Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is considered as one of the greatest leaders of Egypt; he introduced vast changes that transformed the country from a lowly province to a strong, independent state. Muhammad Ali was born in Macedonia, a province of the Ottoman Empire. Although not a native Egyptian, Ali became embroiled in Egyptian affairs after he led a military regiment to combat the French in the province. After the French had withdrawn from their invasion of Egypt, Ali became the viceroy or the governor of the province after winning over favor from the sultan. With this newfound power, Ali endeavored to introduce reforms in order to enrich the country (and thereby his own treasury). The French invasion had disrupted the traditional society of Egypt, and Ali exploited this weakness to destroy several pillars of tradition in the country. He removed the mameluks from power, forced the clergy to become pensioners, restricted trade and commerce, weakened the Bedouin nomads and crushed peasant rebellions. His first act was consolidating his political control over the province by eliminating his rivals, the mameluks, who had once controlled Egypt. After systematically slaughtering the mameluk beys, Ali introduced large and broad politico-social, economic and military reforms that set Egypt onto a path of independence. He reformed the military and introduced European tactics of warfare and technology by hiring specialists from outside the Empire. With this new army he defeated the Ottomans and achieved greater sovereignty. He utilized his position of influence to open trade networks with European powers, but unknowingly entrapped the country into a deep hole of debts. Nonetheless, funds from European powers facilitated the modernization of the country.
Ali, being stubborn, insensitive and intransigent, refused to see the error of some of his actions. He collectivized the agricultural land of the country in order to finance his over-extending budget. He introduced cash crops to improve revenue. He also reformed the military to establish autonomy from the Ottoman Empire; greatly influenced by the European model of the military and of education, Ali made proper reforms within Egypt. However, most of his large-scale industrial projects failed because Egypt lacked several components, such as a lack of power sources, an untrained working class, mismanagement, etc. He attempted to compensate for his failures by embarking on expensive military campaigns designed to expand the country’s borders. European intervention eventually forced Ali to relinquish his hold over conquered territories. Despite these short comings, Ali made significant changes to Egypt that contributed to the country’s growing sense of independence and nationalism. After his death in 1849, his sons and brothers endeavored to maintain Egypt’s revitalized economy. However, poor decisions and growing debt crippled the country, despite the lucrative prospects lured in by the construction of the Suez Canal. Eventually Colonel Urabi led a revolt against the dynasty only to incur the wrath of the European powers seeking payment. Egypt became a British protectorate, but the model set by Ali still resonated across Egyptian society.
Ali, being stubborn, insensitive and intransigent, refused to see the error of some of his actions. He collectivized the agricultural land of the country in order to finance his over-extending budget. He introduced cash crops to improve revenue. He also reformed the military to establish autonomy from the Ottoman Empire; greatly influenced by the European model of the military and of education, Ali made proper reforms within Egypt. However, most of his large-scale industrial projects failed because Egypt lacked several components, such as a lack of power sources, an untrained working class, mismanagement, etc. He attempted to compensate for his failures by embarking on expensive military campaigns designed to expand the country’s borders. European intervention eventually forced Ali to relinquish his hold over conquered territories. Despite these short comings, Ali made significant changes to Egypt that contributed to the country’s growing sense of independence and nationalism. After his death in 1849, his sons and brothers endeavored to maintain Egypt’s revitalized economy. However, poor decisions and growing debt crippled the country, despite the lucrative prospects lured in by the construction of the Suez Canal. Eventually Colonel Urabi led a revolt against the dynasty only to incur the wrath of the European powers seeking payment. Egypt became a British protectorate, but the model set by Ali still resonated across Egyptian society.