File 600/1905 Pt 5 'Aden Hinterland: Treaty with Sultan of Balahaf' [‎141v] (66/152)

whose orders must be awaited. If the Sheikhs desire to give you a formal
unanimous writing to the effect that they desire to formally remove Sultan
Saleh and substitute Mohsin in his stead, you might receive that and promise
to obtain Government orders thereon. They might then be sent back to Balakal
pending the orders of Government. Sultan Mohsin’s brother must be detained
pending orders of the Government of India. Please report fully by letter.
//.
No. 2388-E.B., dated Simla, the 21st June 1905.
From— C. Somers Cocks, Esq., C.M.G., Assistant Secretary to the Government of
India, Foreign Department,
To—The Hon’ble Mr. S W. Edgerley, C.I.E., Chief Secretary to the Government
of Bombay, Political Department
I am directed to refer to tbe correspondence on the subject of Balahaf affairs
ending with your letter No. 34»7b* of June
• Nom 3rd, 11*05.
2. Captain Hancock’s Memorandum demonstrates clearly that the time
has come when the policy adopted in 1891 in regard to the treatment of Sultan
Mohsin might be modified with advantage on the lines indicated in the letters
from the Government of India of October 4th, 1902, and December 28th, 1903.
3. These lines appear to be followed in the recommendations now made
by His Excellency the Governor in Council ; and I am to express the approval
of the Government of India of the proposal that Sultan Mohsin should be
recognized as titular Chief of the Wahidi tribe of Balahaf and that the stipend
due to tbe titular Saltan should henceforth be paid to him instead of to Sultan
Saleh. Steps should now be taken to conclude a treaty with Sultan Mohsin
similar to that of 1895 with Sultan Saleh. The decision as to the number of
signatories to which reference is made by the 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. in his telegram
of May 16th, 1705, should be entirely governed by consideration of^ the policy
which is likely to be most effective in strengthening Sultan Mohsin s authority
over the Balahaf Wahidis.
4. It is observed that His Excellency in Council does not propose that the
Resident should interfere ia the distribution of the Balahaf revenues, ihe
Government of India concur in this policy as regards the other Wahidi Chiefs;
but they consider that public notice should be taken of the action of Sultan
Saleh in ceding territory to the Sultan of Shehr and Mokalla. To allow such^ a
distinct violation of the treaty provisions of 1895 to pass without specific notice
might act as an encouragement to other chiefs in the neighbourhood of Aden
to disregard the provisions of their own treaties whenever it suited them to do
so. Moreover it is advisable that the Kayti Sultan’s persistent attempts to
aggrandize himself in the direction of Balahaf should be stopped, once for all,
as his intrigues must needs produce unrest in the district.
6. I am therefore to suggest that, if His Excellency in Council sees no objec
tion, the Resident should be instructed to issue a formal notification, for com-
munication to Sultan Mohsin and Saleh, to the Kayti Sultan and to any ^ other
chiefs who may be concerned, to the effect that Sultan Saleh s cession of
territory to the Sultan of Shehr and Mokalla, having been made in violation of
his treaty engagements without the previous sanction af the Resident, is null
and void and will be so treated.
It might he advisable to inform Sultan Saleh specifically that his irregular
action is one of the reasons for his deposition.
G. C. Ft-mI, Simla.—W®. 344 F. D.- 6 * 7 - 06 .-U.-B.B.C.
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