Early Egyptian conscription produced mostly unfit men who self-mutilated to escape

Evidence

Besides the problem of the land left unattended by fugitives evading conscription, the policy applied to date produced men who were old or physically unfit for “this fine and delicate matter.” In the absence of any criteria as to whom to conscript the conscription gangs were eager to collect as many men as could be found without any regard to age or physical fitness. It was reported that out of 48,000 men collected throughout the 1820s and sent to the Hankah camp to the north of Cairo only 20,000 men were fit for military service. “Lame, blind, decrepid, all were sent without distinction.” — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 478