British leaders attempted to buy their troops out.
Aubrey Herbert and T. E. Lawrence were part of a team of officers sent to negotiate a secret deal with the Ottomans.
 The British offered £2 million (equivalent to £150 million in 2016) and promised they would not fight the Ottomans again, in exchange for Townshend's troops.
Enver Pasha ordered that this offer be rejected.

The British also asked for help from the Russians.
General Baratov, with his largely Cossack force of 20,000, was in Persia at the time.
 Following the request he advanced towards Baghdad in April 1916, but he turned back when news reached him of the surrender.

General Townshend arranged a ceasefire on the 26th and, after failed negotiations, he simply surrendered on 29 April 1916 after a siege of 147 days.
 Around 13,000 Allied soldiers survived to be made prisoners.
Historian İlber Ortaylı states that "Halil Pasha acted like a gentleman to the surrendering British officers" and offered "to take the PoWs up towards the north in river boats in case fuel could be provided from British bases nearby."
The offer was rejected by the British.
However, historian Marc Ferro suggested a different image.
According to Ferro, the surrendered British and Indian forces were forced to march around the city of Baghdad while being maltreated by the Ottoman troops supervising their march.

Townshend himself was taken to the island of Heybeliada on the Sea of Marmara, to sit out the war in relative luxury.
 The author Norman Dixon, in his book On the Psychology of Military Incompetence, described Townshend as being "amused" by the plight of the men he had deserted, as if he had pulled off some clever trick.
Dixon says Townshend was unable to understand why his friends and comrades were ultimately censorious over his behaviour.

In British Army battle honours, the siege of Kut is named as "Defence of Kut Al Amara".
British leaders attempted to buy their troops out. Aubrey Herbert and T. E. Lawrence were part of a team of officers sent to negotiate a secret deal with the Ottomans.  The British offered £2 million (equivalent to £150 million in 2016) and promised they would not fight the Ottomans again, in exchange for Townshend's troops. Enver Pasha ordered that this offer be rejected.
The British also asked for help from the Russians. General Baratov, with his largely Cossack force of 20,000, was in Persia at the time.  Following the request he advanced towards Baghdad in April 1916, but he turned back when news reached him of the surrender.
General Townshend arranged a ceasefire on the 26th and, after failed negotiations, he simply surrendered on 29 April 1916 after a siege of 147 days.  Around 13,000 Allied soldiers survived to be made prisoners. Historian İlber Ortaylı states that "Halil Pasha acted like a gentleman to the surrendering British officers" and offered "to take the PoWs up towards the north in river boats in case fuel could be provided from British bases nearby." The offer was rejected by the British. However, historian Marc Ferro suggested a different image. According to Ferro, the surrendered British and Indian forces were forced to march around the city of Baghdad while being maltreated by the Ottoman troops supervising their march.
Townshend himself was taken to the island of Heybeliada on the Sea of Marmara, to sit out the war in relative luxury.  The author Norman Dixon, in his book On the Psychology of Military Incompetence, described Townshend as being "amused" by the plight of the men he had deserted, as if he had pulled off some clever trick. Dixon says Townshend was unable to understand why his friends and comrades were ultimately censorious over his behaviour.
In British Army battle honours, the siege of Kut is named as "Defence of Kut Al Amara".
Siege of Kut