ملف رقم ٦٠٠ لسنة ١٩٠٥ الجزء ٦ "المنطقة الداخلية لعدن: يافع العليا؛ معاهدات مع السلطان قحطان وزعماء آخرين" [و‎‎٤‎٤] (٢١٢/٨٣)

No. 0-427
Aden Residency,
1st November 1913
From
Major-General Sir James A.Bell, K.C.V.O.,
Political Resident, Aden;
To
The Secretary to Government,
Political department, Bombay.
Sir,
\ With reference to the correspondence ending with your
letter No.5362, dated the 12th September 1913, I have the
honour to report, for the information of Government, that
Sultan Kahtan bin Umar of Upper Yafa died on the 26th idem.
His son Umar bin Kahtan writes to say that he has succeeded
his father, and expresses his hopes that Government will
confirm him in his father’s position, i.e., continue to
him the yearly stipend of Rs.1,200. Sheikh Abdul Rehman
bin Kasim, the Uuflahi; Mahomed and Utaar Muthana, the
Bthubie, and Mohsin bin Askar, the Nakib of Mausatta, all
'stipendiaries of ours, have also written to me confirming
the report of Sultan Kahtan’s death and recommending that
;his son Umar may be accepted as the rightful successor.
2. As long as the late Sultan Kahtan*s brother, Saleh bin
Umar, remains in possession of the family’s H Bar , ‘ (head
quarters) his son Umar will, like his father, remain a
figure head. At the same time to throw him over board and
to recognise Saleh bin Umar will put a premium on the
latter’s pro Turko-Imamic proclivities. Saleh he? not yet
approached me with his claims for succession nor do I
think he will do so, for ever since Kahtan*s deposition in
1903 his brother Saleh h*® held the allegiance of almost
one half of the tribesmen. He has further more been
collecting his brother’s dues and his xrrival’s death will
not diminish his gains, unless Kahtan*s son Umar proves
: himself the stronger. It would then be oolitic to wait