British interest in Aden began in 1796 with Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt, which posed a threat to Britain’s interests In India.
The once-busy port had fallen off the world’s radar as trade routes shifted elsewhere, but during the invasion, a British fleet docked at Aden at the invitation of the Sultan of Lahej, who ruled the area as part of the Ottoman Empire.
Napoleon was defeated in 1801, but people in Britain and at the East India Company began to lobby for a permanent base at Aden to stop future French incursions through Egypt to India and to counter Russian advances into Persia. The coming of steam clinched the argument; Aden would be a useful coaling station for ships voyaging to
