Egypt hired British officials to placate London abolitionists

Evidence

In one petition, the members of the Society praised the khedive for statements he had made against the slave trade in 1867, but questioned the lack of movement toward abolition of the institution since that time. The members of the Society chose their words carefully in addressing a ruler whose goal of raising Egypt to the level of Europe were well-known. In crushing the trade in slaves, they informed him, “Your Highness would thus become the pioneer of liberty, and Egypt[,] being a land of freedom[,] would take rank among the most civilized nations of the world.” — Eve M. Troutt Powell, A Different Shade of Colonialism_…, 657 (#expands, via linked claim)

Months later, their stated efforts to wipe out both slavery and the slave trade were completely laid to rest by the British occupation of Egypt. This made the British more directly responsible for the issue of slavery, and changed the terms of the debate. Now the British linked the issue of slavery to Egyptian independence, and nationalists had to prove their capacity for self-government within the context of Egypt’s long history of enslaving Sudanese and Nubians. — Eve M. Troutt Powell, A Different Shade of Colonialism_…, 672 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

Category: Causal Relationships

Related

• Egyptian expansion into East Africa collided with British abolitionist scrutiny (similarity 0.89)
• British officials used antislavery rhetoric to dismiss Egypt’s empire and justify their own (similarity 0.87)
• British abolitionist pressure forced khedive Ismail to sign abolition convention (similarity 0.86)
• British officials doubted Egyptian nationalists were sincere about abolishing slavery (similarity 0.86)
• Britain used anti-slavery claims to justify its empire over Egypt and Sudan (similarity 0.86)
• The abolitionist lobby wielded political clout over Egyptian and East African policy (similarity 0.86)
• British occupation shifted the slavery debate to question Egyptian fitness for self-rule (similarity 0.86)
• Britain dismissed Egypt’s empire ambitions to justify its own colonial rule. (similarity 0.85)
• British institutions channeled freed female slaves into domestic service in Egypt (similarity 0.84)
• British officials dismissed Egyptians’ anti-slavery professions as hypocrisy (similarity 0.84)
• British officials used women’s education as justification for Egyptian colonial rule (similarity 0.84)
• Sudan’s conquest made slave trading an organized state function for Egypt (similarity 0.84)
• British antislavery ideology morally delegitimized Egypt’s own empire in the Sudan (similarity 0.83)
• British officials argued Egyptians were unfit to govern Sudan due to despotism (similarity 0.83)
• Britain justified its empire by discrediting Egyptian authority over Sudan (similarity 0.83)

Broader Connections

• Egyptian expansion into East Africa collided with British abolitionist scrutiny #expands (0.60)
• British antislavery pressure leveraged Egypt’s European ambitions to compel abolition. #expands (0.60) — Eve M. Troutt Powell, A Different Shade of Colonialism_…, 657
• British occupation shifted slavery responsibility and tied it to Egyptian fitness for self-government #expands (0.55) — Eve M. Troutt Powell, A Different Shade of Colonialism_…, 672
• Britain used anti-slavery claims to justify its empire over Egypt and Sudan #expands (0.50) — Eve M. Troutt Powell, A Different Shade of Colonialism_…, 700