Corporal punishment under Mehmed Ali was a sovereign prerogative

Evidence

When Mehmed Ali heard about this he was so furious that he expelled this governor from public service. He explained that he did so not because of the brutality of the punishment, but because he was not authorized to do so by the Pasha in person. Here we come at another logic of these “inhumane,” severe corporal punishments. They were seen as acts of retribution exacted by the Sovereign against someone who dared to violate his wishes. — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 674

Categorization

• XREF: Reinforces the sovereignty-as-body theme running through this chapter and connects to the reader’s sacrifice article about sacral kingship. — connects to: The historical contraction of discretionary prerogative into written law followed princely abuse — John Locke, Second Treatise of Government, 199