Egypt 1857-1890 Flashcards
What did British PM: Lord Palmerston say about Egypt in 1860?
“What we wish about Egypt is that it should be attached to the Turkish Empire. which is security against it belonging to another power.”
What was Egypts relation with the ottoman empire?
Egypt had been part of the Ottoman Empire since 1517, but by late nineteenth century the Empire was in decline
What did the British fear of Ottoman colonies in North Africa?
That they would be taken over by rival European powers such as France, threatening British interest in the area
Why was Egypt useful to the British?
As a shortcut to India and for access to oil fields in the Middle East
How did the British treat the Muslim rulers of Egypt?
With hostility
When and who was the plan for the Suez Canal drawn up by?
The french poured money into the country in the 1850s and the plan was drawn up by a frenchman named Ferdinand de Lesseps
What was the initial purpose of the Suez Canal plan?
To connect the Mediterranean to the Red Sea and reduce the route to India by over 6,000 miles
When was the Suez Canal Company set up?
1858, with permissions to run and oversea the canal until 1957
When and who was the Construction of the Suez Canal by?
Work began in 1859 with thousands of Egyptian labourers employed in buildings the canal, all overseen by fench engineers
Why did British interest in Egypt increase during the American Civil war 1861-1865?
British mills were running out of raw cotton which would be imported from America. And Egypt had high quality cotton which attracted British merchants.
By the 1870s what percentage of Egypt’s imports were coming from Britain?
40%
Who was made Khedive in 1863?
Ismail - often known as Ismail the Magnificent
What did Ismail start after his position in 1863?
An expensive program of modernisation that included:
-irrigation
-railways
-education
-street lighting
-Suez canal construction
When did the Suez Canal open?
1869
What happened to Egypt in 1875?
It had a debt crisis and the country seemed to be heading towards economic collapse
What did Khedive Ismail do in response to the Egypt economic collapse in 1875?
Offered all of the egyptian shares in the Suez Canal (44% total ownership)
For what price was 44% in shares of the Suez Canal sold for?
£4 million (over £86 million today)
Who bought Egypts 44% of Suez Canal shares?
Britain - by the British PM: Benjamin Disraeli
How were the British gaining money through the Suez Canal shares?
They earned profits through shipping tariffs
What did Khedive Ismail request in 1876?
Requested Britain and France provide immediate expert economic advice
How did Britain respond to Ismails call for help 1876?
A treasury Official named Stephen Cave concluded that the only way to save Egypt would be to have it taken over by a “body of high class Europeans”
What happened to Egypt in 1878?
An Anglo-French plan to rescue Egyptian economy agreed:
-French controlled government expenditure
-British controlled raising revenue
What were some negative consequences of the French and British dual economic control in 1878?
Much unemployment and many of the Egyptian people started street riots and rebellion in the army
Who was Ismail replaced by in 1879?
His son, Tawfiq, on orders of the Ottoman Sultan
What happened to the Egypt in 1882?
A colonel in the egyptian army, Arabi Pasha, was on the verge of taking over after leading a successful nationalist movement, forcing Tawfiq to appoint allies to key government positions
What was the aim of Arabi Pasha in 1882?
To remove the Ottomans as well as the British and French from their positions of dominance
What happened on June 11th 1882?
There was a nationalist riot in Alexandria killing 50 Europeans
What did the British government do as a result of the Alexandria riot 1882?
Government led by Gladstone ordered the formal occupation of Egypt using the security of the 100,000 people living in Egypt as his justification
How was the Alexandria riot described to the British?
Stories in Newspaper described them as wicked and heartless rebels - “Muslim Mob” and that the rebels “killed all the Christians they could find”
Due to Royal Navy Bombardment and Army Invasion when was the Suez Canal secured?
October 1882, the rebellion had been crushed, making Britain the official government of Egypt
What was Tawfiqs position after October 1882?
He was left in charge though he was nothing more than a figurehead or a “puppet-ruler”
Who was Tawfiq forced to appoint late 1882?
A government of ministers who supported British control
When was the occupation of Egypt formally confirmed?
In 1885 by the Convention of London, meaning Egypt was a client state of the Empire “Veiled protectorate”
How did the French respond to Britains formally confirmed occupation in 1885?
Dual economic control ended with French hopes of dominaning an Independent Egypt. They were outraged and claimed the uprising was an excuse to dominate and freeze them out
