Khedivate of Egypt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Khedivate of Egypt ٱلْخُدَيْوِيَّةُ ٱلْمِصْرِيَّةُ  (Arabic) خدیویت مصر  (Ottoman Turkish)
1867–1914
Flag (1867–1881) Flag (1881–1914) Coat of arms
Anthem: (1871–1914) Salam Affandina
Egypt and its expansion in the 19th century.
Status	Autonomous vassal (1867–1914) of the Ottoman Empire (under British military occupation from 1882)
Capital	Cairo
Common languages	Arabic, Ottoman Turkish, Greek, French, English
Religion	Sunni Islam, Coptic Christianity
Government	Constitutional monarchy
Khedive
• 1867–1879	Isma'il Pasha
• 1879–1892	Tewfik Pasha
• 1892–1914	Abbas II
British Consul-General
• 1883–1907	Evelyn Baring
• 1907–1911	Eldon Gorst
• 1911–1914	Herbert Kitchener
Prime Minister
• 1878–1879 (first)	Nubar Pasha
• 1914 (last)	Hussein Roshdy Pasha
Historical era	Scramble for Africa
• Established	8 June 1867
• Suez Canal opened	17 November 1869
• Urabi revolt	1881–1882
• British invasion in the Anglo-Egyptian War	July – September 1882
• Sudan Convention	18 January 1899
• Disestablished	19 December 1914
Area
• Total	5,000,000 km2 (1,900,000 sq mi)
Population
• 1882	6,805,000
• 1897	9,715,000
• 1907	11,287,000
Currency	Egyptian pound
Preceded by Succeeded by Egypt Eyalet Sultanate of Darfur Ottoman Empire Sultanate of Egypt Mahdist Sudan
a. English became the sole official language in 1898. b. Area and density include inhabited areas only. The total area of Egypt, including deserts, is 994,000 km2, however, the size of the Khedivate of Egypt consisted so many other territories, and was approximately 5,000,000 km2.

The Khedivate of Egypt was a special state that was part of the Ottoman Empire but ruled itself. It was led by the Muhammad Ali Dynasty. This government started after Napoleon Bonaparte's French army left Egypt.

The Khedivate of Egypt grew to control many areas. These included parts of today's Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, and even parts of Saudi Arabia.

However, the United Kingdom invaded and took control in 1882. In 1914, the link to the Ottoman Empire ended. Britain then set up a new system called the Sultanate of Egypt.

History of the Khedivate

Muhammad Ali's Rise to Power

For a long time, Egypt was a province of the Ottoman Empire. Local rulers called Mamluks mostly ran things. This changed when France invaded Egypt in 1798.

After the French left in 1801, there was a struggle for power. Three groups fought: the Mamluks, the Ottoman Turks, and Albanian soldiers. These Albanian troops were led by a man named Muhammad Ali Pasha.

Muhammad Ali was very clever. He managed to take control of Egypt. In 1805, the Ottoman government officially recognized him as the governor. Muhammad Ali had big plans. He called himself "Khedive," which means "Viceroy," showing he wanted more power. He also removed the remaining Mamluk leaders in 1811. Many people see Muhammad Ali as the founder of modern Egypt. He made big changes to the army, farming, and economy.

Important Changes and Reforms

Muhammad Ali made many changes in Egypt. He took control of most of the land, which meant the government owned it. This was a big change for the people.

He also tried to make his army more like European armies. This caused some problems, but he eventually succeeded. He built new factories and dug a new canal to Alexandria. This canal, called the Mahmudiya, helped connect Alexandria to the Nile River.

A very important change was the growth of cotton farming. Cotton became a major product for Egypt. Muhammad Ali also encouraged education and trade with Europe. This helped the port of Alexandria become busy again.

Expanding Egypt's Territory

In 1820, Muhammad Ali decided to expand his rule. He sent his army to conquer parts of eastern Libya and Sudan. He wanted to control trade routes and find gold mines. He also wanted to use the campaign to train his new army.

His son, Ismail, led the army into Sudan. They took control of many areas, including Nubia and Sennar. Another general, Mahommed Bey, conquered Kordofan. Later, the city of Khartoum was founded. Egypt also gained control of important ports on the Red Sea.

Helping in the Greek War

Muhammad Ali knew that the Ottoman Sultan might try to limit his power. So, he built a strong navy and army, trained by French experts. He wanted to be ready for any fight.

In 1821, the Sultan asked Muhammad Ali for help. The Greeks were fighting for their independence from the Ottoman Empire. Muhammad Ali agreed to help, hoping to gain more land like Syria. His army fought well in Greece.

However, European powers stepped in. In 1828, British Admiral Sir Edward Codrington forced Muhammad Ali to withdraw his troops. This helped Greece gain its freedom.

Wars Against the Ottoman Empire

Muhammad Ali had called himself Khedive, but the Ottoman Sultan still saw him as just a governor. This led to conflict. In 1831, Muhammad Ali invaded Syria, which was controlled by the Ottomans. He felt the Sultan had promised him Syria for his help in Greece.

The Ottomans, with help from the British, fought back in 1839. The Egyptian army had to leave Syria. As a result of a treaty in 1840, Muhammad Ali gave up all the lands he had conquered, except for Sudan. He was officially given the right to rule Egypt and Sudan as a hereditary governor. This meant his family would rule after him.

Muhammad Ali's Successors

By 1848, Muhammad Ali was very old and sick. His son, Ibrahim, took over as governor. But Ibrahim also died a few months later. Muhammad Ali himself died in 1849.

Ibrahim was followed by his nephew, Abbas I. Abbas I changed many of Muhammad Ali's policies. He was killed in 1854. Then, Muhammad Ali's fourth son, Sa'id, became ruler. Sa'id brought back some of his father's ideas.

Expanding into East Africa

In the early 1800s, Egypt tried to control the Nile River and the Horn of Africa. This area was important for trade. They tried to take over places like Bogos but were stopped by the Ethiopian Emperor.

Sa'id ruled for nine years. His nephew, Isma'il, then became governor. In 1867, the Ottoman Sultan finally recognized Isma'il as "Khedive." Isma'il's rule saw Egypt expand its influence along the Somali coast.

War with Ethiopia

Ismail wanted to expand his control even further, especially over the entire Nile River and the Red Sea coast. He also heard rumors of rich resources in Ethiopia. This led him to try and conquer parts of Ethiopia.

In 1865, the Ottoman Empire gave Ismail control of a province called Habesh, which included cities like Massawa on the Red Sea. This province bordered Ethiopia. Ismail's forces moved inland, taking more land. In 1872, they annexed Keren.

However, Ismail's army faced strong resistance from the Ethiopian Emperor Yohannes IV. In 1875, the Egyptian army was defeated at the Battle of Gundit. They lost again in 1876 at the Gura. This led to a long period of tension. Eventually, in 1884, a treaty returned some land to Ethiopia. The Red Sea Province later became the country of Eritrea.

British Control of Egypt

By 1882, many Egyptians were unhappy with European influence in their country. This led to a rebellion by the army, led by Urabi Pasha. In September 1881, the army forced the Khedive to fire his Prime Minister.

In April 1882, Britain and France sent warships to Alexandria. This caused fear and made the situation worse. By June, Egyptian nationalists were in control, opposing European power.

The British navy then attacked Alexandria. This did not stop the rebellion. So, in August 1882, Britain sent soldiers to Egypt. They defeated the Egyptian army at Tel El Kebir in September. Britain then took control of Egypt and put Khedive Tewfik back in charge. The British said they invaded to bring stability back to Egypt.

British control officially ended when the last Khedive, Abbas II, was removed from power on November 5, 1914. Britain then created a Sultanate of Egypt.

Khedival Rule Under European Influence (1867–1914)

Growing European Influence

During Isma'il's time as Khedive, the Egyptian government relied heavily on Britain and France for money. Isma'il tried to become more independent, but he also spent a lot of money on projects. He built many canals and bridges in Egypt.

Some British and French officials thought Isma'il was spending too much and "ruining Egypt."

In 1869, the Suez Canal was finished. This canal made it much faster for Britain to travel to India. This made Egypt even more important to Britain. The European powers pressured the Ottoman Sultan to remove Isma'il from power.

Tewfik and the Loss of Sudan

Isma'il's oldest son, Tewfik, became the next Khedive. He tried to work closely with Britain and France. However, his power was challenged by a rebellion led by his war minister, Urabi Pasha, in 1882. Urabi took control of the government for a short time.

British naval forces attacked Alexandria. Then, British soldiers landed in Egypt and defeated Urabi's army. Urabi was exiled. After this, the Egyptian army was reorganized and led by British officers.

Meanwhile, a religious rebellion started in Sudan. It was led by Muhammad Ahmed, who called himself the Mahdi. The Mahdist rebels took control of the capital of Kordofan. British-led forces tried to stop them but failed. A British officer, Charles George Gordon, was sent to evacuate people from Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. Instead, Gordon prepared for a siege. Khartoum fell in 1885, and Gordon was killed.

The British relief force arrived too late to save Gordon. The fall of Khartoum led to the creation of an Islamic state in Sudan.

Reconquering Sudan

In 1896, during the rule of Tewfik's son, Abbas II, a large British-Egyptian army began to reconquer Sudan. This army was led by General Herbert Kitchener. They defeated the Mahdists in several battles.

The campaign ended with a big victory at Omdurman, which was the Mahdist capital. The Mahdist leader was found and killed in 1899. British-Egyptian rule was then brought back to Sudan.

The End of the Khedivate

As his rule continued, Khedive Abbas II became very unfriendly towards the British. By 1911, some British officials wanted him removed.

In 1914, World War I began. The Ottoman Empire joined Germany against Britain and France. Because of this, Britain ended the Ottoman Empire's role in Egypt. On November 5, 1914, Britain officially ended the Khedivate. Abbas II was in Vienna at the time and was not allowed to return to Egypt. His uncle, Hussein Kamel, became the new ruler on December 19, 1914, taking the title of Sultan.

Economy of the Khedivate

Egyptian Money

During the time of the Khedivate, the main money used was the Egyptian pound. As European countries gained more control over Egypt's economy, Egypt started using the gold standard in 1885. This meant the value of the Egyptian pound was linked to gold.

New Industries from Europe

Modern ways of making goods, like factories, started in Egypt under Muhammad Ali. This continued under the Khedives. Machines were brought into Egypt. By the time the Khedivate ended in 1914, the textile industry (making cloth) was the biggest industry in the country.

Military of the Khedivate

In 1877, the Egyptian army was quite large. It had about 58,000 regular soldiers. These soldiers were organized into different groups like infantry (foot soldiers), cavalry (soldiers on horseback), and artillery (soldiers who use cannons). They also had military police and other groups.

Important Events and People

Key Events

• Greek War of Independence (1821–1829)
• Egyptian invasion of Syria (1831)
• Suez Canal finished (1869)
• Urabi revolt (1881)
• First Mahdist War in Sudan (1881–1885)
• Second Mahdist War in Sudan (1896–1899)
• Khedivate ended; Sultanate of Egypt started (1914)

Important People

• Muhammad Ali: The first hereditary ruler of Egypt.
• Isma'il: The first official Khedive of Egypt.
• Tewfik: The second Khedive.
• Abbas II: The third and last Khedive.
• Hussein Kamel: The first Sultan of Egypt.
• Ahmed Urabi: An Egyptian soldier who led a rebellion.
• Muhammad Ahmed: The leader of the Mahdist rebellion in Sudan.

List of Khedives

See also

• Khedive
• Vassal and tributary states of the Ottoman Empire