| Chapter 11: | Great Britain, the Ottomans, and the Assyrian Tragedy |
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However, the pasha of Mosul had categorically stated ‘that he had received no order whatsoever from his government’ regarding the liberation of the captives.8
The Assyrian issue had become bound up with the Turkish attitude towards Bedr Khan Beg. Canning observed that his power must be eliminated and that to secure peace and tranquillity for the Christians required an action against him that could reduce him to obedience to the Porte.
One of the channels through Rassam who sought help to free the Assyrian captives was Ismael Pasha, the former chief of Amadia, who had himself vigorously participated in the massacres. Ismael Pasha was in debt to the British consul, who had offered protection and refuge to his family during his years of conflict with Beirakdar over the emirate of Amadia, and his amply rewarded efforts resulted in freeing some of the captives, including the patriarch’s sister. Meanwhile Rassam’s envoy to Jazirah reported to him that 125 captives had reached that town just before his departure, comprising women and children who were about to be sold as slaves or given as presents to mullahs, Turkish officials, and the close friends and allies of Bedr Khan Beg. The source further stated that among those who were already distributed was 1 child to the emir of Sherwan, 4 others to Zandi Oghlu, and 8 ladies destined for the mullahs, the followers of Bedr Khan.9 On his way to Mosul, the French consul also saw the miserable state of these Christian captives. Meanwhile Bedr Khan Beg left the scene of the massacres and reached Jazirah with a large number of the captives. Rassam reported that Bedr Khan had ordered the survivors to give up to him 100 young men and as many young women, ‘for what purpose does not appear’, and had also demanded ten ghazis (gold liras) of twenty-one or twenty-three carats from every household as a general fine upon the Christians, and a musket from every man capable of bearing arms.10