▁the ▁same ▁objective . ▁The ▁nature ▁and ▁operation ▁of ▁Ind irect ▁rule ▁in ▁Northern ▁Niger ian , ▁am ply ▁confirm ▁these ▁content ions . ▁ ▁When ▁Lord ▁L ug ard ▁conquer ed ▁the ▁S ok oto ▁C ali ph ate ▁of ▁Northern ▁Niger ia , ▁in ▁early ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁his ▁limited ▁resources ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁men ▁and ▁money , ▁made ▁it ▁imp ract ic able ▁for ▁him ▁to ▁rule ▁that ▁vast ▁territory . ▁Fort un ately ▁for ▁him , ▁however , ▁the ▁S ok oto ▁C ali ph ate ▁already ▁possessed ▁a ▁highly ▁developed ▁and ▁efficient ▁system ▁of ▁administration ▁head ed ▁by ▁em irs , ▁with ▁the ▁Sultan ▁of ▁S ok oto ▁as ▁the ▁supre me ▁head . ▁The ▁hier arch ical ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁political ▁structure ▁was ▁ideal ▁for ▁Ind irect ▁Rule ▁because ▁the ▁British ▁could ▁control ▁the ▁em irs ▁and ▁the ▁em irs ▁in ▁turn ▁could ▁control ▁their ▁people . ▁ ▁In ▁India ▁The ▁largest ▁application ▁of ▁Ind irect ▁rule ▁was ▁in ▁British ▁Asia , ▁in ▁hundreds ▁of ▁pre - colon ial ▁states , ▁first ▁seen ▁at ▁work ▁under ▁the ▁East ▁India ▁Company ' s ▁system ▁of ▁subs idi ary ▁al li ances ▁in ▁the ▁Indian ▁sub cont inent . ▁The ▁areas ▁thus ▁brought ▁into ▁the ▁British ▁sphere ▁of ▁influence ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Indian ▁Pr inc ely ▁States . ▁Sub sequently , ▁the ▁same ▁principle ▁was ▁applied ▁in ▁strateg ic ▁regions ▁on ▁the ▁sea ▁routes ▁to ▁India , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf ▁protected ▁states