.Bonaparte's invasion had been directed against the Mamaliyk, the more or less independent rulers of this province of the Turkish empire; but England, on the other hand, being at war with France, had naturally taken the side of the Mamaliyk. The Turks and the English had fought side by side against the French; but, in spite of this, the Porte (al-Bab al-`Aliy) was not friendly to the Mamaliyk who were regarded as insubordinate vassals. When Bonaparte deserted Egypt in August 1799, the French troops who were left behind fell upon troubled days.


  An `Uthmanliy (Ottoman) army, in which Muhammad `Aliy had  been serving, captured the frontier fortress of al-`Ariysh and marched onto Cairo, but was defeated by General Kléber at al-Mattariah, outside the city. An insurrection in Cairo (the second since the French occupation) ensued, and large numbers of French were massacred; but finally Kléber, after a bloody battle on April 14, 1800, regained possession of his headquarters.  Two months later Kléber was assassinated by Sulayman al-Halabiy, and was succeeded by General Menon, an eccentric, who distinguished himself by causing Sulayman al-Halabiy to be put to a lingering death by torture.  His inglorious and brief capricious rule was brought to a close by the arrival of an English army in March 1801, which defeated the French, and caused them to capitulate the following June.


The English forces were assisted by the Turks, among whom Muhammad `Aliy reappeared  as an officer commanding a force of Albanian cavalry. On May 9, he headed a bold charge of his horsemen at the battle of al-Rahmaniyah where he exhibited great ingenuity in carrying out a night attack upon a fort held by the French. So conspicuous was his bravery on these occasions that Khusruw Pasha, the nominal Turkish Waliy (Governor of Egypt), promoted him to the command of an entire Albanian regiment, consisting of some 4000-5000 men; and in this capacity he was attached to the British army, being particularly noticed and commended by the Commander-in-Chief.

(To be continued) 


 
 


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 Ishinan ©  2003


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