File 600/1905 Pt 6 'Aden Hinterland: Upper Yaffai; treaties with Sultan Kahtan and other Chiefs' [‎55v] (106/212)

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overtures such a course would be really politic. In the Balahaf case Government
agreed to the election of Sultan Mohsin in place of Sultan Saleh bin Abdulla
who had been formerly recognized but had subsequently proved weak and
incompetent. But in that case there was the additional ground of Sultan
Saleh bin. Abdulla having violated one of his treaty stipulations with the
British Government which in the present case does not exist.
8. In the absence of some such additional ground it may be held that
our abandonment of Sultan Kahtan at the present juncture would be impolitic
and entail a certain loss of prestige on our part which it is desirable to, if possible,
avoid. Major Jacob urges that it is impracticable and undesirable to enforce
compliance with our will. But it is at least not impracticable to continue to him
an allowance, his original receipt of which may be said to have cost him his
throne. And 1 would suggest that possibly the simplest solution of the problem
would be to now convert this into a personal allowance and to pr^ss tor a
reconciliation of the brothers and the inclusion of either Saleh bin Omar or
Haidera bin Mahomed or both as signatories to the treaty subsisting between
us and the Upper Yaffai.
9. This will, of course, entail the necessity of stipends to the individual or
individuals included, but it would seem to be the line of least resistance out of
a distinctly awkward predicament. And I await the orders of Government
before issuing fresh instructions in the matter to Major Jacob.
Kahan bin Omar, Sultan Upper Yaffa.
It is now nine months since, at my predecessors suggestion, $ 1,500 was h an (lml over
to Ali bin Mohsin Askar who was to act as a medium in the rehabilitation of bultan Katitan
and his re-entrance into his “ Bar. ” The moiety lies in my treasure chest. Satisfaction for
deaths from the fighting which ensued over Kahtan’s deposition on the occasion of his visit
at our instance to Aden to sign the treaty has not yet been made. The Sultan has many
enemies and his restoration promised by Ali bin Mobsin within a couple of months has not
been effected, nor is there any likelihood of this consummation.
In the meantime Kahtan bin Omar is drawing a monthly stipend of $50 per month.
He sends from time to time letters recommending his people for gifts, but these I consis
tently dishonour in conformity with my reiterated refusal in writing to him to treat the
recommendations of one who is certainly no de facto ruler and scarcely even a ruler dejure*
Mv suggestion is that the balance of $1,500 be. forthwith paid to Kahtan and he be
told that if in two months from this date he is still unable to appease his electors and be
acclaimed once more by popular vote as Sultan, he has ipso facto no further claun on our
support and must make way for another whose title is stronger. If he is ignored by his
own he can no longer with any show of reason expect further recognition of his claims and
I fail to see why we should continue to him month by month the payment of bis stipend.
He is practically deposed by popular will and it is against every political principle to
uphold one who has forfeited his electors’ confidence. We should lay ourselves open to the
charge of forcing a ruler upon his unwilling subjects and be in danger of losing our
prestige in Upper Yafa, which indeed is now a process in steady development when people
see that we persist in Kahtan’s restoration and he as persistently remains deposed. To
force compliance with our will is impracticable and undesirable, the alternative is to work
along the line of the people’s choice and make it our own. It is incumbent on us to
uphold the strongest man. We have a treaty with Kahtan as Sultan, but not with him as
Kahtan We are pledged to support and finance him as long as he maintains his position.
He is already deposed by his people and it is no breach of faith if, after due notice we
fuspend the payment to him of a stipend. Such a threat will serve as an incentive to him
to labour to retrieve his fortunes. Now he is toying with us while we get no return of our
disbursements to him. It is only right to remark that our selection of Kahtan, and mdee
that of many others of our stipendiaries there, was the result of an inordinate has e o
prove to the Turks, who pretended to dispute our predommence m Upper Jaffa as one of
the nine cantons, the fact of treaties already in being with its chiefs, and it is an °P e “
secret^hat we precipitated affairs in this country. It had been wiser to have cone uded
some nexus with those whom the Turks before us had signalled out as the worthiest
recipients of their doles. Their right band man was Sultan Haidara bin Muhammad and
secondly. Saleh bin Omar, Kahtan’s brother. All these, it la true, were originally of the
family of Sheikh Ali Barbara. I he house of Sheikh Ali was divided against itself, Kahtan