Lahej was sultanate of the 'Abdali dynasty. In 1740 the 'Abdali sultan became independent. It became independent thanks to the fracturing of the Zaidi State in north Yemen. The Sultanate of Lahej became an independent entity, from 1728 to 1839.
The Sultanate of Lahej lost its independence to the British, after the Royal NavyAden Expedition attack in 1839. The Sultan signed several treaties with the British. The 1863 opening of the Suez Canal caused the formation of the Aden Protectorate. The sultanate was one of the original "Nine Cantons" that signed individual British protectorate agreements with Great Britain, that in 1869 were joined together to become the Aden Protectorate. The Suez Canal also opened in 1869.
During World War I, the Ottoman Empire subjugated the Sultanate area. In 1918 Lahej was captured from Ottoman Empire suzerainty and restored as a British protectorate.
Reinstalled British protectorate and Federation of South Arabia
Lahej typically enjoyed good relations with the British, despite the accidental killing of Sultan Fadhl ibn Ali al Abdali by British troops in 1918 who mistook him for an enemy Ottoman Turk soldier. In 1948, the Subayhi tribal area was absorbed into their sultanate. However, by 1958, Britain was worried that the sultan at the time, Ali bin Abd al Karim al Abdali, an Arab nationalist, would refuse to join the British-sponsored Federation of Arab Emirates of the South, and had him deposed. Lahej ended up joining the Federation and later the Federation of South Arabia in 1963.
Nov 1839 – Dec 1839 Ahmad II ibn Muhsin al-'Abdali
Dec 1839 – Aug 1846 Muhsin ibn al-Fadl al-'Abdali
11 Aug 1846 – Sep 1846 Sayyid Isma'il ibn al-Hasan al-Husayni
Sep 1846 – 30 Nov 1847 Muhsin ibn al-Fadl al-'Abdali
Dec 1847 – 20 Jan 1849 Ahmad II ibn Muhsin al-'Abdali
Mar 1849 – 7 Apr 1863 'Ali I ibn Muhsin al-'Abdali
Apr 1863 – 1863 al-Fadl III ibn 'Ali al-'Abdali
1863 – 5 Jul 1874 al-Fadl IV ibn Muhsin al-'Abdali
5 Jul 1874 – 27 Apr 1898 al-Fadl III ibn 'Ali al-'Abdali
29 Apr 1898 – Mar 1914 Ahmad III ibn al-Fadl al-'Abdali
Mar 1914 – 4 Jul 1915 'Ali II ibn Ahmad al-'Abdali
13 Jul 1915 – 18 Jun 1947 'Abd al-Karim II ibn al-Fadl al-'Abdali
18 Jun 1947 – 21 May 1952 al-Fadl V ibn 'Abd al-Karim al-'Abdali
4 Jun 1952 – 10 Jul 1958 'Ali III ibn 'Abd al-Karim al-'Abdali
10 Jul 1958 – Aug 1967 al-Fadl VI ibn 'Ali al-'Abdali
Economy
British Empire
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. Early 19th century industrial Britain, with its rapidly expanding economy, needed improved and reliable communication with British India and the East India Company operations. The 1863 opening of the Suez Canal initiated further British trade protection strategies, securing the port of Adan and surroundings to serve the Red Seashipping routes using its new canal. The Sultanate was part of an effort of the British Empire to protect the East India Route, the sea route between the Mediterranean and India, in and through the southern coasts of the Arabian Peninsula.
Resources
As of 1920, the Lahej region was producing salt, from salt mines owned by the Ottoman government, that passed through the Sultanate for shipping.
