Muhammad Ali hoped religious appeals could make peasants volunteer for military service

Evidence

Since the fellahin are not used to military service, [he explained], they should not be dragged into the army by force. We have to attract their minds to it … This can be done by employing some preachers who should convince the fellahin that [serving in the army] is not like corvée … Alternatively, we can remind them of how easy it was for the French [while they were in Egypt] to collect Copts to serve in their army owing to their eagerness to serve their faith. If that was the case with the Copts, it will certainly be more so with the fellahin whose hearts have been enflamed by their piety and their zeal in defending Islam. — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 468

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Mehmed Ali motivated his soldiers through religion, not nationalism — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1337; Egyptian peasants rejected religious justifications for army service
• yield-rescued: below the book’s yield-target cutoff, included anyway for connecting to: Mehmed Ali motivated his soldiers through religion, not nationalism — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1337; Egyptian peasants rejected religious justifications for army service

Broader Connections

• Egyptian peasants rejected religious justifications for army service #complicates (0.85)