File 3300/1916 Pt 2 'Aden News Letters:- (Jan. 1917-Dec. 1917)' [‎125r] (249/620)

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2 ./ 1917
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29th Weekly Lette
Dated Aden Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , the 13th October 19iy.
From— Major-General J. M. Stewart, 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, N
To—His Excellency General Sir Reginald Wingate, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., K.C.M.G.,
C.B., D.S.O., His Britannic Majesty’s High Commissioner, Cairo.
We have received letters dated 11th September 1917, from the Kadi Atik bin
Ahmad Bakil-el-Bakiri of Behan with enclosures. He is still doing good work in
stirring up the tribes on that side to withstand Turkish efforts to win them over.
He encloses a letter from one Saiyid Abdul Bari-at-Tahiri to the address of
Saiyid Muhammad bin Abdulla-an-Nihari in which the former speaks of the Turkish
Government in the Yemen as being in a precarious condition and nearing its over
throw. He (At-Tahiri) suggests to the latter that he should at once send some one
to make overtures of friendship with us, the reason given being that he has heard
that almost all the notable personages in the Yemen and the tribesmen have severed
their connection with the Turks and elected to enter into friendly relations with us.
In this category he includes the Imam. It appears from this that the Imam’s offer
to come to terms is not so private as he thinks. He hints at an Arab attack on the
Turks at Lahej in the near future and also at an imminent attack on Sanaa, but
'by whom he does not state.
Als econd enclosure is addressed to the Kadi Atik apparently by Saiyid Muhamad-
an-Nihari. He corroborates the disturbed state of the Yemen. He says he has
lately seen Hizam-as-Saar who told him that the Arab attack on Lahej would be
at the commencement of the month of Mohurrum i.e., 17th October. He urges the
Kadi Atik to get our tribes to rise and turn the Turks out of the land of their Moslem
brethren i.e., Lahej and states that the learned people of Mecca have pronounced
that to war against the Turks is legal. He goes on to say that “ Our master and
our ruler the Imam-el-Hadi Muhammad bin Ali-el-Idrisi has turned them out of
the Tihama ” and foretells his advance inland and say$ with the help of the Hashid
and Bakil he will shortly occupy Sanaa.
The references to the Sherif and ourselves are friendly throughout the letters.
We cannot put any valuation on the letters as neither the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. nor the
addressee are known to this Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. . But they certainly show that the general
state of Yemen is anti-Turk and pro-British, and that there is considerable unrest
in existence already and that more active measures are to be anticipated shortly.
The reference to the Idrisi in the second letter is also interesting. We have
had no further news through from there or from the Yemen lately. The story of
the Idrisi’s movements has been told before and there is probably no truth in it.
But it is significant that he is spoken of as “ out master and our rider,” an expres
sion we have had in letters from various sources lately. It would tend to show tlnit
the Idrisi is beginning to be looked upon as a power coming to the fore, while the’
Imam is declining.
I attach copies of translations of two letters addressed to Khan Bahadur Saiyid
Husain bin Hamid al-Mahdar, Minister to His Highness the Sultan of Mokalla,
by Ali Saeed Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. . These letters speak for themselves. I also attach a copy of
a translation of a communique issued by him which was received by Khan Bahadur
Saiyid Husain. It is und ited but frofn the last sentence was probably issued
some time in August or early September.
We have just received authentic information of a strong Turkish detachment
being sent against Shukra. I am sending two companies by sea to Shukra for a few
days to support Abdul Kadir.
Khan Bahadur Saiyid Husi in-al-Mahdar came to Aden last week to press for
assistance for His Highness the Sultan. I have already addressed you on this
matter. After some discussion he returned to Mokalla and His Highness himself