AFFAIRS OF TURKEY AND PERSIA. 
221 
having been defeated by Mahomed Ali Mirza, was restored to his 
capital, Sulimanieh, on condition of paying tribute and giving hostages 
to the King of Persia. This arrangement gave umbrage to Abdulla, 
Pasha of Bagdad, who applied to the Porte for a firman to take off the 
head of Abdurakhman, and to take Sulimanieh under his own jurisdic¬ 
tion. The firman having been granted, the Pasha of Bagdad drew out 
his forces, and proceeded to put his orders into execution. He was met 
by Abdurakhman Pasha, when a battle ensued, in which the latter, after 
having been defeated, fled to Kermanshah to seek the protection of 
Mahomed Ali Mirza, whilst his capital and property fell into the hands 
of the Turks. Mahomed Ali Mirza, who long had waited for a pretext 
to induce the King to permit him to attack Bagdad, immediately es¬ 
poused the cause of his refugee, and in the strongest terms endeavoured 
to show that the interference of the Turkish Government was an insult 
to Persia: he urged that his honour was deeply engaged to keep the 
Gourd in possession of his city, and threatened if he were not allowed to 
reinstate Abdurakhman Pasha, he would seek a remedy for his shame 
by a poignard. The King, whose propensity to attack Bagdad was as 
strong as that of his son, was only hindered from following that propen¬ 
sity by the fear of offending the English Ambassador, who, in the most 
active manner, had interposed to keep the two states on good terms. 
On the first solicitation of his son, the King had sent a considerable 
force to watch the result of the contest between Abdurakhman Pasha 
and the Pasha of Bagdad, and made use of the ancient Parthian policy 
on this occasion for he gave secret orders to his commander to con¬ 
duct himself in such a manner as not to take any decided part before 
the combat, but to side with the conqueror. When it was known that 
the Pasha had been victorious, the King took the merit to himself of 
having assisted the Turks. 
The differences between the two countries were heightened by some 
circumstances offensive to the King, which had arisen from the treaty of 
* Inter Caesareas acies, diversaque signa 
Pugnaces dubium Parthi tenuere favorcm 
Contenti fecisse duos. 
Lucan, lib. iii. 
