The life of Midhat Pasha 11

The life of Midhat Pasha 11

But troubles in these parts did not end with the conquest of the

Nedjed and the defeat of Abdul Kerim. Abdullah Fazil—who had by means

of Ottoman arms been restored to the government of Elkatif, with the

Turkish title of Mutessarif, in the new vilayet of Nedjed—once freed

from all apprehension respecting the ambition of his brother Saood,

began to manifest restlessness under Turkish regular administration.

Discontent, too, with Turkish fiscal arrangements was felt by the

tribesmen, and affairs began again to assume a threatening aspect.

Midhat determined to inquire into the causes of this discontent, and

finding that exemption from all taxation, save that sanctioned by the

Mussulman law, viz. the tithe, had been consecrated by secular usage

among them, and that the neighbouring tribes who had come under English

protection, Oman, Mascat, etc., fully enjoyed the privilege of this

exemption, determined to satisfy the population of Elkatif in this

respect, and forthwith consented to limit their liability to taxation

to the regular payment of the tithe.

 

There remained the island of Bahrein, the conquest of which, on account

of the importance of its position on the Persian Gulf, Midhat now

determined to effect. In order to superintend operations himself, and

in case of any international friction demanding his presence, Midhat

started for the Nedjed. Abdullah Fazil hearing of this, and fearing

that his own equivocal conduct was the cause of the journey, fled from

Elkatif to Riad, and in spite of the Pasha’s assurances, refused to

return. His dismissal from the Government was thereupon pronounced, and

the district converted into the sandjak of Hassa, and together with

the command of the troops, was entrusted to Nafiz Pasha. A friendly

interchange of views now took place between Midhat Pasha and the

Government of India, the result of which was that the island of Bahrein

was officially annexed to the Mutessarifat of Hassa. Two Turkish

corvettes, the _Libnan_ and the _Iskenderoun_, under the command of

Arif Bey, sailed for the island, followed by two English gunboats

under Commander Pelly, and the Turkish and English vessels exchanged

salutes and other friendly courtesies in the port. When the Turkish

sailors disembarked on the island they were received with the most

indescribable enthusiasm by the islanders, who had not seen the Turkish

ensign flying on a man‐of‐war for two centuries past. The Sheik of the

island offered an appropriate piece of land to be used as a _dépôt_

for coals for Turkish vessels, and offered to place the resources of

the island at the disposition of the Turkish authorities if necessity

should arise. On weighing anchor from Bahrein the two corvettes were

joined by the vessel that had Midhat Pasha on board, and the little

flotilla sailed together to Koweit. Here the same scenes were enacted

that had distinguished the visit to Bahrein, and nothing occurred

to mar the cordiality that existed between the Ottoman and British

forces that met in these Eastern ports. The convention which had been

previously agreed upon between Midhat and the British authorities

prevented any friction between them.

 

The re‐establishment of Imperial authority in these regions justified,

and indeed necessitated, a considerable increase in the Turkish

flotilla in these waters. Before the opening of the Suez Canal, Turkey

only possessed the two corvettes the _Boursa_, and the _Ismir_, neither

of which was in a sea‐going condition. Midhat sent the _Boursa_ to

Bombay to undergo repairs, and added the _Libnan_, _Iskenderoun_,

_Deniz_, _Babel_, _Ninova_, _Nedjed_, and _Assour_, besides ten

vessels of light draught for river police, and to reinforce the

Bagdad squadron. The port of Bussora, no longer adequate to the naval

requirements of the province, was enlarged and improved, and works for

an inner harbour capable of anchoring vessels of 10-feet draught were

commenced at Kut‐el‐Frenghi on the river Shat‐el‐arab.

 

All these various improvements and reforms, and the general advance in

the political and administrative status of this important province,

were highly appreciated by the Government of the Porte, which was

now under the enlightened guidance of Aali Pasha, who addressed the

following letter to Midhat Pasha:—

 

 

“EXCELLENCY,—The very weak state of health from which I have

been for some time suffering has been the cause of the delay that

has occurred in answering your letters concerning the voyage of

His Majesty the Shah. Pray accept my most sincere excuses. I beg

to congratulate you in a very especial manner, on your brilliant

successes in the Nedjed. Everything seems to indicate that, thanks

to the tact with which you have brought about the pacification of

the Provinces of Assir, the political importance of which is so

considerable, the whole Arabic peninsula will soon return to its

ancient status. By your services you have merited the glorious title,

‘Haremein Muhteremein.’

 

“The effect of the Shah’s visit on the Shiite population in the

province was the subject of considerable preoccupation with us,

but the good intentions and loyalty manifested on both sides, have

smoothed over many difficulties and brought about highly desirable

results.... It is quite certain that Nevab Ikbal Eldevle, being

a just and upright man, will blame and discourage any flagrant

departure from justice and equity on the part of his co‐religionists.

 

“Be good enough to thank him in my name, when the occasion offers,

for the seal in agate, the engraving and inscription on which are

very fine.

 

“Prince Abbas Mirza has arrived here, and he has twice been received

in Audience by his Majesty.... He seems a polished and intelligent

person, but I have not yet had any opportunity to form an estimate of

his character.

 

“I am,

 

“(seal) MEHMED EMIN AALI.

 

“23 _Djemaziel Evel, 1288_ (1871), _Hegira_.”

 

 

By the same courtier the Sultan Abdul Aziz sent Midhat Pasha a sword of

honour set with diamonds, with the inscription “Nedjed” engraved on it.

This was the closing scene of Midhat’s governorship of Bagdad, and with

it closed the first half of his career, viz., as Provincial Governor.

Circumstances were occurring at Constantinople destined to bring him

on the scene there, to play his part in the important political events

about to occur in the metropolis.

 

But a change of a portentous nature had taken place at Constantinople.

Fuad Pasha and Aali Pasha, whose prestige and popularity had gained an

ascendancy over the Sultan, and had, since his accession, practically

monopolised power, and who had strenuously supported Midhat in all

his reforming measures both on the Danube and the Euphrates, died

within a few months of each other. The disappearance of these two able

and powerful Ministers synchronized with the return of Abdul Aziz

from a tour in Europe, when symptoms of an ominous character began

to reveal themselves in the sovereign. He showed himself impatient

of contradiction or advice of any kind, expressing openly his

relief at being freed from the incubus of his former Grand Viziers;

he completely changed the etiquette of the Court, imposing on the

occasion of audiences an antiquated ceremonial, accompanied by unwonted

prostrations to be observed on entering the Imperial presence, and he

directed that henceforth he should be addressed in inflated language,

strange even to the forms of Oriental adulation. But what was more

serious than these triflings of Imperial vanity, was the fact that he

now launched out, careless of the resources of the budget, on the most

lavish expenditure of every kind both of a public and private nature.

Fleets of costly ironclads were ordered and equipped without regard to

their cost; marble palaces rose, as by enchantment, on the banks of the

Bosphorus, and every whim and caprice on his own part or that of the

Palace had to be gratified without stint or delay. He found in Mahmoud

Nedim a compliant Grand Vizier, who, in return for the retention of

power, undertook to find the ways and means for the gratification of

all his master’s wishes.

 

The reflex action of this state of things at headquarters was felt

in the most distant provinces. When the exactions of the Palace had

expropriated the balance of the sums destined to the various services

of the State, recourse was had to the provinces to make good the

deficiencies by extraordinary “benevolences” and remittances. Works

of public utility or necessity were accordingly suspended, and the

funds necessary for their completion diverted to the metropolis.

Incompetent favourites arrived from Constantinople with orders to the

Vali to provide them with lucrative posts, and by these means the whole

fabric of the new administration, painfully and patiently built up,

was dislocated and deranged. Midhat, recognising the impossibility of

governing in such conditions, resigned his Governorship and set out for

Constantinople.

 

 

THE FIRST GRAND VIZIERATE OF MIDHAT PASHA.

 

On his arrival in Constantinople, Midhat found that an order had been

issued for his banishment from the capital, under cloak of nominating

him to the government of Adrianople. Insisting, however, on the

exercise of his right of audience with the sovereign before setting out

for his new post, he made such strong representations to the Sultan

with respect to the general situation of the empire, that Abdul Aziz

thereupon abruptly dismissed Mahmoud Nedim, and appointed Midhat Grand

Vizier in his place (1873).

 

As soon as he had filled the principal offices of State with the best

material he could find—Chirvani Rushdi Pasha, Djémil Pasha, and Sadik

Pasha—the first and most pressing necessity that confronted him was

to endeavour to put the Finances in order. This was no easy task. The

public accounts presented were entirely fictitious. His first discovery

was to the effect that whereas the budget showed a surplus of half a

million (£T), there was in point of fact a deficit of three millions.

The actual appropriation of the sums debited in the accounts presented

another difficulty. A sum of £T100,000 disbursed by the Treasury was

not accounted for at all. Midhat insisted on a full inquiry, and,

discovering that this sum had been appropriated by the late Grand

Vizier, directed an investigation into the matter before the members

of the Council of State, who ordered its immediate restitution by

Mahmoud Nedim, and recommended his banishment. He, however, alleging

in private that this sum in question although nominally attributed to

him was really allotted to the Palace, found in the Valide Sultan and

her _entourage_ most powerful allies in his duel with Midhat. Banished

by the insistence of the Grand Vizier, first to Adrianople and then to

Trebizond, he soon obtained permission to return to Constantinople.

 

Two distinct parties began now to stand out in clear relief. On the

one side was Midhat, warmly supported by public opinion in the capital

and in the provinces, and by all that was most enlightened among the

Softas and Ulemas, headed by Chakir Effendi, and on the other side

the whole army of corruption, headed by Mahmoud Nedim and protected by

the Valide Sultan and the Palace Camarilla. Another powerful ally of

the late Grand Vizier was General Ignatieff, who by the most ingenious

and persistent methods—condescending even to the resources of the

stage—worked on the mind of the Sultan in order to restore Mahmoud Nedim to power.