File 600/1905 Pt 3 'Aden Hinterland: Situation; Withdrawal of Political Agent from Dthala; Treaties with Haushabi, Kotaibi and Alawi chiefs' [‎210v] (416/508)

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dated the 23rd December 1906, and in the fourth paragraph of my letter
No 592 dated the 27th ultimo,*and to state that, subject to the approval of
Government, I would now definitely propose that upon Major Jacob’s return to
Aden the Suleik Fort and the Dar-al-Quabtan should be dismantled ajid^the.
Nobat Dakim post handed over to the Abdali Sultan: the responsibility for
the safety of the Aden-Dthala road being then apportioned on the general lines
indicated in my letter No. 7487, dated 16th December 1906. (
3 With reference to the above distribution, I have the honour to state
that tiie responsibility for that portion of the road lying between El Mileh and
Jimil is shared by the Haushabi Sultan and the Alawi Sheik according to the
route taken. In the course of a recent interwiew, the Haushabi Sultan has
admitted responsibility from above Nobat Dakim up to Jimil on the road
passin 0 * through A1 Mileh to the west of Jabal Manif, and that Aiawi respon*
sibilitfes are limited to a portion of the eastern route which lies between Jimil
and A1 Ha jar.
4. If the 28th February is decided upon as the date of withdrawal, I have
the honour to request that the dismantling of the Suleik fort and of the
Dar-al-Quabtan may be approved by cable.
No. 108, dated Dthala, the 10th February 1907 (Secret).
From—M ajor H. F. Jacob, Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Dthala,
T 0 —The First Assistant Resident, Aden.
In continuation of my Secret No. 62 of 22nd January 1907, I would state
that our future policy with the Amir of Dthala seems to call for some modifica
tion in view of the attitude of his tribesmen to their suzerain.
If Government should no longer desire to bolster up the Amir in opposition
to the declared will of these tribesmen, it would seem necessary, at any rate,
for us to intervene and settle the existing differences, which, if allowed to run
their own course, cannot but result in the declension for all time of the Amir’s
influence. Such a result would be inexpedient in view of the Treaty by which
the Amir is responsible for the safety of the road, to which end we are pledged
by this Treaty to render him certain specific assistance.
2. The Amir’s position in this Hinterland is unique. No other Chief has
such relations with his tribesmen, both as regards numerical variety, and
diversity, both of origin and of characteristic peculiarities. His position is thus
of considerable difficulty and he cannot be judged by the standard of other and
neighbouring Rulers.
( 3. If it be allowed, as my former minutes have tried to prove, that in
bolstering up the Amir’s house we have failed fully to realise the tribal
conditions prevailing prior to our advent, and had begun to construct a
scheme of consolidation of Amiri rule on lines which, however w’ell approved
in India, are clearly unworkable here, we need not, I submit, suffer our work
to be utterly effaced now on our departure, but shall more advisedly cover our
retreat as best as we can. Our aim should be to work along the line of least
resistance.
4. The time is propitious for us to lay aside the bare role of Mentor and to
intervene now, or soon after the evacuation to compel the Amir to come to
terms with tribesmen who, if not reconciled, will prove a hot-bed for the
working of perpetual Turkish intrigue after we reach Aden.
5. There are extant documents passed by Amir Shaif’s predecessor which
expressly define the respective rights and duties of the house of the Amir, the
Shairis and the Jabal Jihatis. The Amir is averse to disclosing their contents,
because, I think, the documents would prove that he w r as using the presence or
our troops here to attain an influence far in excess both of the terms of these
documents and also of the position he had attained prior to our arrival on the
scene.