Egypt And Sudan Flashcards
How did trade and the economy affect British policy in Africa?
After the loss of the American Colonies and the ending of the slave trade - there was a pivot towards trading within Africa and accessing its large amounts of natural resources.
What strategic factors lead to British expansion in Africa?
Britains coastal possessions on the West African coast needed to be protected, with a string of forts built along the Gold Coast.
There were large amounts of British settlers in the Cape of Africa, along with numerous ports that could be used as outposts to travel to Asia and Australia
How were chartered companies used in relation to British expansion in Africa?
They were used to implement British claims to regions and their wealth, in areas where British traders had been operating for years.
This helped keep these regions from possibly becoming closer tied to competition in Europe.
Why was Britain increasingly dependent of Egyptian trade during the 1860s and 70s?
Britain had become reliant of Egyptian cotton after the American civil war.
40% of all imports to Egypt came from Britain by the 1870s
After the Suez Canal was opened in 1869, Britain needed to protect its strategic interests in transporting good to India and the rest of Asia.
How did the opening of the Suez Canal affect British interest?
Initially, Britain had bought few shares in the canal as it was thought it would not be big enough for large trading ships.
Once it opened British traders in the Cape lost huge amounts of business as the journey to India was cut drastically.
How did Egyptian economic issues allow for Britain to begin to extend its influence over Egypt?
Economic mismanagement by Isma’il Pasha meant that Egypt was forced to sell its shares in the Suez Canal in 1875 - Benjamin Disraeli bought (£4 million) these shares on behalf of the British government.
This gave Britain greater control over the passage to India along with interests in shipping tariff income from the canal.
Who replaced Isma’il Pasha as the Egyptian Khedive?
Isma’il Pasha was deposed in 1879 by the Ottoman Sultan after Anglo-French pressure. His son, Tewfiq replaced him with British money largely helping to prevent the Egyptian economy from collapsing.
What caused the uprising in Egypt led by Arabi Pasha, what were the consequences of the revolt?
In order to prop up the Egyptian economy, taxes were imposed on food and goods, along with its army being reduced by 2/3rds. Arabi and is officers rose up and eventually forced Tewfiq to appoint their allies to governmental positions.
This caused British concerns over their investment, along with the well being of over 100,000 Europeans in the region.
What led to the British occupation of Egypt?
In 1882, political tensions spilled over in Alexandria, claiming the lives of 50 Europeans. Gladstone decided to send the navy to bombard Alexandria, with Pasha eventually declaring war.
British forces eventually secured the canal and later Cairo with Tewfiq being re-installed as puppet leader.
What was the 1885 convention of London?
It laid out the installation of Egypt as a ‘veiled protectorate’ of the British empire.
Tewfiq was forced to creat a government amenable to Britain, with British personnel overseeing the army and British advisors overseeing Egyptian politicians.
Major Evelyn Baring was appointed as Consul-General of Egypt and essentially was its head of government.
What problems faced British administration in Egyptian-controlled Sudan?
Charles Gordon was sent as as Governor General or Sudan between 1877-80, with increasing opposition being led against British rule from the ‘Mahdi’ Islamic cleric.
Mahdists sought to fully free Sudan from outside rule, and by 1882 the entire areas surrounding Khartoum’s had fallen to the rebels.
After a failed expedition to defeat te rebels, Gladstone ordered the evacuation of British personnel from Khartoum - though it was overrun in 1885 with them being killed.
