File 600/1905 Pt 1 'Aden Hinterland: Treaty with Dthala' [‎426v] (114/174)

their intrigues will have some effect. Whether the levy is constituted or
not the business of defending the frontier, and keeping order in its neigh-
bourhood as far as his own people are concerned, will necessarily remain with
the Amir who would turn out his tribesmen and dependents for this purpose, as
might be required. The question, therefore, of introducing a levy system in
place of purely tribal responsibility does not arise, and I trust it may never do
so But if it should, the levy will have to be numbered by hundreds instead
of tens and the entire reduction of the subsidy approved for the Amir, which
amounts, at most, to one hundred rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. a month in Indian money, would be but
a drop in the ocean compared to the expenditure involved. It is in fact less than
one-seventh of the cost of the small levy of 40 men which I have proposed. I
would therefore respectfully suggest that this condition should not be inserted
in the treaty.
13. Pinally, with regard to the opinion of the Government of India as to
the caravan routes expressed in paragraph 3 of the Foreign Department letter.
It is there said that a greater immunity must be insisted on in view of the
expense and trouble which have been incurred in securing the Amir’s possession
of his territories. I am not very clear as to what was in the minds of the
Government of India in making this observation. The road through the Amir’s
territories has always, I think, "been safer than the other, and even more impor
tant route through the Haushabi country to Mavia and Taiz. From the most
southerly Turkish post on the Amiri plateau to Hardaba, 16 miles south of
Dthala, the road has been practically secure since the present Amir came into
1 power. ’ From Hardaba to the Alavi border, a distance of some 5 or 6 miles, the
Kotaibi were in the habit of giving trouble by levying dues to which they had no
right. The Amir for some time closed the road to caravans, making them use
the alternative Mishwara route, which is more difficult but perfectly safe. The
Kotaihis, like the other “ A1 Ajud ” tribes, are under the suzerainty of the Amir,
but they have for long repudiated his authority, and he is not strong enough to
coerce them. Kecently the greed and insolence of the Kotaibis brought them
into direct collision with ourselves. I was obliged to attack them, and in the
course of the operations they received severe punishment. We have still a
post at Sulek to protect that part of the road which adjoins the Kotaibi country,
but the Amir has been informed that he is to take it over shortly. Since it was
assailed by the Kotaibis last October, the post has been re-constructed, and it is
now a very defensible place. It has been planned specially with a view to its
being handed over to the Amir. The Alawi have also voluntarily built an
will hold a strong tower on their boundary at the southern end of the Habilen
plateau. The difficulty will be to get the Amir to maintain a sufficient garrison
at Sulek. There should he 50 men there, or thereabouts, for the present; but
it will cost money to feed them, and a certain amount of arrangement. We have
found that, in these cases, although the Chiefs willingly send men tor the
protection of a road, whenever they are wanted, the numbers dwindle away, and
before long the post disappears altogether. I have, therefore, made an addition
to clause V of the draft treaty, binding the Amir to keep 50 men at SuIeKj
or elsewhere, as desired by the Resident.
14. I would strongly recommend, however, that if this stipulation he en
tered in the treaty, the Amir’s stipend should he raised to 100 dollars per
mensem. I proposed in my letter No. 292, dated 26th October 1903, that the
Amir should be granted a stipend of 50 dollars a month to enable him
up his position, and to place him on an equality, in this respect, with the Yanai
Chiefs, his neighbours, to whom stipends had recently been granted under their
treaties. The Amir is no doubt obliged by his existing agreement to keep the
road open, and I think he has carried out this engagement well, especially
when it is remembered how he has been harassed by the Turks and kis re
venues diminished. Even now he is a poor man, and if we make it a condition
of his treaty that he is to permanently maintain 50 men on the road below
Hardaba, I think he should have an additional allowance to help him to do so.
The Haushabi Sultan, whose position as guardian of a trade route is very similar
to that of the Amir, receives 136 dollars a month, and he is not bound to keep
up any particular post or posts. I hope therefore that Government will, if the
condition be approved, also sanction the larger stipend.
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