File 600/1905 Pt 5 'Aden Hinterland: Treaty with Sultan of Balahaf' [‎184r] (151/152)

Resident would agree to let Ahmed live outside the chowki iu a house Resi
dent said if he got the agreement he mentioned, then he would let Ahmed live
m a house instead of in the chowky. He said he would get the asreement
mentioned. The Resident said he would give him Rs. 500 towards the Bar
and that he must return to his country and settle this matter. The interview
was terminated.
Aden ! l (Sd.) . H. M. ABUD, Lieut..
The 16th January 1904. ) ■ First Assistant Resident.
Dated 29th Jomad Akhar 1322 (9th September 1904).
From— Sultan Ahmed bin Saleh, The Wahadi of Balahaf,
To— General 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.
After compliments.—-W q inform you, oh friend, that a long time has now
passed since we have been imprisoned by you without any due causeor disobedience
ol your orders on our part. The prison is nothing but a hell. We are oppressed and
are now wearied and depressed. YVe never expected to receive such contemptuous
and disgraceful treatment all this time, especially as we are the son and ally of
Government and are submissive to your orders. We have never committed
any depredation on the road, killed any person nor disobeyed the orders of
Government^ in any way, and we, on the contrary, have been respecting them
and their alliance and have been submissive to their orders. We now earnestlv
request you to sympathise with us and to release us from the prison. Should
you desire us to enter into any stipulations in addition to the treaty and other
obligations already in existence for the furtherance of general peace, we are
willing, so far as we are concerned, to abide by such as Government may pro
pose in accordance with their law. We will acquiesce in 'all things which
concern the interest of the British Government. If Government desire that a
treaty of friendship should be entered into by our brother Sultan Mobsin bin
Saleh, we wdll conclude the same on his behalf. We are willing to undertake
terms which Government require from our brother, except that of his coming
into Aden at present because he is afraid of you. Government are aware that
om count'.y is inhabited by Badwins, who, on finding that Government have
not kept their word, are frightening him from visiting Aden by saying to him
that we who are ally of Government have not been listened to, and that we are
imprisoned for more than two years without any cause and without any investi
gation being made into our case, and that‘if he comes he will be dealt with
similarly. They thus caused fear to prevail on him. Our brother Mohsin is
not disobedient to Government, and he will not disobey or act contrary to their
wishes in respect of all matters with the exception of his arrival at Aden and
this is on account of the tyranny to which Government have subjected us
without making any investigation. We request your honour to be good enough
to have mercy on us as we have little children and a poor old mother much
anxious about us TV e are oppressed and this oppression was inflicted on us
without offence on our part. We now request you to be good enough to
release us from the abode of disgrace and to have mercy on us. We are pre
pared to comply with all the wishes of Government which they may require
from us or our brother Sultan Mohsin. Should Government desire that we
should place with them our second brother Husen bin Saleh, or our son as a
hostage until we have complied with all conditions which Government require
from us or our brother Mohsin bin Saleh excepting his coming into Aden at
present on account of the fear which prevails in him, we are prepared to do so.
No one will be able to make Mohsin acquiesce to the wishes of Government
other than us. We will induce him by gentle words to agree to the terms
which Government may require from him. If Government thinks that our
guarantee for the compliance with their wishes will suffice, we are willing to
bind ourselves to act up to the terms if God pleases. We request from your
excellent benevolence and kindness and beseech you in the name of Him who
is the Great Cause of both ourselves and you as well as your former predecessors