"كُتيّب اليمن" [ظ‎‎٢‎٦] (١٩٠/٥٧)

— 40 —
main by its own local sheikhs, under a vague suzerainty
exercized by the Imams of San'a, and hardly effective
except in Mokhah. But in 1819, Mohammed 'Ali of Egypt
occupied the coast towns, and prepared the way for the
resumption of direct Turkish rule. The Egyptians with
drew in 1840, and, at last, to counteract the efforts of
Sherif Husein of Abu f Arish in South Asir to dominate the
Tihamah, a Turkish expeditionary force re-appeared in
Yemen in 1849, took Hodeidah and other parts of the
Tihamah from Sherif Husein, and advanced on to the high
lands. But though it entered, it was unable to retain San'a,
where the Imams were still strong despite the treacherous
conduct of the latest of the dynasty; and it was not till 1872,
when his successors had displayed their incompetence for
nearly a quarter of a century longer, that the Turks established
themselves in the central highlands on an invitation from
the notables of the capital itself. The titular Imams relapsed
into subsidized obscurity. 4 he Tihamah and the central
and southern highlands, inclusive of Asir, were consti
tuted a Vilayet, which nominally extended northwards to
the Hejaz border ; but the only part of the highlands north
of Amran which was effectively held or really adminis
tered by the Turks was the central district and coast line
of Asir,^ all the intervening highland region, about Khamir
and Sa'dah, remaining independent and without Ottoman
administrative posts. Turkish efforts to hold the oases of
the eastern plateau resulted in no permanent occupation •
nor were their intermittent attempts to extend their rule
southwards into the Aden hinterland, as certain Imams had
done before them, more successful. The head centre of
Ottoman government was San^a, where the Vali and the
v 111 ( ; Y rl' 1 U ! K ! er 11 were fou1 ' Sanjaks, the Merkaz
(\ e me n) Asir, Hodeidah, and IViz, governed bv Mutessarifs.
Ot these the three in Yemen proper were divided into
tT^ 0l S iah ' Ha ^ r (Q llfl )' Zeidiyah, Bajil,
7ebM • S k 5 ?r a] - J ' ah ' Tawilah ' D oran, Reimah,
Eadk V^ 11 ' a Hajjah. Anis, Dhamar,
Kacla a, \erim, and Qa'tabah.