'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. I' [‎268] (283/1050)

268
'ASIR
Al Mashwa^. 1,000 men. Chief
Chief villages; —
Am Hajjo.
Madba'.
Sakkan-al-Raish.
BIJAL-AL-MA.'
The Rijal-al-Ma 7 , though not so numerous as some of the 'Asir tribes—it can at most
put 1,700 men in the field—is nevertheless one of the most renowred for its courage
and dash in war, its internal unity, and its pride of independence. Its country lies
between Abha and the sea, and is roughly a stretch of 50 miles from north-west to south
east, and 25 miles from north-east to south-west. Its neighbours are the Bahr Ibn
Sukaina and Bani Thuwwa on the north, Kabi'ah-wa-Rufaidhah, 'Alqam, Bani Mughaid
and Rabi'at-al-Yemen on the east, Ben Shi'ba on the south, and Munjahah and Bani
Hilal on the west.
The tribe is divided into seven sub-divisions : the Bani Qutaba, Bani Dhalim-al-
Hashir, Bani Juna, Qais (or Jais) Ibn Mas'udi, Bani Zaidin, Shahab, and Am Bina.
The chief Shaikh of the whole tribe is Ibrahim Ibn Mita'ali of Julia, a man much
respected for his prowess in war and his wisdom in tribal matters. He is now over
70 years in war of age, and for some time most of the administration has devolved
on his son, Ahmad Ibn Mita'ali. The latter is a tall man of about 30, with a fair skin, who
first made his name as a fighter when the Rijal-al-Ma' overran Mikhlaf-al-Yemen
just before the rise of the Idrissi. He fought the Sharif in 1910 at Muhail and in the
Bui Ahmar country, but withdrew his forces at a critical moment owing to the appoint
ment of Saiyid Mustafa, of the Bahr Ibn Sukaina, as general of the whole 'Asir army<
So greatly did the Rijal-al-Ma' resent having an outsider placed over them, that soon
after one of their minor Shaikhs^ Saiyid Yahya Walad-ash-Shairi, with the full approval
of the tribe, attempted to murder him. The Idrissi gave way on the matter, but the
mischief had been done, and the Rijal-al-Ma' took no further part in the campaign.
Of the sub-tribes, the Bani Qutaba live in the fertile valley of Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. El- 'Us which
rises near Suda, and joining the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. -al-Ahabash near Athalif, eventually flows into
the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Do a by Muhail. The Bani Qutaba stretch from near its source to beyond
Athalif in a succession of villages surrounded by cultivation The slopes of the hills and
the valleys, except where cleared, are here, as elsewhere in the Rijal-al-Ma' country,
deeply forested. The Bani Qutaba, though dwelUng in villages, are of a wandering
temperament, and are the chief camel carriers on all the trade routes of 'Asir, going
to Sabya, Qunfidah, Birk, and sometimes as far as Bishah and Mecca. Living with
them is a small colony of 'Abadlah Ashraf, who wield a certain amount of influence.
The Shaikh of Athalif, Ibrahim-al-Hufd hi, is a man of some notoriety. His father
was made a Qaimmaqam by the Turks, and granted a pension of £15 a month, which wa^
paid to his family until the tribe revolted^ Ibrahim-al-Hufd hi went to Constantinople
in 1914 to assert his loyalty to the Turks and ask that the pension should continue
to be paid to hiim
His influence in the tribe is Sot great.
The Bani Dhalim lie to the south of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. -a 1 - 'Us and are entirely settled. They
are the large section, numbering 4,000 men, and also by far the richest. They have
most of the trade of 'Asir in their hands and bring petroleum, sugar, tea, clothing, etc.,
from Aden and Massawah, which they sell chiefly in the large village of RijaL They
have been the foremost pioneers in the importation of fire-arms from Jibuti, which
has increased so largely during the last few years and which the Turks have found it
impossible to check. Rijal is the focus of all local products and skins ; gum and samn
are brought from as far as the Shahran country, bought by the Bani Dhalim merchants,
and exported to Aden.
The village next in importance is Shaibain,the chief rifle market.
The Rijal-Al-Ma' never marry outside their own country, but as they have grown
rich, they have bought much land in the neighbouring districts of 'Alqam-al-Hul and
Rabi'at-al-Yemen. Amongst the most wealthy of them is a family of Saiyids, known
as the Sada-an-Na'amiyah, who have lived amongst them for many generations, and
Shaikh; Ali Ibn Tali'.
Muhammad Abu Alama,
Sahfan.
Ibn Salama.