Political gains for Sudan, and among these gains was constitutional development in its various stages, from the Advisory Council to the Legislative Assembly, and finally Parliament. I said that the British did not fight the independence movement, whose nucleus was laid in 1922, and I believe they were disciplined by political considerations, even though they never allowed me to do so. However, I felt it from their actions towards me. At the same time, the government began to lay the foundations of native administration around 1927 as part of its policy to counter Egyptian influence in Sudan. Native administration played an important historical role, as most tribal leaders stood by me in the independence movement. Objectively, the system of native administration was a necessity dictated by the reality of our country, as it was not possible to rule the nomadic tribes in the desert with the same laws that governed cities, nor could the central apparatus function in a vast country like Sudan. Despite the objection of some educated people to customary law, in my opinion, it is better than direct rule by officials, because the latter lacks the most important pillars of good governance, which is the common loyalty between the ruler and the ruled. Tribes at that time did not know loyalty to the greater homeland, just as the official did not pledge tribal loyalty. Native administration was a successful step that bore fruit, regardless of the intentions of those who laid its foundations. Strangely, despite the British's renowned ability to rule peoples, their policies often resulted in outcomes contrary to their objectives. Europeans in general do not fully understand Eastern peoples due to the vast social differences between East and West. Therefore, peoples afflicted by Western colonialism must learn from the mistakes of Europeans and exploit them for their benefit, and I believe we did that. 48