Mehmed Ali framed his conquests as Ottoman reform, not rebellion, until 1838
Evidence
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
Categorization
- corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 261
- XREF: connects to: Muhammad Ali framed the Sudan expedition as conciliation, not conquest; Mehmed Ali borrowed from the Ottomans as much as from the French; Mehmed Ali’s wars against the Sultan were dynastic, not national (+10 more)
Broader Connections
- Mehmed Ali’s ambivalence toward the Sultan stemmed from his imperial ambitions
#corroborates(0.60) - Balta Liman and the 1841 firman curtailed Mehmed Ali’s power
#expands(0.50)