io let ▁Bour d illon ▁( 1 8 8 6 – 1 9 7 9 ) ▁as ▁" the ▁perfect ▁Governor ' s ▁wife ." ▁She ▁char med ▁both ▁British ▁business men ▁and ▁the ▁loc als ▁in ▁Niger ia , ▁giving ▁the ▁colonial ▁pe op les ▁gra cious ness ▁and ▁respect ; ▁she ▁made ▁the ▁British ▁appear ▁to ▁be ▁not ▁so ▁much ▁r ul ers , ▁as ▁gu ides ▁and ▁partners ▁in ▁social , ▁economic ▁and ▁political ▁development . ▁ ▁Ind irect ▁control ▁ ▁Some ▁British ▁colon ies ▁were ▁ruled ▁directly ▁by ▁the ▁Col onial ▁Office ▁in ▁London , ▁while ▁others ▁were ▁ruled ▁indirect ly ▁through ▁local ▁r ul ers ▁who ▁are ▁super vised ▁behind ▁the ▁scenes ▁by ▁British ▁advis ors , ▁with ▁different ▁economic ▁results ▁as ▁shown ▁by ▁Lak sh mi ▁I yer ▁( 2 0 1 0 ). ▁ ▁In ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁Empire , ▁large ▁local ▁populations ▁were ▁ruled ▁in ▁close ▁co operation ▁with ▁the ▁local ▁hierarchy . ▁ ▁Histor ians ▁have ▁developed ▁categories ▁of ▁control , ▁such ▁as ▁ ▁" sub s idi ary ▁al li ances ", ▁" param ount cy ", ▁" prote ctor ates ", ▁" ind irect ▁rule ", ▁" client el ism ", ▁or ▁" coll abor ation ". ▁ ▁Local ▁el ites ▁were ▁co - opt ed ▁into ▁leadership ▁positions , ▁and ▁often ▁had ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁minim izing ▁opposition ▁from ▁local ▁independence ▁movements . ▁ ▁Fish er ▁has ▁expl ored ▁the ▁orig ins ▁and ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁system ▁of ▁indirect ▁rule .