The Sultan of the time in 1786, Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah, sought from Francis Light assistance against threats to the Sultanate, comprising external problems from both Burma and Siam, and the possibility of disputed succession and internal weakness.[3] The Burmese–Siamese War (1785–1786) had required of the Sultanate measures taken purely for expediency, including acknowledgement of Burmese overlordship, as well as the traditional Siamese overlordship.