Uncommon British Protectorate manual on the tribes near Aden

Mosse, A. H. E. Aden. A Short Account of the British Settlement With Some Reference to the Proctectorate.

€ 3.500,00

First and only edition of this excessively rare manual by a British Lieutenant in the Indian Army, on the topic of Aden and its vicinity, describing the "Arab tribes which actually border on British territory", specifically, "Abdali, Fadthli, and Akrabi".

The 'Abdali Sultanate, located just north of Aden city, was one of the most important tribal areas of the Aden Protectorate. Mosse writes that they are "the most civilised and least warlike of the tribes [...] They number some 12,000 to 15,000, their capital Lahej or Al-Hautah being situated about 16 miles N.W. of Shaikh Othman". Of the Fadhli Sultanate, Mosse writes that they "can number about 6,000 fighting men [...] They are proud, warlike and independent. Their chief town Shukra is a port with a considerable trade, chiefly in fish". Finally, of the Aqrabi Sheikhdom, Mosse writes that they are "a small tribe, with a high reputation for courage".

An appendix provides "Notes on the present Ruling Chiefs of some of the Protected Tribes". These include "Sultan Sir Ahmed Fadthl" of the 'Abdali, who is "entitled to a salute of 9 guns. An astute and capable ruler [...] He drives a considerable revenue from the transit and other dues on Caravans passing to and from Aden". Next is "Sultan Ahmed Husen" of the Fadthli, also entitled to a nine-gun salute, noted as "comparatively uneducated, but is a more powerful ruler than any of his predecessors". Another, "Ali bin Mani" of the Haushabi, is "a young chief who has only recently been elected Sultan by his tribe, promises to be an improvement upon his predecessor whose evil reputation lives after him". This predecessor perhaps was his father, Sultan Hussein, who was rumoured to have assassinated the previous sultan. Finally, of "Shaif bin Saif Abdul Haid" of the Amiri, Mosse notes, "His position on the Turkish frontier is a difficult one [...] Is very loyal and ready to take advice".

Other details describe British and local settlements, hotels, and shops, centres of native trade, the Italian Salt Works, the Eastern Telegraph Co. telegraph station on Perim Island off Aden ("called, by the Arabs, Meyun"), and more.

Aden was ruled as a part of British India from 1839 until 1937, when it became a Crown Colony. Its proximity to Zanzibar, the Suez Canal and Mumbai made it an important strategic possession in the British Empire.

Spine professionally repaired, with a few very subtle further paper repairs. This particular work is uncommon on the market, and is not listed on OCLC nor auction records.