Page 88 - A Hand book of Arabia Vol 1 (iii) Ch 6 -10

222 THE- HADHRAMAUT

though owning a large proportion of the land, they employ slaves
or hired labourers to cultivate it. As compared with the other
classes, they are well educated, are strict in their religious observ­
ances and, owing to the respect due to their descent, they exercise
a strong influence both in temporal and spiritual matters.
The Tribesmen, as in Arabia generally, are the most interesting
part of the Hadhramaut population and are the predominant class.
All the adults cany arms. Some of the tribes have settled towns ;
others lead a nomadic life, keeping, however', within their own recog­
nized territory. They are divided into families, each 'headed by
a chief or Abu, while the head of the tribe is known as the
Muqaddam, or tribal lord. Though the tribesmen are not his
subjects, he is their leader in war or peace ; he can rule only with
their support, and his authority depends largely on his personality.
For the distribution, numbers, and influence of the principal tribes,
see the section 1 Government ’, (p. 229 f.).
The Townsmen are the free inhabitants of the towns and villages
as distinguished from the Seyyids and the tribesmen ; they do not
carry- arms, but are the working members of the community, mer­
chants, citizens, cultivators, and servants, and are entirely depen­
dent on the tribes and. chiefs under whose protection they live.
It is to be noted that taxes fall almost exclusively on them.
The Servile class contains a large African element, brought over
formerly when the slave trade flourished on this coast. They follow
the profession of their masters, i. e. the slaves of a member of a tribe
carry arms or cultivate the fields ; those of a townsman follow the
occupation of the master. As in all Mohammedan countries, they
are generally well treated and often rise to positions of trust.
A large number of Arabs from Hadhramaut go abroad, the
Kathlri especially being enterprising travellers ; many of the
Ka'aiti take service in the irregular troops of Haidarabad, and
emigration to the Dutch colonies in Java and Sumatra has also
gone on since the beginning of the nineteenth century. On the
other hand, a large number of Parsee and British-Indian traders
have established themselves in the Hadhramaut ports, which, carry

on a considerable coasting trade with the Red Sea and the Persian
Gulf.

Domestic Life and Appliances
The houses in the Hadhramaut are often well ventilated and
jomparatively clean. A feature that first strikes the traveller is
•he form and character of the larger houses of well-to-do towns­
men, Often several storeys in height, they are mainly built of