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Mohammad Ali Pasha, the
founder of the Royal Alawite Reign in Egypt, was a Wali
subjected to the Turkish Sultan in the Asetana. He came to
Egypt along the Ottoman Expedition (1799) to drive the French out of
it.. But he wanted to be independent and let the rule of Egypt on
his posterity. When this request had been turned down by the Ottoman
Sultan Mahmoud II, Mohammad Ali began monitoring the right time to
cecede and declare war against the Ottoman Sultan. The year 1831
gave him the opportunity he waited for.
In November 1831
Mohammad Ali sent his son Ibrahim Pasha to Palestine at the head of
an army of 40,000 strong. Ibrahim occupied Gaza, then Ramle, Jafa,
Haifa and Jerusalem. He took over these cities without fight.
In December 9, 1831 the
first confrontation between the Egyptian army and the Ottoman army
under Abdullah Pasha. The latter was forced to take refuge in Acre
Fortress, but surrendered to Ibrahim after six-month-siege.
Ibrahim’s troops
proceeded northward, occupying all the Syrian cities and ultimately
crossed into Anadolia and he was about to take over the Asetana, had
not been for foreign intervention.
After reconciliation
with the Ottoman Sultan, Palestine entered in the realm of the
Alawites of Egypt.
Few months later a
revolt occurred against Ibrahim Pasha as a result of the heavy taxes
as well as the forced conscription he imposed on the Palestinians.
In April 4, 1834 Ibrahim
issued an order to the population of Jerusalem, demanding one of
every five youths-others said one of every ten-to be recruited in
his army. He wanted 200 men from Jerusalem and 3,000 from the
districts of Jerusalem, Nablus and Hebron.
Among other factors that
had led to the revolt was Ibrahim’s order to collect the arms from
the population and depriving notables from their privileges.
These measures and
others alienated the Muslims but received with satisfactions from
Christians and Jews. Tension rose among Muslims who complained of
the treatment that had been accorded to them. Accordingly, the
Pasha( Ibrahim) sent them the following message :
As you know, Beit al-Makdis
(Jerusalem) contains a lot of monasteries, convents and churches
that Christians make pilgrimage to every year. They have complained
to us from the tough and cruel treatment they receive from, and the
humiliation heaved upon them as well as the high dues imposed on
them…. For this, I am warning you of jeopardizing them… etc.
Moreover, the Ottomans
incited the rebels while England took a hostile attitude towards
Egypt.
These factors have
produced a widespread resentment and outrageous protests. And the
people began readying themselves to rebel.
To be continued…
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