Pasha Mehmet Ali Pasha

Mehmed Ali Pasha rose to power in Egypt, 1805, after a prominent group of Egyptians had demanded the Ottomans replace Ahmad Khursid Pasha, the Pasha of Egypt at the time, with Mehmed Ali. The Ottomans yielded to this request. Mehmed Ali modernized Egypt, envisioning it to become the successor to the slowly decaying Ottoman Empire. His reforms included the establishment of both a professional bureaucracy and military, the securement of a steady revenue stream by nationalizing the agricultural sector and imposing a trade monopoly, the build up of the industrial sector in addition to this, the improvement of the law and its implementation, and the expansion of educational possibilities for both men and women. His vision for Egypt was summarized in the following quote: ‘I am well aware that the (Ottoman) Empire is heading by the day toward destruction… On its ruins I will build a vast kingdom… up to the Euphrates and the Tigris.’ Mehmed Ali’s military and imperial ambitions regarding Egypt ran along this line, resulting in several clashes with the Ottoman Empire and the European Powers.