Page:The Nestorians and their rituals, volume 1.djvu/432

372 Bedr Khan Beg, and publicly defended the aggressions of the Coords as a just punishment of the Nestorians for having murdered a whole village of Mohammedans,—a base fabrication similar to that which was got up to vindicate the massacre of 1843. But if the Porte hoped to effect by treachery (such as they had practised towards the Coordish Pasha of Rawandooz, whom they directed to be poisoned after they had invested him with authority over his native province,) what they feared to attempt by force, the refusal of Bedr Khan Beg to go to the capital unless the Turkish government acceded to certain conditions of his own propounding balked their pusillanimous policy. In the meantime this indomitable chieftain continued his persecution of the Christians with unabated vigour, and about this junction ordered Mutran Gheorghees, one of the Jacobite Bishops of Jebel Toor, and two priests who had accompanied him to Jezeerah to complain of the exactions of their Coordish neighbours, to be severely beaten and cast into prison. The aged Bishop, who is still remembered with affection by his mountain flock, died in the dungeon from the effects of the brutal treatment which he had received, and his body was thrown out to the Christians with this inhuman speech: "Give it the burial of a dog."

The Turks being now deprived of their last subterfuge were finally driven to meditate an attack upon the confederate Coordish Emeers, who on their part prepared to offer an obstinate resistance. Detachments of troops were ordered from Kharpoot and Urfah, the Pasha of Diarbekir garrisoned Radhwân, one of his frontier towns bordering on Buhtân, the Pasha of Erzeroom took similar precautions on the north, and the Pasha of Mosul collected a strong force to co-operate, if necessary, with the military tactics of the commander-in-chief. Other proposals were now made to Bedr Khan Beg to go to the capital, and at one time it was thought that he would have consented; but the Coords stoutly opposed the measure, and declared that they would die rather than lose their chief. The warlike preparations of the Turks, however, had a powerful effect upon some of the Emeers, and one named Ardesheer Beg made his escape to Mosul, leaving his brothers in command of two strong fortresses, which formed a part of his hereditary possessions in