"كتيّب الجزيرة العربية. المجلد I. ١٩١٧" [‎٥‎٣‎٩] (٧٤٨/٥٤٨)

ADEN PROTECTORATE 539
cohesion and a uniform policy and the personal ambition of the
different Sultans.
Like many other tribes in the south of Arabia, they were formerly
subject to the Imams of San'a. The tribe is called after their
ancestor ' 'Afif
Although known as ' Upper Yafa' ' in English, the confederation
is called in Arabic Yafa' es-Sufla, or ' Lower Yafa'
The rightful Sultan of Upper Yafa' is 'Omar Qahtan, who suc
ceeded his father in 1913, but was expelled by the tribe for coming
to Aden to make a treaty with us, as they were jealous of his selec
tion. He belongs to the Dhubi section, though originally of the
house of Sheikh 'Ali Harharah. He was opposed by his brother,
Salih ibn 'Omar, and, despite English influence, failed to get himself
reinstated. The Government accordingly refused to recognize him
as Sultan and gave him a year within which to bring about his
rehabilitation. They, however, continued to pay the stipend
received by his father, Qahtan, who was a man of little influence
and in his later days an exile from his capital. His brother Salih
ibn 'Omar, who is a man of much stronger character, was recognized
in 1911 by the Maflahis as their Sultan and receives tribute from
Rub'atein.
There are four chief tribes : the Mausata, Maflahi, Sheibi, and
Dhubi. The Sheikh of the Mausata is Muhsin 'Askar. He is a man
about 75 years old and comes of a family of intriguers, but wields
undoubted influence. He signed the treaty with the Bombay
Government in 1904 as joint signatory with his brother 'Ali 'Askar.
The latter died in 1907 and was succeeded by his son Naji 'Ali 'Askar,
but most of the power has remained with his uncle Muhsin 'Askar.
The Sheibi are the most northerly tribe of the Confederation and
impinge on Ottoman territory towards the Bana. Their Sultan is
'Ali Mauna es-Sakladi.
The Sheikh of the Dhubi is Salim Salih ibn 'Atif Jabir. He is
a stipendiary and his predecessor was the first Upper Yafa' Sheikh
to conclude a treaty with us (1903).
Two other stipendiaries of this section are the brother Sheikhs
Mohammed and 'Omar ibn Muthanna ibn 'Atif Jabir. The latter
has little influence and has not justified his selection as stipendiary.
He is grasping and a master of intrigue. Rub'atein is an appanage
of the Dhubi tribe. The three principal Sheikhs are Yahya ibn
'Askar, Salih ibn Ahmed, and Yahya Nasir. Before the war they
were all fearful of Turkish intrigue and desired closer relations with
the British Government.
Another important tribe is that of the Maflahi, whose chief is