Egyptian army provisioning regularly failed despite official ration guarantees

Evidence

Meat was another item that the authorities were desperate to make sure that the soldiers receive in good condition. In principle, besides properly baked bread, rice, lentils and beans, soldiers were supposed to be given meat once every five days. … However, and in spite of these measures, there were repeated complaints that meat was not delivered to the soldiers on time. An investigation into the condition of the troops in Tripoli conducted by Colonel Yusuf Bey revealed that the soldiers there were left with no food for three days. The Infantry School in Hankah, near Cairo, received no rice or meat for such a long time that the director had to go to the market and buy food with his own money. When the Department of Civil Affairs (the Divan-ɩ Hidiv) heard that the students in a certain military school in Cairo had received meat only once a month the head of the Divan wrote to the master of the school and reprimanded him strongly telling him that if the Pasha found out about this, he would be punished “together with every one of us.” … In a certain case seven soldiers of a sappers’ regiment were left with no food for three days. When they went to their captain to complain he forced them to lie on the floor and gave every one of them four lashes with the cane. They decided to bring their case before a court martial which imprisoned the officer in question for ten days. — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 938