Mehmed Ali defiantly threatened to fight European fleets in 1839

Evidence

On 7 August 1839 the young Sultan dispatched Munib Efendi, Mehmed Ali’s new agent in Istanbul, with a clear and stern message to Cairo telling the Pasha that the matter was now not in his or Husrev’s hands but was being decided by the European representatives in Istanbul. Ten days later the British and French Consuls-General in Cairo met with the Pasha and told him that if he did not comply, then he stood a chance of having both the British and French fleets “arriving” at Alexandria. To this he responded by saying that he would block the port of the city with an iron chain, summon his troops from Arabia, and order Ibrahim to march on to Anatolia. Campbell told him that this would be fatal and if he did proceed with such a plan, then he would have to fight the Russians, not the Turks. The Pasha was still adamant and said that if the Powers wanted blood to be shed, then blood he would shed. — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1562

Categorization

• XREF: Shows the independent vali performance the reader seeks — the moment his bluff met European naval threats.