Western Impact on the Modern Egyptian Society After Napoleon's Invasion of Egypt a Bstract
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WESTERN IMPACT ON THE MODERN EGYPTIAN SOCIETY AFTER NAPOLEON'S INVASION OF EGYPT A BSTRACT THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHr I N ISLAMIC STUDIES VN^'^e By Aqilur Rabman Under the Supervision of Dr. AM]AD'ALT M. A., D. Phii., D. utt. (Pam) ^^ READER IN ISLAMIC STUDIES iV <• ftl '-'•l-uU Department of Islamic Studies, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 1972 ^^CKBD m6,9j Egypt i s the horae of one of the oldest civilization s of manMind. Slir has been a connecting link between the Hast itnd '*.est. By sixteenth century Egypt, like the Arab world, w«a isolated from almost al l foreign influences. This state of operatio n continued til l Napoleon's expedition against Egypt in 1796. Until the French occupation, throughout the eightaanth century, Egyot presented a spectacle of an Cttoman dom nion over whose possession and control local chiefs fought with one another continuously. Politicall y Egypt was neither a dependent nor independent country. I t was under the lule of the of their country. The science and technology shook h9yptians from their traditional rigidity. It showed them that there was another world outside their own which had certain things to offer. With Napoleon's expedition marked the beg nning of a new era. Egyptians started to have national consciousness. The impact of the brief three-^ ar occupation was gradual and indirect and lasted long after the French had evacuated tcjypt. It sowed the seed of modern civilization in Lgypt. After short British occupation Muhannmed ^Ali ruled 1 gypt in the name of the Ottoman Sultan frofflyi805. But practically he detached Egypt froa'Turkty, especially after he had destroyed the Mamluk Beys and their power between 1805 and 1812. He had continuous efforts to reform the administration, develop agriculture, irrigation, public works and industry. He establlsljied order and tranquility in the country. He introduced massive European method and technology in all the activities and functions of f^uhawTiad ^Abduh and Mustafa Kamll and ethers were essentially Islamic response to iuropean growino influences on Foypt. Jamal al-Din al Afghani asserted that the study of modern science, istory and religion of 'urope was necessar to know the reasons of the progress of the *vest. He wanted to unite all Muslim countries under one Islamic govern-^ent. However, '4uhammad ' Abduh wanted the ox-ogre's*; an-^ -ros'^ority of the /v'uslim countries throuf-n •education and ourificstion of rf'ligion. •estern culture had great influehce on Arabic language. Hundreds of books were translated into Arabic from f^uropean languages. The art of modern novel developed under the influence of Western literature, Si-nilarly the drama in F gypt was born under the Western influence. Journalism also flourished in rgypt and otner Arab ccuntries. The early start was given to press by Napoleon. He brought with him not only a printing r.ress iHit also inaugurated an official periodical press in order to keep the troops informed about events* Press in Hgypt has served as a mediun for the preparation of new ideas and movements for social* economic and political reform. The rise and development cf the • gy tian press constitutes an important mirror of th? evolution of modern Egypt. The press became a school for the ev lution of a modern literary Arabic lanouatje. WESTERN IMPACT ON THE HODERN EGYPTIAN SOCIETY AFTER NAPOLEON'S INVASION OF EGYPT THESIS SUBMirrEO FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY I N ISLAMIC STUDIES By Aqilur Rahman Under the Supervision of Dr. AMjAD ALI M, A.. D. PHII., D. litt. (Pans) READER IN ISLAMIC STUDIES Department of Islamic Studies, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 1972 T1296 WESTERN IMPACT OK THE MODERN EGYl-TlAN SOCIETY AFTER NAPOLEON'S INVASION OF EGYPT. T\z96 ^xSh ' A ^ , , V CHEC";!^-200 2 (\) INTRODUCTION. ^qypt at th# time of Napoleon'> Invaalon. Oeogra^lcal and Physical Condition of Egypt. Political Condition Economic Condition Social Condition Intellectual Condition GHAFTEh rViC • Napoleon* t Invasion Colonial European Power in the East Advent of Napoleon End of French Occupation Aftar effects of Napoleon*a Invasion over Egypt. Political change in the Government Chanoa in tha Economic life of the peepla Change in tlie Social life of the paopla <ii«i9« in the educational pattern liO Qimm rwR Muhaamad ^AX1*» ModTnitation of Egypt Muhv^ad ^AXl and his Contribution Feeling of Independence among Egyptians Modernisation of State Adulnistration Military Law and Order Hconoraic reforms Social outlook Educational reforms Foimation of able men in different spheres of life ai^TPH, m%. Isroa il i'aajia's Ambitious Prograrnmes to brinoTgypt closer to Europe and Its Effects on Egyptian Society^ Abbas Pisha Isma-^il Pasha as Ruler Revival of Reforms Educational H#forms Reforms in Economic field Social and political reforms - • *' • \ (iiO CHAPTER SIX RELIGON AND THE VIEST. Act3vit3«t of European Misslonaritt in th« Middle East Religious Thinkers* Western Influence on their thinking Jansil al-Din al-Afgh"ani Muhmmad ^Abduh ^Abduh*s DisclplesJ Qasim Amln Mustafa Pasha Karail Mustafa iutfl al-ManfalutI tgyptian Literature and the Vteat Translation of western Literature and its impact Beginning of Story end Novel,Writing after liestem style. «r«»tern Dra««. theatre ^d jja^c ild their influence on the Mwlern Egyptian Society civ) Wettgm iMpact on th« Egypt!«n Press "Journitr*ilTi B ConcXuiion ScLECT BtBLI0G?iAi4iY Cv) Th« purpoM of this thesis is to study »nd snnlyss th« i»pftct ol th« ^i«st on th« Modem Egyptian Sdciety after Nspoleon's invasion of Egypt. It is an interesting if not a recnarkable fact that none of thewelJ kno^an*contemporary authors »rho wrote the history ©f modem Cgypt devotes ©ore than a few pages to the subject of our study. The study is divided into nine chapters. Fiist chapter atte^npts to deal with the condition of Fgypt at the time of Napoleon*s invasion* Second ct^apter has advent of Napoleon tnd next ^apter has the effects of his invasion. Next two chapters are aiiout tlie nodemisation of Egypt during Mi^aeriad Ali and Xsiia^il Pa^i* Similarly in the next three d^apters 1 have discussed western influence on religion, Egyptian iyi) literature and Pv%»»» The last is the concluding chapter* I and particularly indebted to my supervisor Dr.AjnJad ^di under whose aupervlslon the study was made* His v«lu;«bl© remarks and suggestions concerning the SJjbj<sct and the orgisniEation of the matter helped me a great deal to prepare the I also expresfe my thanks to His Excellency Umar bin Abu Hisha. Syrian Ambassador to India v^o gave sie kind guidance and took special interest in going through the thesis. Special thanks are due to the staff of libraries at Beirut, Cairo, London and Aligarh Muslim University for full cooperation. Further, I am thwrikful to ny fz-ii«i<is who have been constantly encouraging «• in iiy woric. Chapttr On* EGYPT AT THE TIME OF NAPOLEON'S INVASION. Sine* aneient tints• Egypt has maintained a pz-catinsnt place in tha history of civilization in the Mlddile East, ^a actaci, on the one hand, as a connecting link bettwaan the countries of the East and the West; on the other, as refuge for civilitation whenever it faea<l dan9ar.(l} Egypt in the middle ages linked the Islaaiic civiliiation with the Europaan countries on the Mediterranaan littoral, at the sane tine it baca»e the vexy hoaie of this Islaaiic civillxation and preserved it fron peril when other Xslanic (1) Or.miawaki Oaift al-Adab al-^Arabi al-Mu^isir, p.20 • =— countrltt coXlaptvd b«for« th« Mongol Invotiont and tht Ottoaan spread thalr potior ovar tha Islamic lands of tha Micklla East. Gaographlcally a part of Africa* Egypt has bean throughout the ages historically and culturally a part of Western A.sl8. with greater Syria and Iraq it foms one Arab block. The most populous md one of the most inportant countries of the anodern Middle East, igypt was one of the first to come under direct uropean influence. Egypt was the first country in th« Middle Hast to fall under foreign domination (1682) and on« of ^e last to regain its complete sovereighty (1954). Ill 1796, at the tiaie of Napoleon* s invasion of igypt, the population of Egypt consisted of •boyt 2,900,000, (1) divided into four classes. Two «f these i.e. Copts and Turks, did not nuad»er nor* than 200,000 each, the Majority of the populatlMi was the Arabs. They nuaibered siore than 2,000,000. (1) <^Abd al*»aN>«n •1-Rifi*^lt Tarikh al-Harakat al*QaiMBiyy«« p.49, Vol.1 o Egypt it situated at tha jynctiofi of Africa and Asia* Suparficially. Hgypt covara a large territory, 386.198 aquare niilea, (1) alnoat aa large an ar«a aa ^adhya Fradeah and Rajaathtfi cofBbined. But the real fgypt, the land upon M^ich the Lgyptiana live and ««rk, la only a tiny part of the whole, lass than 4 par cent. Most Cgyptiana ar« directly or indirectly dependant upon agriculture. (2j As the Nile riaea the flood water ia admitted to the baains to a depth of up to 6 feet via canals l*9iiA.n9 fron the river, and thf* water lies on the land for a period up to two ffiontha. Fertile silt is depoaited by the flood and the ground is thoroughly soaked before the water ia allowed to drain back to tha river when the level of the flood is falling (3). Egypt has attracted the great atata-buildara and eonaiuerera of the peat. Egypt* a atrategie •ignifleance waa ioMonaely increased with the (1) iadle Carl sent Africa* a lands and Hation», p.llA ~ (2) In Egypt cotton alone providea about 80 par cant ox agricultural incoaie and 16 per cent of the total national incaaie.