'Awlaki (tribal confederation and territory)

'Awlaki, plural 'Awalik, is a tribal confederation and a territory, the easternmost district of the Western Aden Protectorate. Its boundaries are the Fadli, 'Awdhali and Baybani districts to the west, the Dhiebi territory of Irka, the Wahidi sultanate of Bal-Haf and an indeterminate area to the east, with Dierdan, Irma (Urma) with Shabwa, and al-Burayk. The Kawr al-'Awdhilla, the continuation of the Kawr 'Awdhilla, divides the country into two halves of very different character. ¹

Upper 'Awlaki, of some 100,000 square kilometres and 30,000 to 50,000 inhabitants, is by far the richest and most powerful. The climate is tropical, and the fertile ground produces wheat, maize, tobacco and indigo. Ard al-Mahajir in the north belongs to this confederation, which comprises the subtribes Rabiz, Hammam, Dayyan and Dakkar. The Sultan of Upper 'Awalik resides at Ansab (Nishab). The other great federation, the Man or Ma'an, is grouped round the old town of Yeshbum, where the shaykh of Upper 'Awalik, who like the Sultan is always chosen from the Man, resides. Its subtribes are 'Atik, Sulayman, Tawsala, Mikraha and Thawban, which are mostly independent, fond of fighting, and often enlist for service abroad. Treaties with the British were signed in 1903 by the shaykh of Yeshbum, Muhsin ibn Farid, and in 1904 by the Sultan of Ansab, 'Awad ibn Salih. ²

Lower 'Awlaki, of some 80,000 square kilometres and 12,000 to 15,000 inhabitants, is for the most part arid; there is seldom rain enough in the mountains to make the wadis flow. Its most important valley system is that of the Wadi Ahwar, also called 'Uthrub, formed by the junction of the Wadi Diahr from Dathina and the Wadi Deka, which passes through the highland of Munka'a. Himyaritic clans live there, the Kumush in the Wadi Labakha and the Ahl Sham'a in Mahfid, who exercise a certain authority over the Bedouins of the tribe of Ba Kazim. The Sultan resides at Ahwar (Hawar), about five kilometres from the coast. The treaty with the British of 1888 was renewed in 1944 by Sultan 'Aydarus ibn 'Ali, who was murdered in 1948; the adviser agreement has brought better security, a revival of agriculture and trade, an aerodrome and a wireless station. ³