jlate He saM that iUhTcrtn.-
Oeneral visited him, he would give his opinion after careful* conRidpTnf
perhaps after discussing the matter with th^other Mujtahids. C0DBlderatlOD *
Basi Mirza Hussein Mirza Khalil.-he said that the money should
certainly go to the poor: but when he was asked if he would give thnf
to the Consul-General in person, he gave no reply. Mirza Hussein is a P yery
MujfaMds 8 Bame reputation oxceed th at of any of the other
- a- 'Fj 16 yjee-Gonsu 1 also saw other Mujtahids, but their opinions are not of
mdmdua 1 importance, and several of them being actual recipients Ll tp*
Oudh Bequest naturally think the present arrangement a good^ne. m ^
5. The Vice-Consul had received instructions that he was not to
making enquiries on my behalf, but to assume the roll of a nions^h i!
asking the advice of his religious leaders as to the line he should .a 8 ?
advising the Resident. Just before his arrival at Nedjef one of the r d ° Pt l 11
at that place had died, which afforded a plausible excusffor his en q JrfeT 6 '
1 TT 6 ’-^ Pa i iame ? tar y party is far the stronger in Nedief, being-
by Haji Mirza Hussein, Mulla Kadhim Kfiorasani, and Sheik Abdidln
daram,^ and the Vice-Consul reports that wherever he went fie found th ^ aza ^"
discussing the advantages of Representative and Autocratic Pe ° pl f
Sayed Kadhim Yezdi appears to be the only really leadmrmn ui N d” 4 '
is not strongly m favour of the Parliament, and ks far as I can ,,71 i ^
he keeps an open mmd and is in fact more inclined to say what i 1 ^ «, - r t aQd
right than to support either party. He has a powerful foRowin^
without which bis position in Nedjef would probably not be tenable ‘^■ ra k 8 *
Enclosure A of letter No. 1131, dated the 20th December 1907, to the Secret,,. * „
ernment of India m the Foreign Department, Calcutta. a y to tlle G ov-
^'^kbind^lMuliyMuhami^^K^rasamh^d^^^a^tabah^^aimd^Ar^ ^ ^
Yezdi), Ag-ha Mazandarani (Sheikh Abdulla). ^ ^ Muhammad Kadhim
^ , a J e , Turcomans have attacked Meshed; on account
disturbed state of the suburbs the place is likely to fall.
ol this and tb^