File 600/1905 Pt 4 'Aden Hinterland: Proposed Treaties with the Sultans of Beda and Audali; Treaty with Beda held in abeyance' [‎247r] (125/158)

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26 JUN 1905
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No. 2789, dated Aden, the 13th May 1905 (Confidential).
From—MjjoR-GENeEiL H. M. Mason, 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 Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department.
ton- ln c , ont ' n , uati , on of paragraph 2 of my letter N0*2690, dated the 7th May
^h’’ 4 ^ d l'iQo- re ) fer f. nCe 1? the t ® le ? rara from the Government of India of the
T5th April 190p, to tho address of the Government of Bombav, I have the
honour to submit the following remarks in regard to the hitch m concluding a
* Pro. No. 120 in Secret e , June 1904 , Nob. 22 - 132 . treaty with Beda, which was last referred
' to in myV telegram,* dated 12th May
1904. J
2. In the telegram* of 12th May 1904, it was reported that the Chief’s
cousin, who was the real administrator and the de facto Ruler of the State, was
apparently under some hostile influence, and would not come forward to make
the desired treaty, and up to the present there has been practically no further
progress made towards overcoming that influence, or other motive, whatever
it may be, which keeps this cousin of the Chief away from Aden.
3. From available information, it appears that the titular Sultan, Alawi-
^v. USei1 -’ ^ “ non compos mentis” and an actual nonentity in the State,
and theie is little cause to doubt that any treaty concluded with him would be
valueless and only lead to friction and disputes amongst the tribesmen of the
State.
4. The Sheikhs and heads of the Beda tribal sections undoubtedly look
to and support the titular Sultan’s cousin, Ali-bin-Ahmed-al-Rasasi, as the real
de facto Chief of Beda, and it is his presence in Aden which is therefore
required for the conclusion of any really satisfactory treaty with the State.
5. Hitherto he has rejected all overtures to enter Aden, and it is not
possible to precisely state the cause. The negotiations of 1904 were mainly
conducted through the medium of a certain well-to-do merchant named Hajee
Abdulla Am Uraigee, who owns property in Beda and in Aden, and it would
appear that it was mainly due to certain suspicions entertained by Mr.
G. W. Bury of the bona Jldes of this merchant and his relations that those
negotiations somewhat promptly terminated, and have up to quite recently
never been effectively renewed.
6. As to the suspicions entertained there is practically nothing definite on
the records of this office; but, from enquiries made, I conjecture that they were
probably in some way connected witli the merchant’s endeavour to arrange
some stipulation in favour of himself and certain other merchants concerned
for a reduction of the taxes and dues levied upon their goods in the Beda
State.
7. As to whether the interruption of negotiations was in any way con
nected with the interests and general policy of the Abdali Sultan, it is difficult
to make any more definite conjectures : although it may safely be assumed that
the Abdali Sultan is averse to any measure which brings any other State into
closer relations with the British Government, and renders his own less of a
“focus” of Hinterland affairs and politics.
8. Apart, however, from this cause of interruption, I have reason to
believe that another cause has militated against the conclusion of the desired
treaty, which is in effect discussion amongst the Sheikhs and leaders of the
tribal sections of the State itself as to the participation and distribution of
the stipends and other monetary gains which are expected to eventuate from
the treaty.
9. Beyond this, my information is to the effect that Ali-bin-Ahmed-al-
Rasasi is a man of some age, and not of a nature disposed to accept more
burden and responsibility, either now or in the future, that he can conveniently
avoid. I am informed that, upon the death of the present titular Sultan,!
it will probably be Ali-bin-Ahmed’s son, and not Ali-bin-Ahmed himself, who :
will be elected to succeed to the Sultanship. I
10. It is quite possibly from a desire to avoid a source of friction with
his tribesmen and a possibly considerable burden and responsibility that a man