File 600/1905 Pt 5 'Aden Hinterland: Treaty with Sultan of Balahaf' [‎122r] (27/152)

which would have subverted the orders of 1894 by recognising Mohsin in place
of Saleh as titular Sultan.
In 1902, in connection with the outrage on the bungalow Fateh-al-Salam,
and with reference to the foregoing order of this Government, the Govern
ment of India issued instructions with their letter No 2051-E, dated the
4th October 1902, as to the treatment to be meted out to Balahaf and Mohsin
bin Saleh. In consequence of those events Sultan Ahmed bin Saleh, the
favourite brother of Mohsin bin Saleh, was interned at Aden, pending the
submission of Mohsin, the repayment by him of the monies taken and the
furnishing by him of guarantees that he was prepared to conduct ^ himself,^ and
to cause his followers to conduct themselves, in a fitting manner in submission
to the orders of Government.
3. Mohsin bin Saleh duly paid up the cash taken from the buggalow Large trading vessel. , but
has failed until recently to tender his submission in accordance with the require
ments of the Government of India. The correspondenoe now forwarded
indicates that there may have been some misunderstanding on the part of
Mohsin, due to his belief that he was entitled to expect the release of Ahmed
on payment of the monies taken from the Fateh-al~S tlnm ; it also shows how,
in accordance with instructions from this Government, General Mason proceed
ed to Balahaf on the 22nd November 1)04, hoping to find Mohsin bin Saleh
either at Balahaf or sufficiently near to be accessible. Unfortunately the event
proved that he was not within a distance which rendered it possible for the
Resident to await his response to the summons which he had sent. General
Mason, however, left an order requiring Mohsin to present himself at Aden
within three weeks and guaranteeing, if became, his safe conduct and personal
liberty requiring onlv that he should remain at Aden until the Governments
orders were received. In response to this summons Mohsin duly appeared
before the Resident at Aden on theSfch December last, and attached to General
Mason’s letter of the 11th December is a report of the interview which ensued
This Government, I am to say, were not entirely satisfied with the degree of
Mohsin’s submission as then reported by General Mason, and consequently
referred back to the Resident lor mfor-
* Copy enclosed. mation upon six specific points {vide my
letter No. 8010, * dated the 29th December 1904,).
4 General Mason’s reply dated the 9th January and the enclosures to that
letter would have placed this Government in a position to form a definite con
clusion as to the precise attitude which, in their opinion should be adopted in
dealin” with Balahaf affairs, and definite proposals would have been formulated
hut for the receipt of the Resident’s telegram dated the 18th January, reporting
that dultan Ghalib, the son of the Sultan of Shehr and Mo ral a had effected
the purchase from Sultan Saleh, the titular Sultan, of the latter s share m
Balahaf This report naturally complicated matters, and the receipt or the
further telegrams from the Resident, dated the 27th and 28th January last,
rendered it necessary to decide immediately whether, with a view to ensuring
order in Balahaf, it was not desirable to permit Mohsin, subject to due guaran
tees for his behaviour, to return to Balahaf. This permission was accorded on
the conditions stated in this Government’s telegram dated the 3,st January.
6 The Resident at Aden has now been directed to obtain and submit
Saleh’s explanation of the recent transaction between him and Sultan Ghalib,
and a further report will be made to the Government of India after General
Mason has replied to this reference.
Icoomvaniments (o letter to the Government of India, Foreign Department,
Wo. 1060, dated 14th February 1906.
Letter No. 200, dated the 27th November 1904.
jr rom Major-Genbral H. M. Mason, 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—C. H> A . Hill, Esq., CUE., Acting 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. ,
Political Department.
T have the honour to report that in pursuance of the instructions contained
a your No 0805, dated the 9th November 1904, I started trom Aden for
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