Sheikh Othman's Expansion: The 1880 Purchase
Back in the late 1870s, Aden was getting a bit snug for comfort. With space at a premium, Brigadier Loch, the Resident of the time, came up with a plan. He suggested buying up the villages of Sheikh Othman and Imad, along with the surrounding lands, to create a new civil settlement. This move was to ease the squeeze in the bustling military town and garrison of Aden. The idea got the nod from India in 1879, but the actual deal was put on ice until the coffers looked a bit healthier.
The lands in question were under the Sultan of Lahej's domain, and to sweeten the deal for him, he was handed an advance of 20,000 rupees in 1879—a tidy sum that could be converted into an interest-free loan if things went south with the purchase plan. To give you a sense of what that amount meant back then, it was more than a couple of years' salary for the 1st Assistant Resident and not even a full year's pay for the Resident, even with the extra cash he pocketed for commanding the troops.
Sultan of Lahej
By 1880, it was clear that the purchase couldn't be kicked down the road any longer, especially to prevent coughing up more cash to other claimants with their eyes on the prize. So, the government penned a deal in November: another 35,000 rupees to the Sultan—bringing his total cut to 55,000 rupees, still shy of two years of Loch's salary. The Fadhli Sultan, who had his stakes in some of that land, got a 5,000-rupee handshake, and another 5,000 went to the Kazi of Lahej for playing middleman.
But that wasn't all. The Sultan's regular stipend from the government got a hefty boost to make up for the lost income from water and salt taxes. He was looking at 600 Maria Teresa dollars for water and another 500 for salt every month. Plus, the deal made sure his right to tax trade passing through to Aden wasn't touched by the new borderlines.
Sheikh Othman 1960
This purchase didn't include Little Aden, mind you—that piece of land had already been snapped up in the 1860s, so it wasn't on the negotiating table this time around.
The Sheikh Othman deal is a fascinating piece of Aden’s history, showing the strategic moves and financial wrangling that went into urban planning and expansion during the colonial era.
It reflects the value placed on land and resources and highlights the complex relationships between the British authorities and local rulers. This expansion allowed Aden to breathe a bit, accommodating its growing population and cementing its status as a key colonial port.
