The Book
Kavalali Mehmed Ali Pasha (c. 1770-1849), often dubbed "the founder of modern Egypt", was one of the most important figures in the history of the Ottoman Empire. Born in what is now Greece, and seemingly headed for an everyday existence as a tobacco trader, he joined the Ottoman army at the age of thirty, and went on to become both the leader of Egypt for nearly fifty years and the founder of a dynasty that ruled for a century after his death.
In this insightful and well-constructed biography, Khaled Fahmy assesses the renowned ruler's life, and his significant contribution to Egyptian, Ottoman, and Islamic history. Examining the unprecedented economic, military, and social policies that he introduced in Egypt, as well as Mehmed Ali's intricate relationship with his family, Fahmy provides a fresh assessment of this towering nineteenth-century personality.
In this insightful and well-constructed biography, Khaled Fahmy assesses the renowned ruler's life, and his significant contribution to Egyptian, Ottoman, and Islamic history. Examining the unprecedented economic, military, and social policies that he introduced in Egypt, as well as Mehmed Ali's intricate relationship with his family, Fahmy provides a fresh assessment of this towering nineteenth-century personality.
Additional Information
| Subject | Religion: Islam |
|---|---|
| Series | Makers of the Muslim World |
| Pages | 160 |
| Imprint | Oneworld Academic |
| Illustrations | Illustrations, maps |
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments1 MACEDONIAN ORIGINS
Birth
Childhood and adolescence
Marriage
2 THE EGYPTIAN QUAGMIRE
Hüsrev Pasha: the beginning of a lifelong enmity
The eviction of the Mamluks from Cairo
Sending Hüsrev packing
3 CONSOLIDATION OF POWER
The elimination of local rivals
The Mamluk massacre
4 ENTRENCHMENT
Building an alternative power base
An economic policy takes shape
The Hijaz campaign
Absolute power
Tightening the screw
Investing in infrastructure
Lingering anxieties
Commercial successes
"The old spider in his den”
5 EXPANDING HORIZONS
A fortuitous year
The Greek war
The involvement of the European powers
Hüsrev's reappearance
The "Auspicious Event”
Disaster at Navarino
Preparation for the next round
6 THE FINAL SHOWDOWN
The Benefactor
Nagging worries
The invasion of Syria
Crossing the Rubicon
Reorganization and retrenchment
The second Syrian crisis
Seeking hereditary rule
Jubilation
7 TRIUMPH
The Pasha and his elite: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Mehmed Ali and the Egyptians
The Pasha's last years
8 THE PASHA'S MULTIPLE LEGACIES
What went wrong?
Bibliography
Index
