74 ^ Short History of the Middle East
The romantic interest of the Egyptian expedition has over-
shadowed other, and not less significant, proceedings in other parts
of the Middle East. Until about 1770 Britain had been content to
be represented in the Middle East by trader-consuls 'humbly asking
for nothing but capitulations and to be left alone'. From 1770 on-
wards, in their dealings with an Ali Bey or a Sulaiman Pasha of
Iraq, her representatives were attaining the status of equals in
power and authority. But, just as it had been the bid to create a
French empire in India which turned the East India Co. from trade
to the tasks of empire, so it was Napoleon's threat to that growing
empire in India which first constrained Britain to increase her
political influence in the Middle East; and in both instances, once
committed, she followed the course thus imposed on her with
greater tenacity than the more opportunist French, and so achieved
success and empire almost in spite of herself.
In the Southern Red Sea Britain immediately countered
Napoleon's thrust towards India by occupying Perim, in the nar-
rowest part of the Straits of Bab al Mandab. But soon, when living
conditions on this torrid rock had proved intolerable, the occupy-
ing force was moved to Aden, by agreement with its ruler, the
Sultan of Lahaj. A treaty was made with him in 1802, and six years
later Lord Valentia commented prophetically, 'Aden is the
Gibraltar of the East'. In 1799 Napoleon had made overtures from
Egypt to the Sultan of Oman, who by his possession of harbours
on either side of the Straits of Hormuz (he held Bandar Abbas at
this time) could control the entrance to the Persian Gulf. The Sul-
tan was however persuaded to conclude with the East India Co. a
treaty excluding from his territories French and Dutch subjects
(Holland was now under French domination) for the duration of
the war; and in 1800 the Company established a permanent
Resident at Muscat.
Both at Basra and Baghdad French consuls had been established
earlier than those of the East India Co.; but since they were ill-paid,
ill-provided, often ill-chosen, and no great volume of French trade
passed through their hands, they failed to impress the ruling
Pashas. In 1798 the French consuls were arrested, their papers
confiscated, and their premises occupied. It is not clear whether
this was done entirely on the initiative of Sulaiman Pasha on ac-
count of the Ottoman declaration of war on France following the
invasion of Egypt, or whether perhaps it may have been suggested