Strategic maritime geography, not local trade, drove British imperial policy.

Evidence

This is an unusual take, as the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and its strategic location in regard to British rule in Bombay make it essential for global shipping routes and essential to Britain’s desire to become the steward of the sea. Therefore, despite Britain’s interest being limited to the pearl trade, it was global economic interests that motivated imperial policy. — Robin Alexander Plant, Discuss the Relationship Between…, 14

Categorization

• DEFINE: Clarifies why tiny pearl-trade stakes could justify imperial intervention: Hormuz and the Gulf as chokepoints on the Bombay route.
• QUESTION: How much of the Gulf presence was actually justified by pearl revenue versus shipping-lane control? Worth checking the sources cited.