Historians presume Mehmed Ali always sought to expand beyond Egypt

Evidence

Most historians, therefore, highlight the different causes behind the various campaigns that the Pasha was engaged in. Nevertheless, they are in agreement in arguing that he had always desired to extend his dominions out of Egypt and that he was seizing the various opportunities that he was offered to achieve this goal. The clearest in expressing this idea is Dodwell who argued that “[f]rom the day when the idea of seizing the government of Egypt first occurred to him as a practical measure he had probably always nursed the thought of ruling, not on behalf of another but as an independent sovereign.” In a similar fashion Driault says that the Pasha undertook this huge military expansion because he “had the dream and the desire to be grand.” In another place he argues that after the Pasha had succeeded in founding a modern army and a formidable navy, and after he had significantly enhanced the productivity of Egypt, the Pasha “wanted to deliver [Egypt] from the guardianship, that is, the economic domination of an outside power. Was this not pardonable?” — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 196

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 196