Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 7.djvu/783

759 FKEXCU OCCUPATION.] vened the beys, showed them the document, and aided by those of his own household persuaded the council to expel the pasha, and declare Egypt independent. The Sheykh Dhahir took part in this rebellion, and the pasha of Damascus was beaten by him between Mount Lebanon and Tiberias. A period of good but vigorous government and of tranquillity followed these events in Egypt, notwithstand ing the very heavy imposts levied for the replenishment of the treasury ; and All s generals gained for him extended power abroad. Mohammad Aboo-Dhahab was despatched to Arabia, and entered Mecca, where the Shereef was deposed ; and another bey traversed the eastern shores of the Red Sea. After the expedition to Arabia, Mohammad Bey inarched into Syria to assist the Sheykh Dhahir against the Porte, and the co-operatiou of the Russians was demanded. A successful campaign terminated before the walls of Damascus, the siege of which was abandoned when nearly brought to a close, and Mohammad Bey returned with large forces to Egypt. This man, loaded with benefits by his patron, now openly rebelled ; and being joined by All s enemies, at the head of whom was Ismail, chief of the guard, he advanced on Cairo, and AH escaped to his steady ally, Sheykh Dhahir, the prince of Acre. These events took place the year 1 186. Mohammad Bey was then declared Sheykh el-Beled. Ali Bey, in the meanwhile, in conjunction with his ally, gained various advantages in Syria, and, on the information that his return was desired in Egypt, he collected a small force, assisted by Sheykh Dhahir and a Russian squadron, and determined on attempt ing to recover his power. He, however, fell into an ambuscade near Es-Saliheeyeh, and was wounded by one of his memlooks named Muraxl (afterwards Murad Bey), carried to the citadel, and poisoned by Mohammad Bey. Thus terminated the career of the famous Ali Bey, a man whose energy, talents, and ambition bear a strong resem blance to those of the later Mehemet Ali. Mohammad Bey continued Sheykh el-Beled, tendered his allegiance to the Porte, and was invested with the pashalik. He then entered Syria, and severely chastised Sheykh Dhahir, taking Gaza, Joppa, and Acre itself. Joppa was taken by assault, and suffered a massacre of its inhabitants, and Acre was pillaged. At the latter place the pasha suddenly died. His mosque in Cairo is the latest fine specimen of Arab architecture, and is not unworthy of its better days. The chief competitors for power were now Ismail, Ibrahim, and Murad, the first of whom was speedily expelled, the contest continuing between the two latter beys. Ibrahim at length succeeded in causing himself to be pro claimed Sheykh el-Beled, and Murad contented himself with the office of Emeer el-Hagg, or chief of the pilgrims; but this arrangement was not destined to be of long continuance ; a violent quarrel resulted in a recourse to arms, and that again in a peace of three years duration, during which the two beys held an equal sway. In the year 1200 the Porte despatched Hassan Capitan (properly KapoodAn) Pasha (or High Admiral), with a Turkish force, to reduce the turbu lent Memlooks to obedience, and to claim the annual tribute. Murad Bey was defeated at Er-Rahmaneeyeh, and the Turks advanced to Cairo, desolating the country, and acting according to their almost invariable practice on such occasions. The metropolis opened its gates to Hasan Pasha, who determined on pursuing the beys to Upper Egypt, whither he despatched a large portion of his army, and a sanguinary conflict took place. But a war with Russia re called this commander to Constantinople. Ismail was again created Sheykh el-Beled, and he held that post until the terrible plague of the year 1205, in which he perished, and hence it is commonly called the &quot; Plague of Ismail.&quot; His death caused the return of Ibrahim and Murad ; and 759 eight years after, intelligence of the arrival at Alexandria of a French army of 36,000 men, commanded by General Bonaparte, united these chiefs in a common cause. On the 18th May 1798, this expedition, consisting of 13 sail of the line, 6 frigates, and 12 vessels of a smaller size, sailed from Toulon, and made the coast of Egypt on the 1st July. The troops were landed near Alexandria, and the city fell by assault on the 5th of that month. The French conquest and occupation of Egypt belong to European history ; a recapitulation of the princi pal events of the period will therefore suffice in this place. The Memlooks affected to despise their antagonist, and hastened to chastise him : at Shibirrees they attacked the French and were repulsed; but, nothing discouraged, they collected all their forces, exceeding 60,000 men, under the command of Murad, and entrenched themselves at Embabeh, opposite Cairo. Here was fought the battle which has been dignified with the name of that of the Pyramids. European tactics completely bewildered the Memlooks : their famous cavalry was received on the bayonets of the French squares ; a galling fire of grape and musketry mowed down their ranks ; and of this great army only about 2500 horse escaped with Muraxl. Bey, while 15,000 men of all arms fell on the field of battle. Having made himself master of Cairo, Bonaparte despatched General Desaix to effect the conquest of Upper Egypt, and the success of the Eastern expedition seemed secured. But, ten days after the victory of Emb&beh, the battle of the Nile annihilated the French fleet in Aboo- Keer (Aboukir) Bay, and most materially influenced the future conduct of the war. On this point, Napoleon him self says, &quot; La perte de la bataille d Aboukir eut une grande influence sur les affaires d Egypte et meme sur celles du monde; la flotte Frangaise sauvee, 1 expe dition de Syrie n eprouvait point d obstacles, 1 artillerie de siege se trans- portait surement et facilement au-dela du desert, et Saint- Jean-d Acre n arretait point 1 armee Francaise. La flotte Franchise de&quot;truite, le divan s enhardit a declarer la guerre en Egypte changea totalement, et Napoleon dut renoncer a- 1 espoir d asseoir a jamais la puissance Frangaise dans 1 Occident par les resultats de 1 expe dition d Egypte.&quot; 1 The disastrous expedition into Syria, undertaken for the purpose of frustrating the efforts of Sir Sydney Smith before Alexandria, and of Jezzdr Pasha, who was advancing from Acre, still further obscured Napoleon s prospects in the East, and the victory soon after obtained by him over the Ottoman army at Aboo Keer, the second defeat of Mun id Bey, and various successes over the Turks, enabled the French general Klcber (Napoleon having left for Europe after the first of these events) to set ou foot negotiations for an honourable evacuation of the country. But when the convention was already signed, and the French were about to quit Cairo, Lord Keith signified to Kldber that Great Britain would not consent to tlie terms of the treaty ; and although this refusal was afterwards rescinded, Kle ber considered that the withdrawal came too late : he totally defeated 70,000 men under the grand vizir at Heliopolis, and returned to Cairo to quell an insurrection of the inhabitants. This distinguished officer was about this time assassinated in the garden of his palace by a fanatic, who was impaled in the great square (then a lake) called the Ezbekeeyeh, in Cairo, and miserably lingered for the space of three days before death put an end to his sufferings. Under Kle ber s administration, Egypt began to resume its former prosperity ; by his conciliatory and good govern ment much prejudice against the French was overcome ; by ceding a part of Upper Egypt to Murad, he gained the good will of that chief, who gave him no cause to regret 1 Napoleon, Memoircs, t. ii.
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