File 600/1905 Pt 6 'Aden Hinterland: Upper Yaffai; treaties with Sultan Kahtan and other Chiefs' [‎95v] (186/212)

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return for wliich they are hound to fight for their protectors, or they
are the non-fighting ‘inhabitants of districts which have become incor
porated 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 dependencies
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
ao’O 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 not know
the details of the story, nor are they of importance for present purposes. The
main fact is that the descendants of Sheikh Ali became Sultans of the Yaffai
as Saffal, comprising about two-thirds of the whole tribe. The family is now
very numerous, numbering, according to Captain Warneford, some 400 persons.
They form, therefore, what would be called in a Pathan tribe a “ Khan Khel ”
of considerable strength. Jealousies and rivalries are of course rife among so
large a number of persons all belonging to a ruling family, and several of
whom are pretenders to the position of Sultan. 1 append a genealogical table
which shows the principal members of the family and their relationship to one
another. It will he seen that there are two branches, pz. f —the direet descend
ants of Sheikh Ali Harhara, known as Ahl Khel Sheikh Ali, and a collateral
branch, the descendants of Kahtan, a brother of Sheikh Ali. Until recently the
Sultans appear to have been selected from the Ahl Sheikh Ali, but the present
Sultan, Kahtan bin Omar, belongs to the other branch.
6 . The strength of the Y^affai tribe appears to be greater than we
supposed. Hunter placed that of the Upper Yaffai at 15,000 fighting men.
Captain Warneford, who has had good opportunities for arriving at a conclu
sion, says that the Yaffai themselves compute their fighting strength at
between forty and fifty thousand. lie himself thinks they may have as many
as 30,000 fighting men altogether, though this is a maximum estimate. The
fighting strength of the Lower Yaffai is about 10,000 men. Even if the Yaffai
as Saftal can only turn out 20,000 to 25,000 men all told, they are a formidable
tribe, though they are not yet so well armed as some of the other tribes in
Southern Arabia.
7 . The Yaffai as Saffal are sub-divided into five sections as below:—
Fighting strength.
(1) Mausatta—Nakib Ali Askar, about ... .„ ... 10,000
(2) Dtbubi—Sheikh Muhammad Muthanna bin Atif Jaber, about. 7,000
(3) Muflahi—Sheikh Abdul Rahman, about ... ... 3,000
(4) Bosi—Sheikh Salim bin Ali, about ... ... ... 500
(5) Daudi—Sheikh Saleh bin Abdul Rab A1 Fardi, about ... 600
The above is Captain Warneford’s enumeration, but there is a little doubt
about the Daudi, who may be dependants and not a regular section of the tribe.
In addition to the above there are
(d) The Shaibi Sheikh Maneh bin Ali as Sakladi, about ... 2,500
The Shaibi, though of Yaffai origin, are dependants of the Mausatta. They
have a number of sub-sections who are more or less at feud with each other, and
they are altogether a very disunited clan.
The dependencies of Yaffai as Saffal appear to be—
(1) Rubaten, which adjoins the Shaibi country.
(2) Baym
(3) Juban.
(4) Ard-al-had. This district occupies, it is understood, the eastern
portion of l r affa, and marches with the Homakani tribe of Beda.