"كُتيّب اليمن" [و‎‎٢‎٨] (١٩٠/٦٠)

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s, orf
though abortive betrayal of San 5 a to the Turks in 1849 by
the Imam Mohammed Yahya. The direct influence of
the Imams is confined almost entirely to the Zeidist districts
of Yemen. On the coast and in the highlands of the Aden
hinterland, where the population is predominantly Sunnite
of the Shafe'i school, it goes for little or nothing. The office
is elective, like the Ibadhi Imamate in Oman ; but, in
practice, a son of the last Imam is usually, and a scion of the
original Rassite stock is invariably, preferred. In recent
elections there has been a good deal of intrigue and substitu
tion of one house for another. The Qasim family of Sheha-
rah is at present in power ; but other houses, e.g. the Hadi
Lidin Allah and the Shehari, hold themselves equally
entitled to it. Once elected, the Imam becomes essentially
a sacred personage, and for some generations back, the
holder of the title has lived more or less in seclusion, a
mysterious being, little seen by the people, though, behind
the veil, more than one Imam has been notoriously addicted
to very secular vices. To this Shiite conception of their
office the Imams owe it that they have never obtained the
dominant position among Moslems, accorded to the Alids
of Mecca.
Recent Politics.
Yahya Hamid ed-Din el-Mutawakkil Ibn Mohammed
el-Mansur Ibn Yahya Hamid ed-Din, who has been ruling
Imam since 1904, is now (1916) about forty years of age. He
is a short thick set man of fair complexion. When he accepted
ijvice instw a mediatized status in 1913, and Khamir became the Imamite
capital, he took up his residence in the fortress of Sheharah,
north-east of that town, and admitted Turkish garrisons both
stablisli®® 1 there and at Khamir. Having become friendly with Mahmud
i in the earl, 1 Nazim Pasha after c Izzet Pasha's departure, he became anti-
Turk after the latter's supersession, and disapproved of the
attack on Aden in 1915, as an infringement of his prero
gative. But on Mahmud's re-instatement late in 1915, he
returned to allegiance. On the whole, however, he may be
safely said to be hostile to Ottoman military rule in Yemen.