File 600/1905 Pt 6 'Aden Hinterland: Upper Yaffai; treaties with Sultan Kahtan and other Chiefs' [‎96r] (187/212)

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8 . The leading Sheikh of the Mausatta, who hears the title of Nakib,
claims to he the actual head of all the Yaffai as Salfal, on the ground that
he is the principal Sheikh of the principal section. At the election ol a
Sultan the Nakib binds the turban on the head of the latter, and theoretically
no election is complete until this ceremony has been performed. 1 he Sultans
have no direct authority over any of the sections of the Yaffai proper, who claim
and exercise complete independence in the management of their own affairs
and in settling disputes with each other.
9 . The election of Kahtan bin Omar to the position of Sultan was not
accepted by the Mausatta, who have never acknowledged his authority, and as
this section, together with the Shaibi, amounts to about half of the whole Yattai
as Saffal, Kahtan bin Omar has not exercised even the very modified amount
of authority accorded to Sultans of the tribe. Moreover, he at one time
accepted a stipend from the Turks, and this no doubt excited distrust and
indignation among the majority of the tribesmen of all sections who are opposed
to Turkish domination. It would appear, however, that Sultan Kahtan did not
actually receive the stipend for any length of time, and he has long since
broken off connection with the Turks, thereby regaining much ot his former
influence. The Dthubi, the section next in importance to the Mausatta, are
supporters of Sultan Kahtan, as are also the Muflahi. Kahtan exercises
authority to a greater or less extent over the dependent districts, and he is at
the present time personally respected by the whole Yaffai as Saffal, me udmg
those who are politically opposed to him.
The Mausatta have frequently expressed their intention of setting up a
Sultan of their own from the members of the Ahl Sheikh All, but so tar they
have not done so.
10 On the receipt ot the Secretary of State’s telegram of 4th May 19 )3,
it was'intimated to the Upper Yaifai that we were prepared to enter into
negotiations with them for the conclusion of regular agreements which would
nut them on the same footing as the other tribes in the Aden protectorate.
The Mausatta had all along expressed a desire for a treaty, and it was
understood that the other sections were all willing to cuter into engage
ments. As we gradually improved our knowledge ot the actual state of affairs
in the tribe, it became increasingly apparent that a treaty with the tribe as
a whole was impracticable, hut there seemed no reason why treaties should
not be concluded with the Mausatta, the Dthubi and the Muflahi and with
Sultan Kahtan, the latter as representing the dependents of the Yattai as Satta
over whom he may be said to actually rule. The Bos, and Baud, being sma 1
sections and whose country does not touch the frontier, might, it was thought,
bs left out, especially as they had never made any advance to us while the
Shaibi, though of importance, both from their numbers and geographioa posi
tion, would be answered for by the Mausatta.
There is a precedent for separate treaties or agreements in the case of the
Subaihi, and also of the Wahidis of Balahaf and Bir All.
11 The first section to come forward was the Dthubi. Their Sheikhs,
Muhammad Muthanna bin Atif Jahar, and his brother Amr Muthanna
visited Aden in May and signed a treaty on the Uth of that month. They
were distinctly informed, before witnesses, that the treaty would not be ratified
unless other chiefs of the Yaffai came in and concluded similar agreements but
that if ratified the payment of the stipend would commence from the date ot
the signing of the treaty.
12 After some delay, partly caused by the great age of Nakib All Askar,
and the gr7at heaUhen prevailing, the Sheikhs of the Mausatta came in and
signed a treaty on the 5th July.
13 The treaty with the Dthuhi was partly a treaty of peace and friend-
ship and partly a protective treaty. It appeared necessary to include pro-
vidon for the former-first, because we have had no previous understanding
Tan ' kind with the Yaffai as Saffal; and secondly,_ beeause the Dthubi
wmuY never have entered on a treaty which did not include provision for
con 467—2