Mehmed Ali chose fatalistic defiance over rational surrender

Evidence

Finally, in desperation, and when it became clear that the European powers were not bluffing, he wrote to Ibrahim on 23 August and confided in him what he suspected most: a Russian-British agreement to split the Ottoman Empire, whereby Russia would occupy Istanbul and Britain Egypt. He added that if his suspicions were not correct and if the European powers were sincere in what they said, then it would mean that they would force him to withdraw his troops from Syria and Arabia to prevent the partition of the Empire. Given these two bleak alternatives, he said, there was no choice for him but to fight. “And if you [i.e. Ibrahim] think that it would not be wise to fight the Europeans and that we have no chance of defeating them, then I will have to agree with you. But not all things are to be conducted rationally, and occasionally one has to face matters that are contrary to rational and political calculations by trusting in Fate as destined by God, and depend on His mercy and His Prophet’s intercession.” — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1563

Categorization

• XREF: Mirrors the fatalism-and-defiance theme found in the general literature on Ottoman-Egyptian rivalries and Muslim rulers facing European supremacy.
• DEEPTHINKING: The tension between rational military calculation and religious fatalism captures a paradigm of how a weakened ruler makes the world-historical decision to fight a coalition he knows he cannot defeat.