'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia' [‎651v] (1304/1386)

40
of his son Sedik, who took up his position at Hyderloo, were said to number
8,000 men. .
On the following day the Sheikh sent two messengers to Oroomiah to demand the
surrender of the town. The Ikbal-ed-Dowleh, who had returned from Badilboo,
resolved to defend it, and fortified himself within the walls with three regiments.
The attack began on the 22nd October, the enemy investing the town on all sides,
but up to the 28th they made no impression on the walls. The Kurds once effected an
entrance by the Charbash gate, but were repulsed with loss.
In the meantime the inhabitants offered to surrender, but the Ikbal-ed-Dowleh
determined to defend the town in the attempt.
I took an opportunity to recommend the Christian populations and non-com
batants to the Sheikh who promised to respect their lives and property, but several
villages on the Oroomiah Plain were given up to plunder, which the Sheikh seemed
powerless to repress.
I left Oroomiah on the 28th October under a Kurdish escort, with which the
Sheikh furnished me, and proceeded to Tabreez through Merghever, Ushnei, Suldouz,
and Souj Boulak. The Sheikh assured me that it would be unsafe to attempt the
Selmas route, as his son Sedik was about to attack Taimour Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Khan’s army in that
direction.
When I left Oroomiah the Sheikh was encamped at the foot of the Seir mountain
with about 6,000 men. He gave me a letter to his son Abd-el-Kader, who received
me with much courtesy.
The Kurdish army at Souj Boulak did not number more than 1,500 men, the
majority of the tribes having left for their homes laden with booty from the Miandow
Plain.
The region between the Rivers Tataoo and Yaghetoo, through which I passed, has
been utterly destroyed by the Kurds. Upwards of 2,000 villages have been burnt, and
10,000 persons are said to be homeless.
I ascertained that as many as 2,000 Persians had been massacred at Miandow, and
that women and children had been amongst the victims. The corpses of 30 Armenians
and 50 Jews had been also found there. On the other hand, 90 Armenians, who had
succeeded in effecting their escape, were being cared for in the villages of the Russian
Tajir Bashee, near Souj Boulak Out of a population of 330 Jews, only 13 have as
yet been seen alive, and large numbers of Jewish women and children have been taken
into captivity by the Kurds.
Being completely at the mercy of Sheikh Abd-el-Kader, I was obliged to accede to
whatever arrangement he might make for getting me into the Persian lines. He
• • • •
informed me that an escort of 300 Kurdish cavalry would accompany me within an
easy distance of the Persian camp, and I accordingly left Souj Boulak with that large
force.
Hamza Agha, Chief of the Mangour tribe, Abdullah Khan Zerz, his brother
Ibrahim Khan, and many other noted Chiefs, joined the force. On arriving at Chillik,
the Chiefs took a somewhat abrupt leave of me, and I soon lost sight of the Kurdish
cavalry; but, from the dense smoke which afterwards appeared on all sides of the
plain, it became evident that they were engaged in burning the adjacent villages. I
rode into many villages which had been partially destroyed, and collected together the
remaining inhabitants, warning them of the approaching danger. By this means I
succeeded in saving the lives of about thirty helpless Persians, who I brought on -with
me in safety to Binab.
I arrived on the 3rd instant in the Persian camp at Binab.
The army from Tehran, under the Hishmet-ed-Dowleh, arrived at Sainkaleh on
the 4th instant. The combined Persian forces amount to 20,000 men and 20 pieces of
artillery, 12 of which are Krupp guns.
I learned, in the Persian camp, that Taimour Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Khan had defeated Sheikh
Sedik in an engagement between Selmas and Oroomiah. The Sepeh Salar has also
given me the same intelligence.
The Nestorian Metropolitan, Mar Yusuf, had accompanied the Sheikh from
Nochea to the war, and was in the Kurdish camp at Oroomiah. The Sheikh had also
pressed into his service about 300 mountain Nestorians. His band of musicians was
entirely composed of these people.
I propose sending your Excellency, by next post, extracts of my diary kept at
Oroomiah, there being no time to do so by the present opportunity.
I saw the Sepeh Salar to-day, and from what he said, was led to suppose that