The Suez Canal And Egypt Flashcards
Why was British interest in Egypt revived in the 1860s?
British mills were suffering from starvation of raw cotton.
Egypt offered high quality cotton and thus become an attractive investment for the British.
By 1870s, 40% if Egypt’s imports were coming from Britain.
When did Isma’il Pasha come to power and what were his initiatives?
Pasha came to power in 1863.
He was committed to modernisation and embarked on projects such as:
Irrigation, Railways, Schools, Streetlights, and the ambitious cutting of the Suez Canal to connect the Mediterranean with the Red Sea.
How much shorter was this new Suez route to India?
6000 miles shorter than the Cape route.
When was the Suez Canal completed?
In 1869, shares were also made publicly available.
Why were the British hesitant to invest in the Suez Canal?
They believed that it would be unsuitable for large ships.
Why did the British change their opinion of the efficiency of the Suez?
It had an immediate effect on world trade, profits for the British were dropping.
When and how did the British obtain shares of the Suez?
Pasha was in serious debt, therefore, he looked for a buyer to pay £4,000,000 for the shares. Disraeli bought them in 1875, Britain now owned 45% of Suez Canal Company.
Who decided to buy the shares?
British PM - Benjamin Disraeli - stepped forward.
What effect did the shares have on British control of the Suez?
This gave British greater control of passage to India and income from shipping Tariffs.
When and who became the new Khedive?
As a result of domestic and Anglo-French pressure, Ismail was deposed in 1879.
His son Tewfiq became the new Khedive, he was essentially a puppet for the British and French who now controlled Egypt
How was the failing Egyptian economy propped up?
Taxes were imposed on the Egyptian people and its army was reduced by 2/3.
What problem did Arabi Pasha cause?
The change in taxation prompted a nationalist rebellion led by Arabi Pasha. This put pressure on Tewfik.
Tewfik was forced to appoint two of Pasha’s associates into a government role. Their anti-Europe sentiment caused concern for the British surrounding trade, the 100,000 Europeans living in Egypt, and most importantly the Suez route.
What caused British intervention in Alexandria?
In June 1882, political tensions spilled onto the streets where violence claimed the lives of 50 Europeans and 125 Egyptians.
As this escalated, William Gladstone felt obligated to intervene.
Naval forces were sent to bombard Alexandria, 100s of civilians were killed along with settlements destroyed.
How did Arabi Pasha respond to the British intervention in Alexandria?
Pasha declared war. The British were successful in securing the Suez Canal with the the bulk of the British forces. The battle lasted 1 hour.
What did the defeat of Pasha enable the British to do?
Retake Cairo and restore Tewfik as the puppet ruler, the occupation of Egypt had begun.
Behind the thin veil of both Ottoman and local rule, Egypt was firmly under British administrative control.
