The French Campaign and Western Colonial Orients (Analytical Study)

Abstract

The political conditions in Egypt, before the end of the eighteenth century, were summarized in a ruling administration whose primary concern was to squeeze more wealth at the expense of the Egyptians, and the hands of their owners quarrel and conspire among themselves, the partisanship between the Mamluks who exchange assassinations and attacks to the point of installing cannons on the minarets of the mosques in the heart of Cairo. Then, Ali Bey's dress and his separatist adventure and his fall at the hands of his Mamluk Muhammad Bey Abu Dahab, who did not last in power, then the struggle of the Mamluk camps Murad Bey and Ibrahim Bey on the one hand and his former companion Ismail Bey on the other hand, which the Ottomans exploited to try miserably to regain their hold on power. .

At this time, French spies were invading Egypt while recording their observations and reporting in the form of the project "Occupying Egypt to control the eastern trade." The reports mention: "The Egyptians are completely crushed, the Ottoman ruler is a plaything, the Mamluk princes are between a constant conflict and satiety with riches and surrender to luxury and indignation of duty." The Ottoman garrison is small in number, its weapons are primitive, and its personnel are not trained in the arts of modern warfare, in addition to their involvement in forcing the Egyptians and extorting their money, the castles are not fortified, the cannons are few and primitive, and gunpowder has become like dirt from its excessive neglect.

The occupation of Egypt was a strong desire of France despite the failure of its multiple campaigns, but its leaders were waiting for the opportunity to fulfill their hopes, and for that, they sent their messengers in the form of merchants and travelers, and their mission was to send reports that described the state of weakness and chaos that Egypt was experiencing during this period. , And these reports had a role in sending the campaign, which had a major role in Western colonial trends, and the global conflict that reached its intensity between Britain, France and Russia, which ended with the occupation of Egypt.