▁The ▁British ▁East ▁India ▁Company ▁starting ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 th ▁century ▁station ed ▁its ▁staff ▁as ▁agents ▁in ▁Indian ▁states ▁which ▁it ▁did ▁not ▁control , ▁especially ▁the ▁Pr inc ely ▁States . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁The ▁system ▁became ▁an ▁efficient ▁way ▁to ▁govern ▁indirect ly , ▁by ▁providing ▁local ▁r ul ers ▁with ▁highly ▁detailed ▁advice ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁approved ▁by ▁central ▁authorities . ▁After ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁military ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁often ▁took ▁the ▁role ; ▁they ▁were ▁rec ru ited ▁and ▁promoted ▁officers ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁experience ▁and ▁expert ise . ▁The ▁indirect ▁rule ▁system ▁was ▁extended ▁to ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁colonial ▁hold ings ▁in ▁Asia ▁and ▁Africa . ▁ ▁Econom ic ▁histor ians ▁have ▁expl ored ▁the ▁economic ▁consequences ▁of ▁indirect ▁rule , ▁as ▁in ▁India ▁and ▁West ▁Africa . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁Z anz ib ar ▁became ▁a ▁prote ctor ate ▁( not ▁a ▁col ony ) ▁of ▁Britain . ▁Prime ▁minister ▁Sal is bury ▁explained ▁his ▁position : ▁ ▁Colonel ▁Sir ▁Robert ▁Gro ves ▁San de man ▁( 1 8 3 5 – 1 8 9 2 ) ▁introduced ▁an ▁innov ative ▁system ▁of ▁trib al ▁pac ification ▁in ▁Bal och istan ▁that ▁was ▁in ▁effect ▁from ▁ 1 8 7 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁He ▁gave ▁financial ▁allow ances ▁to ▁trib al ▁chief s ▁who ▁enfor ced ▁control , ▁and ▁used ▁British ▁military ▁force ▁only ▁when