Dynasty of Muhammad Ali

Dynasty coat of arms

The Muhammad Ali dynasty is a noble Egyptian dynasty named after its founder, Muhammad Ali Pasha . From 1805 to 1953 she was the ruler of Egypt and Sudan . Under their rule, Egypt rose as a formal vassal of the Ottoman Empire to become a major power in the Arab and Islamic world and at times ruled large parts of the Middle East , North and East Africa . The country experienced numerous wars (including two world wars) and important social and political reforms. In 1922 the country gained its independence as the Kingdom of Egypt under the dynasty and became the first industrial state in Africa.

The dynasty ruled until its fall in 1952/53 with a total of eleven monarchs, who among other things carried the titles of sultan and king .

history

→ Main articles : History of Egypt  and Kingdom of Egypt

After Napoleon's Egyptian expedition and the withdrawal of the last French troops in 1801, violent power struggles broke out in the Ottoman province of Egypt. In these, Muhammad Ali Pasha asserts himself as Wali (governor). The pacification of the country and the expansion of the irrigation system resulted in an economic upswing, which was also promoted by the attempt at state industrialization. After a massacre in Cairo , in which Muhammad Ali Pasha eliminated the Mamluks as a power factor in Egypt in 1811 , a modern administration was established.

Egypt under the Muhammad Ali dynasty 1840

With the newly formed Egyptian army , the Wahhabis in Arabia were defeated in the Ottoman-Saudi War (1811-1818) and Sudan was conquered (1820-1823). During the Greek uprising (1822-1827) the Ottoman sultan was forced to call on the modern troops of his hated vassal Muhammad Ali for help. Despite its support, the Ottoman Empire had to give Greece independence in 1830 after a British-French fleet intervened in favor of the rebels. In order to secure the political and economic rise of Egypt, the invasion of Palestine and Syria began in 1831 , whereby the Egyptian army under Ibrahim Pascha , the son of Muhammad Ali, after several victories over the Ottoman army through Anatolia , advanced on Istanbul . Ibrahim Pasha had to withdraw again, but was able to maintain Syria and Cilicia . It was not until the European powers intervened in 1840 that Muhammad Ali Pasha was forced to withdraw from Syria and Palestine. However, the Ottomans had to recognize him as a hereditary wali in Egypt in 1841. In 1867 the Wali Ismail Pasha was raised by Sultan Abdülaziz to Khedive ( viceroy ) against the doubling of the tribute .

Under the following Khedives there was an increasing European penetration of the Egyptian economy and culture. The strong focus on the export of cotton led to the formation of large estates, which in turn led to increased rural exodus. After the Suez Canal was opened in 1869 , Egypt gained great strategic importance for the European powers, which led to greater interference. In addition, Egypt was forced to sell its shares in the Suez Canal to Great Britain , also due to the unsuccessful financial policy under Ismail Pasha . After the de facto national bankruptcy, an international financial regulator was set up under British leadership.

Egypt from 1841 to 1922

The Urabi movement (1881–1882), which was supported by officers of the Egyptian army, was directed against European penetration . This was used by Great Britain to militarily occupy Egypt in 1882 and to crush the Urabi movement (see also: British rule in Egypt ). The policy of the country was now primarily determined by the British Consul General, even if the Ottoman Empire formally still had sovereign rights until the British protectorate of the Sultanate of Egypt was proclaimed at the start of the war in 1914. Sultan Fu'ad I , who has ruled since 1917, became king after Egypt's independence was proclaimed in 1922.

After Fu'ad's death in 1936, his son Faruq had a strong influence on daily politics. His reign was marked by corruption and a contradicting foreign policy, which fluctuated between a reference to the fascist dictatorships in Europe and the western democratic states and which ultimately led Egypt into isolation on the eve of the Second World War . In 1940 Egypt was occupied by Great Britain. The country was the scene of a multi-front war ; it was not until 1942 that the British troops were able to repel the invasion by the Axis powers that had been threatening since 1940 in the Second Battle of El Alamein . The events connected with an economic crisis led to a strong loss of support for the monarchy among the population and the military .

Kingdom of Egypt from 1922 to 1953

The increasing repression of the opposition after the defeat in the Palestine War against Israel in 1948/49 led to strong social tensions, which in 1952 led to the overthrow of Faruq in the “ Revolution of July 23 ”. The subsequent dictatorship of the military under the formal rule of the underage Fu'ad II led to an increased attachment to the Soviet Union and the rise of Arab nationalism . On June 18, 1953, the monarchy was abolished.

Ruler from the dynasty of Muhammad Ali

Welsh

• Muhammad Ali (July 9, 1805 - September 1, 1848)
• İbrahim (September 1, 1848 - November 10, 1848)
• Abbas I (November 10, 1848 - July 13, 1854)
• Said (July 13, 1854 - January 18, 1863)
• Ismail (January 18, 1863 - June 8, 1867)

Khedives

• Ismail (June 8, 1867 - June 26, 1879)
• Tawfiq (June 26, 1879 - January 7, 1892)
• Abbas II (January 8, 1892 - December 19, 1914)

Sultans

• Hussein Kamil (December 19, 1914 - October 9, 1917)
• Fu'ad I. (October 9, 1917 - March 16, 1922)

Kings

• Fu'ad I. (March 16, 1922 - April 28, 1936)
• Faruq (April 28, 1936 - July 26, 1952)
• Fu'ad II (July 26, 1952 - June 18, 1953)

family tree

1. Muhammad Ali (1805-1848)

2. İbrahim (1848)

4. Said (1854–1863)

Tusun -

5. Ismail (1863–1879)

3. Abbas I (1848-1854)

9. Fu'ad I. (1917-1936)

6. Tawfiq (1879-1892)

8. Hussein Kamil (1914-1917)

10. Faruq (1936-1952)

7. Abbas II. (1892-1914)

11. Fu'ad II. (1952-1953)

literature

• Hassan Hassan: In the House of Muhammad Ali. A family album. 1805-1952. The American University in Cairo Press, Cairo 2000, ISBN 977-424-554-7 ( digitized version ).
• Osman Ibrahim: Méhémet Ali le grand. Mémoires intimes d'une dynasty. (1805-2005). Maisonneuve & Larose, Paris 2005, ISBN 2-7068-1858-1 .

Web links

Commons : Dynasty of Muhammad Ali  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files