Mehmed Ali’s Turkish-speaking officer corps felt no national loyalty to Egypt

Evidence

Two crucial features characterized his officers. Like Napoleon’s, they were loyal to their master, owing him allegiance and devotion, and strove to appease him and his family. However, unlike the Emperor’s officers, they were not from or of the country they were defending. Being themselves newcomers to Egypt, the officers in Mehmed Ali’s army had no roots in the country that they were supposedly fighting for and the ethnic and linguistic differences that separated them from their soldiers made any attempt to convince the soldiers of any nationalistic argument nearly impossible. The officers could not attempt to “sell the idea of nationalism” to their soldiers, not only because they spoke different languages, and communication with their soldiers was kept to the absolute minimum, but also, and above all, because they themselves did not believe that they were fighting for the nation. — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1367