File 600/1905 Pt 6 'Aden Hinterland: Upper Yaffai; treaties with Sultan Kahtan and other Chiefs' [‎88r] (171/212)

No 2.24), dated Aden, the 2nd August 1903 (Confidential).
From— Brigadier-General P. J. Maitland, C.B., 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,
To—The Hon'ble Mr. S. W. Edgf:rley, C.I.E., Secretary to the Government of
Bombay, Political Department.
I have the honour to report the present state of affairs with regard to
the Upper Yaffai. I think it will he advisable, in the first instance, to give
a brief account of this tribe, whose strength and position gives them peculiar
importance.
2 . Originally the Yaffai were one tribe and extended over a large part
of the south-west corner of Arabia. They were the dominant race in this
part of the Arabian Peninsula, and are still regarded as the most powerful tribe
in Yemen ; but portions of the Yaffai have split off, and became attached to,
or incorporated in, other tribes, while the tribe itself has become divided into
the two portions which have hitherto been known to us as the Upper Yaffai
and the Lower Yaffai, hut which are properly designated “ Yaffai-as-Saffal ”
and “ Yaffai Beni Kasid’k
3. It is not necessary here to attempt a description of the country of
the Yaffai (known as “ Yaffa ”), hut it may he stated that it is of very
considerable extent and almost entirely mountainous. It appears to he on
the whole well watered, fertile, and thickly populated. The inhabitants speak
of it as the “blessed YaffaThe people, especially the Upper Yaffai,
differ from the great majority of those in the Aden Protectorate in being real
fighting men. Bands of Yaffai are frequently employed by the Chiefs of less
warlike tribes in their contests with each other, and occasionally the Yaffai take
service at Hyderabad. The Haiti Chief of Shehr and Mokalla is of Upper
l r affai origin, and usually has a body of Y r affai tribesmen in his pay. Never
theless, the Yaffai generally, especially the Yaffai-as-Saffal, keep a good deal
to themselves. Until recently the Chiefs of the latter have never visited Aden,
nor have we had any direct relations with them.
T. In all questions connected with the tribes in Southern Arabia it is
necessary to bear in mind the nature of the tribal organisation in this country,
and the position of the Chiefs. I think it is now clearly understood that the
power of the Sultans of the tribes of Southern Arabia is limited They are
elected by the tribe, always, it is true, from the members of a certain family,
hut on the understanding that the power bestowed by the tribesmen may he
taken away by them, and given to another member of the family, at pleasure.
In many cases a Sultan heads a confederacy rather than a tribe, several clans
of different origin agreeing to support & Sviltan. v>}io \s, prinms inter pares, a
leader rather than a ruler. No Sultan has despotic powder. Some are of course
much stronger than others, but few can put a tribesman to death for any cause
whatever. In some instances the Sultan has hardly any direct authority at all.
He can act only “ ba-al-basr”, that is by diplomacy. On the other hand, even
the most loosely knit confederacies appear to have greater powers of cohesion
than would be imagined, and elect Sultans from the same family for genera
tion after generation. No tribe or group of tribes can do without a Sultan.
It seems to be felt that in war (that is to say, in a contest involving the whole
tribe) a leader is required who shall be apart from the jealousies of the Sheikhs
of the various sections. The Sultan is also useful as a Court of Appeal, to whom
disputes between the Sheikhs and their tribesmen can be referred. Further,
almost all tribes have dependents. These are either weak tribes, or fragments
of tribes, who receive protection, in return for which they are bound to fight
for their protectors; or they are the non-fighting inhabitants of districts which
have become incorporated in the possessions of the tribe, and who pay tribute
in some form or other. In the former case the people are classed as “ asakar”
(soldiers), in the latter they are simply “ rayah” (subjects). Over such depend
encies the Sultans usually exercise real authority.
5 . The family of Bin Afif, of Kara, Sultans of the Yaffai Beni Kasid
were originally Chiefs of the whole Yaffai tribe. It is said that about 100
years a r '0 Sultan Saif of this line gave a part of his country to a favourite
follower] named Ali Harhara, who thus became an important Sheikh. We do