The Era of Muhammad Ali

By Nehal, Sarah, Hasnae, and Ashley

Background• Born in 1769 in an Ottoman port called Kavala• His father and grandfather were military

leaders • Moved to power through military achievement• Known as the “Father of Modern Egypt”

Family• He married the governor's daughter, Khadra• Then he married Amina who gave birth to Ibrahim,

Tussun, and Ismail • He fathered seventeen sons and thirteen daughters

• Muhammad Ali’s Family Tree

Political Personality • Fun and lively person• Piercing eyes • Smart and fair with experience

Reforming Egypt• Main goal: a European-style Egypt• Nationalized all land so he owned all the

production of land • Raised taxes on the people who previously

owned all the land • Monopoly on trade in Egypt• Established a modern navy

Agricultural Reforms • 1813: sharing of common land (changed the

state of the fellaheen in Egypt)• Took hold of the lands from the Mamelukes• Improved the irrigations systems • Cultivation of cotton in Delta starting 1822

Educational Reforms • Educational system was founded in 1811 • Took effort to educate all people in his country,

especially girls • Established many schools particularly in rural areas • Offered scholarships for students to go study

outside of Egypt

Military Reforms • Conscripted peasants to work in the army• Invited Turks into the country to lead his army• Created Western-styled schools to train doctors,

engineers, and veterinarians to supply services for his army

• Sent soldiers to European countries for training in modern techniques

Politics• Muhammad Ali was the viceroy/ pasha of

Egypt from 1805-1848• He wanted to eliminate the mameluks• He wanted to create an independent Egypt

politically and economically

Political Reforms• Muhammad Ali desired a professional

bureaucracy• 1811, exterminated the leader of the

mameluks• He reorganized the administrative structure

of the government• Worked to modernize Egypt

Social Structure• Religious leaders acted as

intermediaries/ buffers between the public and administration

• Intermediaries would take money or authority for services

• In times of crisis, intermediaries would usurp the central gov’t

Social Structure• Guilds had tax-

collecting elders• Village shaikh was

power booker, money lender, and landlord

Social Reforms• Confiscated feudal farms of mameluks• 1808, he started confiscating private lands of

individuals and gave them pensions• Reform programs were aimed at creating a

modern Egyptian society

Mameluks’ Tombs

Economy• Surplus from agriculture was distributed to:

fallah, village sheikh, mameluks, and central treasury.

• System benefited large number of people, but was wasteful and the treasury used the money unproductively

Economic Reforms• By reorganizing the administrative structure

of the government, Muhammad Ali guaranteed strict control of the economy

• Created state monopolies over chief products• Encouraged overland transit of goods from

Europe to India via Egypt

Industrial Reforms• He tried constructing a modern industrial

system to process raw materials. • Created factories• Created a cotton industry

Industrial Reforms• Started building a new canal, called Mahmudiya,

in 1819• This made travel safer and trading more efficient

Failures of Reforms• Muhammad Ali was unable to sever ties with

Ottoman Sultanate• Industrial experiments failed, due to Egypt’s lack

of power sources and a skilled working class• Agricultural sector declined due to excessive

taxation and monopoly on trade• Financial requirements increased because of

military campaigns

The Successors’ Reforms

• Abbas I, Ibrahim’s nephew, takes the throne

• Reforms:– Put an end to

commercial monopolies

– Railway from Alexandria to Cairo begun

Muhammad Ali’s Successors• Sa’id, son of Mohammad Ali, takes over Egypt

• Reforms and death:

Muhammad Ali’s Successors• Reforms of Ismail The Magnificent:

Wars and Foreign Affairs

Egyptian Revolution (1803-1805)

• Egyptian Revolution (1803-1805) - Political violence had hit Egypt, leading to the rise of Muhammed Ali as Pasha of Egypt.

Wahabi War (1811-1818)• Muhammed Ali lead a

war against the Wahabi Muslim sect in Arabia.

• The Wahabis were trying to capture Muslim Holy place like Mecca and Medina.

• The Egyptians regained their territory and settled in the name of Ottoman Empire.

Egyptian Conquest of the Sudan (1820-1839)

• Led my Muhammed’s son, Hussein, conquered Sudan.

• This gave control over the Red Sea, as well as the Nile.

• This was their most successful attempt on expanding

Greek War of Independence (1821-1832)

• Egypt aided the Ottoman Turks when fighting the Greeks.

• Muhammed’s son, Ibrahim, lead the Egyptian troops in Greece.

• But the British, French and Russians came in to help out Greece.

Greek War of Independence (1821-1832)

• The war ended, at the Battle of Navarino, in the defeat of both the Ottoman Turks and Egyptians.

• This directly caused in their new war between the Ottomans and Egyptians.

First Turko-Egyptian War (1832-1833)

• Muhammed was hoping to receive Syria as a token of thanks from the Ottomans

• After not receiving an reward for helping out the Turks during the war, resulted in the First Turko – Egyptian War.

First Turko-Egyptian War (1832-1833)

• Ali invaded several major cities in the region, as well at Constantinople. (Ottoman Capital)

• Russia came intervened the war and in order to restore peace, Egypt was awarded with Syria

Second Turko-Egyptian War (1839-1841)

• Egypt declared itself as a independent nation from Ottoman rule

• They even beat the forces that were sent by the Ottoman rulers to stop the uproar.

• Britain eventually came and brought Egypt back to Ottoman rule.

International Relations• Relations between

Sudan and Egypt were never great, especially during Ali’s conquest of Sudan.

• His view on Sudan was a place with a great deal of resources that they could take advantage of.

• Such as gold, territory and slaves

International Relations• During the Greek

Independence War, Egypt stepped in to help out the Ottomans.

• Allies of Greece, Britain, France and Russia intervened to come to defeat the Turko/Egyptian fleet.

• This cost the Pasha his whole navy as well as no new addition to territory

International Relations• Being under the

Ottoman rule always something that kept the Pasha on his toes

• Clearly, Egypt wanted to be their own independent nation resulting in two Turko – Egyptian wars

• Britain stepped in to restore everything to Ottoman Rule.

Main Achievements in his Era • Weakening the tie bonding Egypt to Turkey • Starting the cotton industry• Recognizing the advantages of European

Science • the conquest of Sudan.

Successors

Ibrahim●September 1848 – 10 November 1848●Born 1789, Macedonia (Greece)●Died November 10, 1848, Cairo●Eldest son of Muhammed Ali. However is considered adopted.

●1805 - Governor of Cairo●1816-18 - Commanded an army against the wahhabite rebels●1821-22 - His father sent him to Sudan for a mission●1831-32 – Led an Egyptian army through Palestine, and defeated an Ottoman army.

Ibrahim

●December 21, 1832 - Gained a final victory at Konya

●May 4, 1833 – He became governor-general Syria and Andana

●June 24, 1839 – Last and greatest victory

Ibrahim

Abbas I●10 November 1848 – 13 July 1854●Born 1813, Jeddah, Hejaz●Died July 13, 1884, Egypt●Ibrahim’s nephew●Selfish, secretive, cruel

●Served in administrative and military positions, and military commander in Syria●Reduced the arm forces, opposed the construction of the Suez canal.●Roads were improved, and let the british construct the Alexandria-Cairo railway.●1853 – he sent a force to help the ottomans in the Crimean War●Helped the poor class

Abbas I

Sa’id I•13 July 1854 – 18 January 1863•Born 1822, Cairo•Died January 18, 1863, Alexandria•Muhammed Ali’s fourth son

1854 – Succeeded viceroy of Egypt, against Abbas1855 – passed a law; male descendents of a peasant to inherit his land1856 – one of his greatest acts; construction of the Suez canal by a French company1858 – passed another law; limiting land inheritance to Muslims1861 – established a commission to work out a municipal code for Egypt citiesUnsuccessfully attempted to end slave trade

Sa’id I

Ismail I●18 January 1863 – June 1879●Born December 31, 1830, Cairo●Died March 2, 1895, Istanbul●Ibrahim’s son

●Studied in Paris●Undertook diplomatic missions in Europe●1867 – obtained the title of Khedive, from the Ottoman Sultan●Negotiated the completion of the Suez Canal●Hope to bring Sudan under Egyptian control

Ismail I