Egypt flag

The British Empire in Egypt and Sudan

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    Said Pasha

    Friend of de Lesseps, gives him the concession to set up the Suez Canal Company Followed by his nephew
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    American Civil war

    caused a dramatic increase in cotton imports to Britain
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    Ismail Pasha

    His rule brought more spending and borrowing.
    Reason: He aimed to turn Egypt into a powerful, semi-independent modern state.
    large debt that led to dual control over Egypt's finances from French and British.
  • Opening of the Suez Canal

    Ceremonial inauguration near Port Said.
    Reason: The canal cut thousands of miles from the route to India, elevating British strategic concern for control over Egypt.
  • Public debt reaches £70 million

    Egypt took on large debts from British and French bankers to fund railways, telegraphs, and army reforms.
    Reason: Modernization ambitions exceeded state revenues, drawing Britain into Egyptian finances.
    Baring fixed this through cutbacks to military an bureaucracy.
  • Disraeli purchases half share in Suez Canal

    Disraeli secured a loan for £4,000,000 from the Rothschilds to finance the purchase.
    Reason: To guarantee British influence over the canal and pre-empt French dominance.
  • Caisse de la Dette

    institution that took over Egypt to supervise debt repayments. control over finances, then later administration
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    Nationalist revolts in Egypt

    'Egypt for the Egyptians' Under Arabi Pasha. Aimed to depose Tewfik and remove foreign influence in Egypt. Followed increasing unrest about the amount of taxes British ministers had imposed on Egypt, and the cutting of the army by 2/3, creating unemployment. Britain sent gunboats to Alexandria after 50 Europeans were killed in riots. Garnet Wolseley won the Battle of Tel El Kebir on Sep 13 and Arabi was captured. British troops occupied Egypt.
  • Deposition of Ismaʿil Pasha; Tewfik Pasha installed as Khedive

    Britain and France pressured the Ottoman Sultan to remove him Due to poor economy, after attempted modernisation schemes. Replaced by his son Tewfiq. British and French ministers are brought in to handle the Egyptian economy, with British Commissioner Lord Dufferin placed in charge of government revenues.
  • Muhammad Ahmad declared himself the Mahdi

    Sudanese religious leader Muhammad Ahmad proclaimed himself the Mahdi (“Guided One”).
    Mahdi=spiritual leader who will restore religion and justice
    Why important: This united widespread anger against oppressive Egyptian rule (acting under British influence), high taxation, slave trade restrictions, and economic hardship.
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    Mahdist rebellion in Sudan

    Cleric Muhammad Ahmad proclaimed himself the Mahdi in June, created a Jihadist army. after they defeated Anglo Egyptian forces at the battle of Shakyan, Gladstone sent Gordon to oversee withdrawal. Gordon stayed, called for reinforcements. Public pressure for gladstone to provide relief, so he sent soldiers, but they arrives too late. Gordon became a national martyr, e.g. painting 'General Gordon's last stand
  • Urabi appointed minister of war

    appointed due to pressure from the Urabist movement.
    During the final months of the revolt, from roughly 1 July 1882 to 13 September 1882, he held the position of Prime Minister while still controlling the military.
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    Egypt as informal empire

    Egypt is defacto British colony under nominal ottoman rule. various puppet ruler put in place (Khedive) with British overseers (consul-general). veiled protectorate
  • Alexandria riots

    Violence erupted between Egyptians and Europeans. 50 europeans killed and 100 Egyptians killed.
    Reason: Rising anger at European control and fear of foreign intervention.
    Gladstone and French sent combined gunboat fleet to intervene. The bombardment of Alexandria resulted in Tewfik being restored as puppet ruler. Consul-General Evelyn Baring was set up to rule indirectly and British troops remained in Egypt.
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    British naval bombardment of Alexandria

    British forces shelled the city after tensions escalated.
    Reason: Britain claimed to protect the Suez Canal and Europeans (after the riots) ; it was also a prelude to full intervention.
  • Battle of Tell El Kabir

    Urabi's forces defeated by the British in a battle lasting little over an hour. this led to the British occupation of Egypt
  • British entry into Cairo: veiled protectorate

    The occupation effectively began.
    Reason: To stabilize the country under a “veiled protectorate” that maintained nominal Ottoman and Khedival rule but ensured real British control.
  • Destruction of Hicks Pasha’s army at Shaykan

    A 10,000–12,000-strong Egyptian army under British officer William Hicks was annihilated.
    Why important: The largest Egyptian force in Sudan was wiped out, making Mahdist control of most of the countryside inevitable.
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    siege of Khartoum

    General Charles Gordon, sent by Britain to organise evacuation, refused to leave and instead defended Khartoum.
    Why important: The siege became a major imperial crisis and dominated British politics.
  • Convention of London

    Secured international loans for Egypt, solidified British economic influence, Military Personnel and political/economic advisors put in place
  • Mahdi dies

    succeeded by Khalifa Abdullah. Internal resistance, famine and disease led to a fractured rule.
  • Fall of Khartoum and death of General Gordon

    Mahdist forces overran Khartoum; Gordon was beheaded.
    Why important: A symbolic Mahdist victory and major humiliation for Britain. Created the independent Mahdist state.
  • Saad Zaghlus Pasha minister for educastion

    nationalist party revived as an underground movement by the educated Egyptian middle classes. the received funding from the German government.
  • Fashoda Incident

    After reconquering Sudan, Kitchener's forces intercepted a French military expedition led by Marchand. both sides claimed the upper Nile belonged to them. 3 November 1898, the French ceded the area to the British
  • Battle of Omdurman

    General Sir Herbert Kitchener (commander in chief for the Egyptian army) led Britain to a victory using maxim guns. 1899 Sudan became a condominium. 10,000 Mahdists killed, 47 British. Kitchener was brutal as he was part of the relief expedition to collect Gordon that arrived late. Kitchener ordered the Mahdi's head.
  • Sudan condominium of British and Egyptian rule

    Run in practice by Britain with Egyptian support
  • 1000 British working in Egyptian government

    100 in 1885
  • Denshawai incident

    clash between British officers and Egyptian villagers led to the arrest of 52 villagers, 4 sentenced to death, 26 flogged. this provoked further backlash.
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    Eldon Gorst Conslul-General

    tighter press censorship from 1909
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    Kitchener consul general

  • legislative assembly replaced the general assembly

    66 elected, 17 appointed. only represented rich landowners.
  • Egypt protectorate

    needed control of the Suez Canal as world war 1 broke out. the khedive (an ally of the Ottoman Empire, who was part of the central powers) was deposed. His successor, Hussein Kamel, was compelled to declare himself independent of the ottomans