A New Station for Trade - Port of Aden

East India Company troops capture the port of Aden, in Yemen, today in 1839. This would be used as a coaling station for merchant and navy ships on the Suez-Bombay route

The Capture of Aden, January 1839 - "The Landing"; Source: Wikipedia; Public Domain

The age of Sail led to the exploration of the world’s oceans and previously uncharted waterways by the European powers. As the world passed into the age of Steam, no longer was wind needed to power ships on long journeys, now coal would do its job.

Multiple empires still battled for supremacy on the high seas - but it was one Empire that would define the flows of the Age of Steam - the British Empire. As a world-ranging empire had already been established by the 19th century, what Britain needed to do now was to ensure that all its possessions were safe and sound, and trade was carried out with brisk efficiency between Britain, its colonies, and all its trading partners - especially the colony of India, which till 1857 was still in control of the East India Company.

The key to a smooth trade of this magnitude were ports - many, many ports. Ports located at strategic bases could occupy a vantage position over the surrounding terrain, could scout for fleets leaving the harbour, and in this new age - could provide coaling facilities for long-distance merchant fleets.

With this intention in mind, the East India Company began increasing its demands for coaling stations all along the Suez-Bombay route.

The Suez-Bombay route had been one of the most profitable routes of trade for Britain - especially as not much was paid in return for virtually all Indian exports due to India being a colony.

Thus, one of the first targets of the East India Company was Yemen - specifically, the port at Aden. This was because it lay on the Bab-el Mandeb straits, and it was adequately positioned in between Alexandria and Bombay - the two principal British harbours. A small fleet of 4 ships (including 2 built-in Bombay) landed Royal Marines on the 19th of January, 1839, and captured the port.

This marked the start of a long British presence in Yemen, eventually expanding to the entire state.