The first political intercourse between Lahej and the British took place in 1799, when a naval force was sent from Great Britain, with a detachment of troops from India, to occupy the island of Perim and prevent all communication of the French in Egypt with the Indian Ocean, by way of the Red Sea.

The island of Perim was found unsuitable for troops, and the Sultan of Lahej, Ahmed bin Abdul Karim, received the detachment for some time at Aden.

A Treaty was, however, concluded with the Sultan in 1802 by Admiral Sir Home Popham, who was instructed to enter into political and commercial alliances with the Chiefs of the Arabian coast of the Red Sea.

A draft treaty for the cession of Aden was laid before the Sultan, to which he gave his verbal consent and promised formally to agree after consulting his Chiefs.

In this draft the amount of compensation to he paid for Aden was left undetermined, hut it was afterwards arranged that an annual payment of 8,700 crowns should he made.

Negotiations were at this stage when a plot was laid by Ahmed, the Sultan's son; to seize the Agent and rob him of his papers, and delivery of the property stolen from the wreck of the Deria Dowhit was also refused.

An Engagement was made on 11 February 1843. which the British government considered in the light of an agreement to be observed between the Political Agent and the Sultan, but not of a treaty to be formally ratified.

Among its other provisions, this treaty stipulated for the restoration of the monthly stipend which had been stopped in consequence of the share taken by the late Chief, Sultan Muhsin, in an attack on Aden in August 1846.

[3] Relations with the new Chief remained on a fairly satisfactory feeding until 1857. when, taking umbrage at some fancied wrongs, he entered upon a course of open hostility to the British Government.

[3] His son, Fadhl l (Fazl) bin Ali, was elected by the tribes and elders to succeed him in the government, but no sooner had he assumed the management of affairs than intrigues were set on foot by other members of the family with a view to his displacement.

Ultimately an arrangement was effected, through the mediation of the Resident at Aden and with the consent of the young Chief, by which he was succeeded in the government of the country by his uncle.

For the assistance rendered by Sultan Fadhl bin Muhsin in supplying forage and means of transport for the troops employed against the Fadhli tribe in 1865, he was presented with 5000 dollars.

[3] In 1867 the Chief consented to the construction of an aqueduct for the supply of water from the Shaikh Othman wells to Aden, a distance of 6 miles (10 km).

[3] In 1873, in consequence of repeated applications by the Sultan of Lahej, for the protection of the British Government against the Turks, who had demanded his submission, had occupied a part of Zaida and Shakaa, and had sent troops to support his rebellious brother Abdulla, a force of British and Indian Infantry with three guns marched to Al Hauta, the capital of Lahej, to protect the Sultan.

After some negotiations the Turkish troops evacuated Lahej and Shakaa, and the Sultan's two brothers and nephew surrendered unconditionally and were conveyed as State prisoners to Aden, while their forts were dismantled.

[3] In July 1881 an Agreement was concluded between the Abdali and the Haushabi, by which a portion of the Zaida lands taken from the latter tribe in 1873 was restored to them, and a cause of constant mutual irritation was thus effectually removed.

He was repudiated by bis Shaikhs and, at their request, Sultan Fadhl bin Ali made suitable arrangements for administering their country and protecting the trade routes.

[3] In 1910 a convention was executed with the Sultan, by which he ceded to government a piece of land on the left bank and eastward of Wadi As-Saghir for use as headworks of the water supply of Aden.

[3] In July 1915 a Turkish force under General Said Pasha from Yemen attacked and captured Lahej which they retained until the end of the war.

[3] In January 1919, in consequence of incursions by the Imam into the Protectorate and the resulting danger to Lahej, a force of British troops was sent to garrison Nobat Dukeim.

[4] The Sultanate of Lahej and others surrounding the Port of Aden had economic influence by supporting the important trade economy of the British Empire from South Asia.