File 3300/1916 Pt 2 'Aden News Letters:- (Jan. 1917-Dec. 1917)' [‎307r] (613/620)

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secret.
49Ih Weekly Letter.
403
1917
ajrH' H 7
Dated Aden Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , the 9th December 1916.
From—The Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. at Aden,
T °~ J ' E ' ACti “ S S6Cretar710 the Govela ™ at ° £ Bombay, Political
MuhiVa^dKlValsida^ Week ’ S letter yarding the Darwish
h 1 S r a 7 ery T rr l hater of the Turks 5 more especially after the insults
heaped on him m Lahej. He has proposed to collect men and attach tt.
either directly at Lahej or from ShukraVadli) or failing these directions the^ to
return to his country and descend on Kataba and Mawia and cut communication^
He has been given ammunition and presents of money and is to proceed aT once
to make things uncomfortable for the Turks. He had, some short time back
made pacts with many chieftains on both sides the border, such as Riyashivva
Juban, Hajjaj, Ahl Dabyan, Yeramis, Sulub, Mausata, and representatives of 111
these tribes are now m Aden If it be possible to get the Arabs to move themselves
the effect in this country will be excellent and will demoralise the Turks who have
come here chiefly to upset our political treaties and have up to date been verv
busy trying to seduce the Moslems from our influence. The Arabs detest the Turk
but are unable to withstand his guns unless backed up by us. The Juban Shaikh
(Turkish) and others on our side the line have written to this Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. belauding
the British Government and anathematising the Turks and “ him who has deprived
Moslems of their livelihood Ah Said Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. . P
2 . The Shaikh al Sada, Saiyed Muhammad Alawi A 1 Sakkaf read a verv
eloquent m the principal mosque here last Friday in which the virtues
of His Highness the Grand Shenf of Mecca and the iniquities of the Turks was the
special feature. 1 his Saiyed has sent out the proclamation of theSherif forwarded
by letters bearing the Shenf s sign-manual. These proclamations had alread v
been issued, but the Shenf s forwarding letter gives a tang of extra bona tides to
these issues. The Shaikh al Sada has written to all our stipendiaries up-counfrv
in consultation with myself and the Abdali Sultan and these have been advised
to unite and prove to British Government their loyalty by attacking the Turks
It is, however, admitted by all and is incontrovertible that before these Shaikhs
muster their forces they will expect arms, ammunition and money from us' and
some forcible show of co-operation if the enterprise is to be prolonged
3. The Imam has replied to our letters to him of last July. His letter is dated
16th November last. He makes a great point of his faithfulness to the Treatv
with the Turks. They have treated him well since the pact was signed and it would
ill become him to break from them now. He knows our wealth and ge lerositv
but he prefers to lose all such gains rather than become rich and yet incur the odium
of the world for treacherous dealing. He draws attention to the fact of h!s havimr
kept aloof from the fighting here, though this was not due to cowardice or to the
inferiority of his troops who at the slightest hint from him would enter the list
victoriously. Reading between the lines of his letters it is patent that the Imvm
would like to break away and the temptation of our gold is strong
4. At the same time from four diverse sources it is reported that the Imam’s
son has risen. His elder son it is, Al Hadi Muhammad bin Yahya It was at
first affirmed that he hatyebelled against his father. A reliable report has been
received from our stipendiary Shaikh Mohsin bin Farid, the Upper Aulaki Shaikh
His spies had gone in the San’a direction and returned with report'' that
Muhammad had made pacts with some of the Hashid Wa Bakil in order to combat
his father, the Imam Our stipendiary believes this a ruse of the Imam and
his son to eject the lurks from ban a and that as the Imam has a pact with the
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