Ibrahim’s army won repeatedly despite poor pay and no ideological motivation

Evidence

Lacking this essential ingredient for their militaristic exploits, namely, a legitimate excuse, however vaguely defined it might be, how then can one explain the successive victories that Ibrahim and his men snatched from the Ottomans? Furthermore, having argued that the soldiers were not well paid, that they were not allowed to loot and pillage the countries they were fighting in, and that at the same time they lacked the positive incentive of thinking that they were fighting for the glory of the fatherland, how can one explain the fact that they still managed to accomplish these successive victories? Comparing the Egyptian Pasha’s army to that of the Sultan against which it fought most of its battles might provide an answer for this intriguing question. — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1374