File 600/1905 Pt 3 'Aden Hinterland: Situation; Withdrawal of Political Agent from Dthala; Treaties with Haushabi, Kotaibi and Alawi chiefs' [‎202v] (400/508)

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„ f f1 ,. .J,;,! document: the Sbairis would not possibly otherwise agree
to n e t n Aos tes nd I d“lined to compel them to do so. The Amir said he
togmngnosM a m e nt tbat the Shains had one copy; and he was
could not give m purport was! I then said that if he wished for
himself unaware ^11 disband his forces, otherwise the
IS who w“re merely defending their homes would never even to agree
to mv mldiatTon: If the Amir, in fine, wished for my mediation, it must be on
mv terms Which were these : either he must produce the said document when I
my terms wnicn _ tmoe to discuss matters, or he must pass a written
“sanad 1 ” couched in the terms he had implored me to use that night of the
4th December when he made an ad mismcorto appeal to me to check the
impending disintegration of his country.
The terms he then begged me to put before tbe Shairis were as follows
<« I do not want to tax the Shairis, for indeed I have never taxed them. I do
not wit to subject these persons for they are tribesmen. I do not want to
not want 1 merely want their recognition of my fathership and
th Sr Obedience 1 to my orders ” These then were the two alternative. With
either of them I would approach the Shairis within the ten days’ truce and in
that case I would not press for the disbandment of his forces though I believed
the Shairis would not vacate their mtrenchments on Turkish position till
this menace was withdrawn.
The Amir said that neither alternative was palatable to him and both of
them 1 lowered his dignity with his tribesmen Government should interest
in him as Ruler and abandon the inclusion ot
r\ -t orh-nnC'ii'Wi
people.
I replied that the question of his tribesmen was inextricably interwoven
with the weal of his own house, and that Government countenanced his Amir-
shin so Ion" only as he ruled with the consent and assent of his people. Further,
I dealt with hirn as Amir, and if he had the document concluded in AliMukbils
time, I asked it from him and not from his children, the Shairis.
The Amir asked what I would do, if, say, the Shairis refused my media
tion even when conducted on my own lines, and his reinforcements were sent
awav I repeated that I would not press for the disbandment if he really
meant to negotiate, and would do my best so long as he consented to a ten days
truce.
He objected to tbe truce unless I took hostages, first of all, from both
sides.
This I absolutely declined to do. Either he must accept my own method
of intervention, or must pursue whatever course he thought best. Tins was
final Otherwise I would take his advice and interfere neither to assist him
nor to work against him. I told him of the Kotaibi resolve to attack him in
rear if the Jabal Jibaf or Shairis were worsted, and though I had strongly
opposed such meanness on the Kotaibis 5 part, I would not answer for the freaks
of this irresponsible tribe.
The Amir asked what I would do if his forces were employed against Jahal
jihaf and the Shairis assisted the latter. I said that so far as the collection ot
his taxes on that Hill were concerned, I would not assist him in their recovery,
for although I believed he had a right to tax, carefully prescribed by Moslem
tradition, yet he began his collection two years ago at a very inopportune time,
contrary to my advice, and in a manner that closely resembled the iniquitous
practices of the Turks on that very Hill. If > however, he wished to exact repara
tion at Hazza (his village) for the recent murder by his subjects of a ^ Turkish
subiect, I would protest against the wanton interference of the Shairi (this in
spite of the compact between Jabal Jihaf and the Shu’ar), and if these folk
persisted, then X had no objection to bis including them in his objective ana
dealing out their well merited punishment.
The Amir wondered why his old friendship with Government was now so
suddenly abrogated. He saw, he said, that to fight was displeasing to Govern
ment, and so he must perforce disband his forces; suffer pecuniary losses untold;