File 600/1905 Pt 5 'Aden Hinterland: Treaty with Sultan of Balahaf' [‎118r] (19/152)

Translation.
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No. 6, dated Shehr, the 15th July 1902.
From— Lieutesant-Colonel H. M. A bud, Acting 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. , Aden,
To—S ultan Husain-bin-Abdulla-al-Kayti.
Jffer compliment*.—! have received your letter by the hand of Khan
Bahadur Munoherji Rustoraji, C.I.E., and have understood its content. I can
not accept your excuses and those of your Muccadams that you are unable to
come on board to hear the orders of Government and I therefore think that
your disposition is not good.
1. The orders of Government are that you and your brother Munssir
should submit to His Highness the Sultan in as public a way as you have defied
his authority and the orders of the British Government.
2. I therefore require you to notify to me your willingness to obey the
orders of Government and to deliver over to His Highness the Sultan, Dar
Nasir and Husn-Riadth by 12 noon to-morrow the 10th Rabi-ul-Akher when
all your troops are also to make submission to His Highness the Sultan. If
this is not done, 1 shall open fire on Husn-Riadth and Bar Nasir at 1 p.m.
If therefore you and your troops intend to defy the orders of Government
you should instruct all the women and chidren to remove themselves from the
vicinity of the fort and the Dar and the line of fire if not you are responsible
for what may occur.
If you and your troops obey these orders Government will advise your
uncle the Sultan to treat you and your brother with mercy and kindness and to
make su'ficient provision for you and your brother until the Mansab shall have
determined the shares you are entitled to in the property.
May you be preserved.
f No. 6072, dated Bombay Castle, the 16th August 1902.
From— The Hon’ble Mr. S. W. Edgkrley, C.I.E., I.C.S., Acting Chief Secretary
to the Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions. ,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign Pepartment.
I have tbe honour to advert to the report of the Resident at Aden, No. 196»
dated the 19th July 1'. 02, submitted with my letter No. 5729, dated the 5th
August 1902, in so*far as it deals with incidents at Balahaf.
2. I am to say that after the events reported in full in 1894 nothing of
L 0 4 „ moment was reported in regard to the
..SrlL"f r 6 “ Wahidis of Ralahaf until 1901. la that
appended'. year three of tbe Wabidi Chiefs came into
Aden and endeavoured to secure the renewed recognition of Mohsin bin Saleh
as Chief cf the Wahidis, and Mohsin evidently made an offer of very complete
submission to the Resident. It was thought unnecessary to disturb existing
formal arrangements, but the report shows that Mohsin had re-established his
ascendancy in the tribes. It is also curious that the motive which induced the
Chiefs to come into Aden was their fear of Kaiti aggressions, yet the next
matter reported is a gross outrage on a wrecked dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. belonging to Mokalla
an action which they might reasonably expect would rouse the resentment of
His Highness the Sultan. Probably, however, they were at the date of the
occurrence unaware of His Highness’s return to Aden and to Mokalla with the
material assistance of the British Government. It will be noticed m^reports
of 1901 that the Resident did not then think it desirable to allow His Highness
the Sultan of Shehr and Mokalla to absorb such smaller ports as Balahat; but
at that time the trouble in regard to tbe traffic iu arms was less acute and there
was no cause of action such as the present outrage was calculated to afford.
His Excellency tbe Governor in Council has not ra sed the question ol an
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