▁were ▁free ▁to ▁eng age ▁in ▁commercial ▁activities ▁with ▁the ▁R ia u ▁trad ers ▁without ▁any ▁major ▁economic ▁bur den ▁on ▁them . ▁The ▁commercial ▁t ies ▁between ▁the ▁Joh or - R ia u ▁s ultan ate ▁and ▁the ▁British ▁were ▁initially ▁secret ▁before ▁being ▁dis closed ▁open ly ▁later ▁on . ▁ ▁Ott om ans ▁ ▁Ob ser ving ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁Bro ther hood ▁that ▁gained ▁momentum ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁the ▁R ia u - L ing ga ▁Sultan ate ▁regarded ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁as ▁a ▁prote ctor ▁against ▁non - Mus lim ▁colonial ▁powers . ▁In ▁the ▁eyes ▁of ▁the ▁r uling ▁el ite ▁of ▁the ▁court , ▁the ▁Ott om ans ▁were ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁insp iration ▁and ▁a ▁bal ancing ▁power ▁between ▁the ▁western ▁powers ▁and ▁Islam ic ▁world . ▁The ▁Crime an ▁War ▁fought ▁by ▁the ▁Ott om ans ▁was ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁struggle ▁of ▁a ▁" Mus lim ▁power " ▁against ▁the ▁" Foreign ers ", ▁Christians , ▁which ▁to ▁a ▁degree ▁correspond ed ▁with ▁the ▁struggle ▁faced ▁in ▁R ia u - L ing ga . ▁ ▁The ▁status ▁of ▁the ▁A ce h ▁Sultan ate ▁as ▁a ▁v ass al ▁of ▁the ▁Ott om ans , ▁provided ▁a ▁vital ▁preced ent ▁for ▁the ▁R ia u - L ing ga ▁following ▁the ▁d eter ior ating ▁relationship ▁with ▁the ▁Dutch . ▁The ▁court ▁discussed ▁a ▁possibility ▁to ▁receiving ▁the ▁same ▁status ▁and