The city is governed by a Pacha of three tails, who assumes also the title of caliph, from his capital having been the ancient residence of the Arabian pontiffs.. He exercises an authority almost. entirely. independent of the Porte, and is looked upon as the. most powerful vizier in the Ottoman empire. The present governor Ali, is a native of Georgia, who, from being the slave of Soliman Pacha, became his son-in-law, and successor ; and it is worthy of re mark, that for nearly a century past, almost all.the Pashas of Bagdad have been Georgian renegados, whom intrigues and good fortune have drawn from the horrors of slavery, to conduct them to the ho nours of unlimited power. In the time of Tavernier, the forces of Bagdad consisted of about 2000 troops of different descriptions, within the walls ; and about 3000 or 4000 cavalry in the suburbs and neighbour ing towns. But, at present, these can be increased to more than 30,000, as many cavalry as infantry, The cavalry, particularly those of Kurdistan, are armed with a pistol, a lance, and a sabre, and some times also with a carabine. The Arab horsemen, however, use only the lance ; and the infantry carry a sabre and musket. Ali Pacha has, besides, 500 foot disciplined after the European fashion ; and he can carry into the field 30 pieces of cannon served by skilful soldiers. His army, however, is wretchedly paid, and ill treated, so that it is composed chiefly of the refuse of the populace. The civil government is executed by a cadi, who acts in all capacities, and discharges at once the offices of judge, mufti, and tofterdar, or treasurer for the grand signior.
The revenues, which arc drawn chiefly from the customs, the annual contributions of governors and intendants of cities, and the tribute of the Arab tribes, which r•-e dependant upon the government of Bagdad, may be computed at seven millions and a half of piastres, or X337,500 sterling. This would be considerably increased, were not the Kurdes (in habitants of Kurdistan) exempted from all fixed con tributions, on account of their eminent services in the field, and the frequent campaigns they are obliged to make ; and were not the products of the city of Bas sora, so impoverished by the ruin of its commerce, that they are scarcely adequate to defray the ex pense which it demands for its defence. But even this sum is seldom fully collected, on account of the slothfulness of the Turks, who often suffer themselves to be plundered by the Arabs.
In the reign of Soliman Pasha, Bagdad was the centre of a rich and extensive commerce ; but many obstacles have since arisen, which have paralysed the exertions, and almost destroyed the activity of its merchants. The dangerous navigation of the Medi
terranean, occasioned by the war between Britain and France ; the intestine disorders of Persia; the mono poly of Indian produce by the English ; the frequent excursions and robberies of the Wahabees ; the con tinual discord which reigns in Turkey, and the un protected state of agriculture and industry in that empire, are the principal causes which have led to the present derangement of the commercial affairs of this city. Notwithstanding, however, these obstruc tions, and the comparative inferiority of Bagdad to its former opulence as a place of trade, it may still be considered as the great emporium of the East. The productions of Arabia, India, and Persia, are landed at Bassora, from which they are carried in large boats, that ascend the Tigris or Euphrates to Bagdad, where they find a ready market, and -from thence are spread over the other cities of Tur .kcy. Europe furnishes it with merchandize of every description, as also with the productions of America. NIuslins, rich silks, and cotton stuffs, are brought from Coromandel ; indigo from Bengal ; shawls and aromatics from Cashemire ; sugar from Java ; cloves from the Moluccas ; and pepper from the coast of Malabar. In return for these it has nothing of its own to offer ; and except dates, tobacco, and a small quantity of woollen stuffs, which are its only exports, the trade of Bagdad consists entirely in the distri bution and exchange of foreign commodities. Ac cording to a late traveller, " the commerce of this city suffers also greatly from the oppression and cruelty of the Paehas, who are continually extorting money from the poor inhabitants ; and none suffer more than the unfortunate Jews and Christians, many of whom are put to the most cruel tortures, in order to force their property from them. This series of tyranny has almost entirely driven them out of the city, in consequence of which the trade must suffer consider ably, they being generally the principal merchants in the place. Were the city mildly governed, it is so well situated for traffic, that it certainly would be the residence of a number of Christian merchants, which would make it one of the richest and most flourishing places in the world." Journal (,)fa Journey from Bassora to Bagdad, in 1779. See also Mod. B Un. Hist. vol. ii. p. 277, 284, 387 ; vol. iii. p. 19, 392; vol. v. p. 156, 336, 422. Mignot's Hist. of the Ottoman Empire, vol. i. p. 53, 61 ; vol. iii. p. Prideaux's Connections, vol. i. p. 571. Gibbon's Hist. chap. 52, 64. Tavernier's Persian Travels, b. ii. c. 7 ; Jackson's Journey from India to England, in 1797 ; and Description du Pachalik deiiagdad, Paris, 1809. (q)