File 600/1905 Pt 5 'Aden Hinterland: Treaty with Sultan of Balahaf' [‎183r] (149/152)

23rd Oc'ober 1903, that the policy to be followed in respect to the Balahaf
question should be that of inducing Mohsin bin Saleh to accept Saleh bin
Abdulla as Sultan of Balahaf, and enquiring whether the policy has been
consistently pursued, and if so, what steps have been taken towards attaining
the desired end. It is further requested that I should indicate more clearly
the measures that I contemplate to secure the submission of Mohsin and ascer
tain and report the extent of Mohsin’s influence and power in the State and
whether he is recognised by any of the other tribes. You also enquire from
what source I have derived the information that Sultan Saleh is unable to
make any real headway against Mohsin.
2 . In reply I have the honour to state that the opinion expressed in my
previous letter as to the incapacity of Saleh bin Abdulla to establish his posi
tion as Sultan was one which General Maitland himself left on record just a
few days before his departure. He appears to have based his conclusion
on information obtainable from merchants having dealings with Balahaf,
Bir Ali and other places in the vicinity, and also from some of the
"Wahidi tribesmen occasionally visiting Aden, all of whom, it is reported, state
that Saleh bin Abdulla carries no influence in his territory, which opinion is
borne out by the fact that though Saleh bin Abdulla has repeatedly promised
this Besidency that he would compel Mohsin to submit to him and punish
him, he has up to date practically effected nothing. Moreover Sultan Saleh
appears to be quite apathetic towards Balahaf affairs as is indicated by the
inordinate length of time he remains in Aden whenever he comes in. This
would also seem to lend colour to the view that Mohsin is master of the
situation and Saleh is powerless.
3. As to the extent of Mohsin’s influence and power in the State, and as
to whether he is recognized by any other tribes, correct information can only be
obtained by enquiry on the spot, and I propose therefore, subject to the approval
of Government, either to proceed myself, or to send the First Assistant Resi
dent, to Balahaf in the R. I. M. S, Dalhousie with the view to making local
enquiries personally.
4. By doing so an opportunity wall also be afforded to try to induce
Mohsin to acknowledge Saleh bin Abdulla as Sultan. At present, as far as
can be ascertained from the records, no special steps seem to have been taken
in this direction except that at an interview on the 15th January 1904, a brief
account of which is herewith attached, General Maitland promised that he
Would consider the question of the relaxation of the stringency of the measures
adopted to secure the close confinement of Ahmed bin Saleh, provided Saleh
bin Abdulla succeeded in procuring the agreement which he himself had
volunteered at first to obtain from Mohsin to the effect that the latter would
he submissive to him. But no such agreement has yet been produced from
Mohsin who, on the other hand, has authorized his brother Ahmed biu Saleh,
who is detained as a hostage, to act on his behalf and enter into any conditions
which the Resident may require of Mohsin. General Maitland would not
however for a moment entertain the proposal to make terms with Ahmed bin
Saleh and matters remain even now in statu quo.
5 . To remove this deadlock either one party or the other must yield.
There seems to be no sign of Mohsin coming in and surrendering himself. At
the same time it would not be wise or politic for Government to depart from
the attitude taken up by them in persistently demanding from the very com
mencement the personal submission of Mohsin : and I have accordingly declined
to entertain the proposal, renewed by prisoner Ahmed bin Saleh {vide transla
tion of his letter attached), that he should be permitted to make terms on behalf
of Mohsin. Yet, if matters are to progress some move will have to be made
by Government, and it was for tbis reason tbat I had recommended that some
decisive action should be taken. But what the nature of that action should
finally be will depend upon the facts that may be elicited during the personal
visit which I have suggested above. For the present I would merely say that