User:SvobodaDiaries/Colonel Edward Mockler

Colonel Edward Mockler (1839-?) was the British Consul-General in Baghdad from 1892 to 1897. Born in 1839, Mockler received his commission in the British Army in 1859, and was first posted to the Bombay Infantry Staff Corps. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1862, Captain in 1869, Major in 1879, Lieutenant Colonel in 1885, and Colonel in 1889. He served in Aden as assistant resident from 1866-1873, as a civilian on the Makran coast until 1879, as assistant to governor-general’s agent in Beluchistan in 1879,as assistant agent and consul in Basra. Between 1883 and 1891, he was moved between the Political Agent in Muscat and Political Agent in Basra, as necessary. Despite a long career, he never saw combat. Telegrams from the Home Office indicate that he favored increased British involvement in the Middle East, particularly Kuwait. In 1892, he was confirmed as the Consul General in Baghdad. He retired in 1897, and was replaced by Colonel William Loch (see below). In addition to being a statesman, he was a scholar and linguist. He published several scholarly articles, including “On the Ruins of Makran” in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (1877), and “A Grammar of the of the Baloochee Language” (1877).

In April on 1897, Colonel Mockler mistakenly took Alexander Svoboda's head to as a bird, preparing to shoot it for sport. Fortunately, Alexander moved in time, a decision that ultimately saved his life.

He was also the political resident for the Indian government. He also appears in Litvak, Meir. "The Finances of the 'Ulama Communities of Najaf and Karbala." Die Welt Des Islams 40: 41-66. Clive Bigham II stayed with Col. Mockler for a total of 5 days (Bigham, Clive. A Ride Through Western Asia. New York: Macmillan and co., 1897.)