Egyptian peasants maimed themselves to escape conscription into Mehmed Ali’s army

Evidence

The problem with this argument insofar as it pertains to the army, besides the obvious one of lumping together the entire rural population of Egypt under the general rubric of “fellahin,” is that the population of Egypt, far from enthusiastically flocking to serve in the army, was in fact very resentful of military service and strongly resisted serving in the army. … Recognizing that the scale of this resistance was alarming, that it was not localized but was widespread throughout Egypt, and that the rural population went out of their way to make this resistance obvious, it is still commonplace to argue that this was only a temporary reaction caused above all by “the fellah’s strong attachment to his land and the unfamiliarity of military life to him.” — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 92 (#exemplifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Mehmed Ali first looked to Sudanese slaves rather than Egyptian peasants for his army; The new Egyptian army suppressed a peasant revolt by killing thousands including kin; Egyptian peasant conscription began as a three-year substitute for Turkish troops (+17 more)

Related

• Egyptian peasants blinded and mutilated themselves to evade conscription. (similarity 0.94)
• Egyptian conscripts resisted the Pasha’s army through desertion and self-mutilation (similarity 0.92)
• Egyptian peasants strongly resisted conscription into Mehmed Ali’s army. (similarity 0.92)
• Egyptian peasants strongly resisted conscription into the modern army (similarity 0.92)
• Egyptian peasants overwhelmingly resisted conscription despite ideological appeals, via open rebellion (similarity 0.91)
• Fellahin resistance to Mehmed Ali’s conscription was pervasive. (similarity 0.91)
• Egyptian conscripts served Mehmed Ali’s army entirely against their will (similarity 0.91)
• Over 30,000 Egyptians rebelled against Mehmed Ali’s conscription in 1824 (similarity 0.91)
• Egyptian peasants universally hated conscription into Mehmed Ali’s army (similarity 0.90)
• Egyptian peasants experienced conscription as oppressive taxation rather than patriotic service (similarity 0.89)
• Egyptian peasant conscripts hated the army so much they deserted and maimed themselves. (similarity 0.89)
• Albanian resistance and Sudan failures forced Mehmed Ali to conscript Egyptians (similarity 0.88)
• Conscript soldiers resisted the Pasha’s project and undermined his army’s power (similarity 0.88)
• Hospitalized Egyptian soldiers violently resisted medical authority. (similarity 0.87)
• Egyptian peasant conscription began as a three-year substitute for Turkish troops (similarity 0.87)

Broader Connections

• Egyptian peasants strongly resisted conscription into Mehmed Ali’s army. #exemplifies (0.85) — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 92
• Mehmed Ali conscripted even self-maimed men into his army and projects #contradicts (0.80)
• Egyptian conscripts served Mehmed Ali’s army entirely against their will #corroborates (0.70)
• Egyptian peasants experienced conscription as oppressive taxation rather than patriotic service #exemplifies (0.60)