Mehmed Ali and his officials thought of themselves as Ottomans, not Egyptians.

Evidence

The question of whether the wars that the governor of Egypt waged during the first third of the nineteenth century were dynastic wars of imperialistic expansion or national wars of independence is central to understanding the whole of Mehmed Ali’s career and, indeed, of the history of Egypt during his reign. If, as Toledano argues, Egypt was very much an Ottoman province, ruled by an Ottoman–Egyptian elite, then Marsot’s claim that, unlike contemporary Ottoman notables “who had merely sought quasi-independence for their provinces but were content to remain within the empire, Muhammad Ali sought independence,” has to be qualified. For even if it is granted that Mehmed Ali was seeking to get rid of the “Ottoman yoke” right from the beginning of his career, the question remains as to the nature of this independence. Could it be viewed as similar to the independence sought by the Greeks during their War of Independence when large sections of the population rose against their Ottoman rulers? Or is it more plausible to link Mehmed Ali’s wars, as Shaw does, with a series of internal wars within the Ottoman Empire that were waged by local governors against central government control? If so, Mehmed Ali would appear, like Ali Pasha of Janina, Davud Pasha of Baghdad, or Amir Bashir of Lebanon as a local governor of an Ottoman province who seized the opportunity of the difficulties that the Ottoman Sultan was facing both internally and externally to try and expand his own local dominions. — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 199 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Still, it was only in 1838 that Mehmed Ali decided to get rid of the Ottoman suzerainty altogether and to ask for independence. For the seven-year period from the inauguration of hostilities and up to that time the Pasha was only claiming to be after reforming the Ottoman Empire. This does not seem to have been a mere pretext on the part of the Pasha. He might not have believed in it entirely himself, but at the same time he could not think of himself as an outcast vali rebelling against the Ottoman Sultan; he needed to think of himself as doing something from within the Ottoman Empire and not against it. — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 261 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Be that as it may, what is important to note is that independence was not one of the conditions set forth by Mehmed Ali when he met Halil Pasha in Alexandria; this demand was persistently demanded by Ibrahim Pasha in letters sent to his father from his camp near Konia, but was not voiced by Mehmed Ali himself until much later. When Halil Pasha arrived with an offer of peace in Alexandria on 21 January 1833, Mehmed did not intend to raise the issue of independence with him, not only because he was wondering about European reactions to this bold move, but more probably because he could not contemplate it himself. … These are not the actions of someone who intends to pass on to his negotiating partner that his are going to be difficult terms to meet. Having won a decisive military victory this would have been the time to press with his demands for independence assuming that this was his desire and that he had been contemplating secession right from the start. However, in his negotiations with Halil Pasha, Mehmed Ali did not raise the issue of independence; again it was Ibrahim who was urging his father to do so. Mehmed Ali started asking for independence only in 1838; back in 1833 he could still not think of himself as being outside of Ottoman authority altogether. The inconclusive nature of the peace of Kütahia, therefore, was representative of the Pasha’s own ambivalent feelings towards the Ottoman Sultan and towards his own military activities against him. — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 257 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Egypt’s ruling elite was Ottoman in identity and tongue despite Egyptian birth.; Mehmed Ali’s army was a personal, dynastic force rather than a national one.; Ibrahim Pasha saw his campaigns as fought for his father’s dynasty, not Egypt. (+9 more)

Related

• Egyptian historians narrate Mehmed Ali’s career as a teleological quest for independence (similarity 0.94)
• Mehmed Ali’s quest for independence was a dynastic struggle, not nationalist. (similarity 0.93)
• Mehmed Ali’s wars against the Sultan were dynastic, not national (similarity 0.93)
• Mehmed Ali’s wars may be internal Ottoman power struggles rather than nationalist bids (similarity 0.91)
• Mehmed Ali sought a personal empire, not Egyptian independence. (similarity 0.90)
• Historians portray Mehmed Ali’s reforms as a master-planned modernization with independence aims (similarity 0.89)
• Ibrahim Pasha saw his campaigns as fought for his father’s dynasty, not Egypt. (similarity 0.88)
• Muhammad Ali sought independent empire, exceeding prior Ottoman governors’ ambitions. (similarity 0.88)
• Mehmed Ali’s army was a personal, dynastic force rather than a national one. (similarity 0.88)
• Mehmed Ali was an Ottoman reformer, not an Egyptian nationalist. (similarity 0.87)
• Muhammad Ali sought Egyptian independence from the Ottomans rather than mere provincial expansion (similarity 0.87)
• Mehmed Ali’s rule over Egypt resembled feudal lordship between Sultan and subjects. (similarity 0.87)
• Mehmed Ali created a provincial power center rivaling Istanbul itself (similarity 0.87)
• British hostility to Mehmed Ali came from his military expansion, not his domestic reforms. (similarity 0.86)
• Mehmed Ali did not seek independence from the Ottomans until 1838 (similarity 0.86)

Broader Connections

• Mehmed Ali’s wars may be internal Ottoman power struggles rather than nationalist bids #corroborates (0.85) — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 199
• Mehmed Ali framed his conquests as Ottoman reform, not rebellion, until 1838 #corroborates (0.75) — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 261
• Mehmed Ali sought a personal empire, not Egyptian independence. #corroborates (0.70) — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1551
• Mehmed Ali did not seek independence from the Ottomans until 1838 #corroborates (0.70) — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 257
• Mehmed Ali’s ambivalence toward the Sultan stemmed from his imperial ambitions #corroborates (0.65)
• Mehmed Ali borrowed from the Ottomans as much as from the French #expands (0.60)