Bilingual intermediaries linked Egypt’s Turkish-speaking elite and Arabic-speaking masses

Evidence

Second, all modern armies are a microcosm of their larger societies in a crucial sense: by erecting and maintaining clear distinctions (in dress, pay, rights and duties) between soldiers and officers and in sharpening distinctions within each group by an elaborate hierarchical structure, armies reflect the class divisions within society at large. This sharp stratification was even more apparent in the case of Mehmed Ali’s army than with most other contemporary armies since the officer corps was ethnically and linguistically different from the overwhelming majority of the soldiery. Studying the internal relationship between soldiers and officers within that army, therefore, allows us to see how a representative proportion of the masses dealt with members of the elite and how these conflictual boundaries between the Turkish-speaking elite and the Arabic-speaking lower classes were constantly fought and challenged. — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 118 (#exemplifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Egyptian soldiers served under Turkish officers in the reformed army; The ‘Urabi Revolt was partly a revolt of Arabic-speaking officers against Turkish-speaking superiors. — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1368; Egypt’s nineteenth-century elite shared more with other Ottoman urban elites than with their subjects (+3 more)

Related

• Bilingual NCOs and scribes mediated between Turkish officers and Arabic soldiers (similarity 0.96)
• Bilingual intermediaries mediated between Turkish-speaking officers and Arabic-speaking soldiers in Mehmed Ali’s army (similarity 0.90)
• Mehmed Ali’s officer corps spoke Turkish while common soldiers spoke Arabic. (similarity 0.88)
• The ‘Urabi Revolt was partly a revolt of Arabic-speaking officers against Turkish-speaking superiors. (similarity 0.88)
• Egyptian soldiers served under Turkish officers in the reformed army (similarity 0.87)
• Mehmed Ali’s army depended on bilingual intermediaries bridging Turkish-speaking officers and Arabic-speaking soldiers (similarity 0.87)
• Mehmed Ali barred Arabic-speaking officers from high army and bureaucratic ranks (similarity 0.83)
• Arabic-speaking officers were barred from senior army ranks spoken in Turkish (similarity 0.83)
• Egyptian soldiers were Arab recruits while officers were Turks. (similarity 0.81)
• Elite identity in Egypt was culturally porous but hardened within the military (similarity 0.81)
• Mehmed Ali’s army split officers and soldiers along Turkish-Arabic linguistic lines (similarity 0.81)
• Two or three generations passed before Turkish officers identified with Egypt (similarity 0.80)
• Ibrahim ultimately sided with the Turkish officer elite over his Arabic-speaking soldiers. (similarity 0.80)
• Egypt’s army in Mehmed Ali’s era was not a national force. (similarity 0.79)
• Turkish speech marked a governing caste above Arabic-speaking Egyptians (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Bilingual NCOs and scribes mediated between Turkish officers and Arabic soldiers #exemplifies (0.90)
• Mehmed Ali’s officer corps spoke Turkish while common soldiers spoke Arabic. #exemplifies (0.85) — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 118