Britain consolidated its influence over the emirates via a number of agreements concluded with the various rulers. However, these agreements did not provide sufficient means for Britain to successfully monitor developments across the region, which required a specific mechanism both to ensure that the conditions of these agreements were being applied, and to collect information on internal developments in the emirates. To this end, the British established a unique administrative system through which it dealt with the leaders of the emirates and maintained political control over the area.

To understand the basis of this system, and the tactics applied by the British, it is necessary to appreciate the characteristics of the tribal system that existed in the emirates at the time.

The Tribal System in the Trucial States

The political system of the emirates evolved as a consequence of the human geography of the region—namely its tribal society.

The strongest and most influential tribes controlled the emirate's affairs. Their authority was founded on a number of different factors, such as their history and lineage, which was a source of pride to all tribes. The major tribes at the time were as follows:

• Al Bu Falah in Abu Dhabi

The Al Bu Falah is the tribe that led the Bani Yas alliance and played the lead role in the history of Abu Dhabi. The Al Nahyan family, which rules the emirate, descends from the Al Bu Falah. There is little information available on the history of this family prior to 1800, the year in which Shakhbut bin Dhiyab Al Nahyan transferred the capital from Liwa to the island of Mleih, which later took the name of Abu Dhabi.