Prior to British occupation in Pahang, British officers had little knowledge of the state compared to other Malay states such as Perak, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. During the 19th century, Pahang was known to be unique due to its vastness in size but small in population of both local people and foreigners such as the Chinese, Indians and Europeans. Since the British officers had never explored the Pahang territory, they knew little of what Pahang had to offer. Nonetheless, they were interested in expanding British influence there on the reason that the state’s vast size could also mean abundance in natural resources such as tin that could potentially generate big income, and thus offer economic wealth. Therefore, the British were greatly reliant on information concerning the activities of the Malay community in Pahang. This article will discuss these activities based on British reports and opinions, as well as their efforts toward British intervention in Pahang.