Sawdhali (Awdhali)

Sawdhali (plural 'Awadhil) is the dynastic title of a tribe and of a district in the Western Aden Protectorate, about 2,000 square kilometres in area with some 10,000 inhabitants. It lies between the territories of Lower Yafi' to the west, Fadli to the south and 'Awlaki to the east. In the north, beyond the status quo line of 1934, lie the districts of Dahir and Rassas. Part of Dahir, with Aryab as its centre, and Dathina, with Kulayta, have been incorporated into the Awdhila district. ¹

The northern part is dominated by the mountain al-Kawr, about 2,000 metres high, which serves as a barrier. On the terraced slopes and the fertile plateaux round Mukayras and Lodar, fruit and vegetables are grown for export, and honey is an essential product in a climate near to tropical. ¹

The Sultan belongs to the 'Awasidi, a branch of the old Haytham tribe, which gives the dynastic name Ibn al-'Awsaji. His residence is at Lodar, also called al-Ghudr. After family feuds at the turn of the century the political situation was stabilised, and a treaty with the British was made in 1912 by Salih ibn Husayn Jibil. The population is mostly of free tribes, who obey the Sultan only in time of war, and in the border countries, especially Dathina, the local shaykhs are almost independent. The district has a sharia court at Zara, two self-supporting schools, two dispensaries, and landing grounds for aircraft at Lodar and Mukayras. ¹