Nationalist historiography blames European intervention for Egypt’s failed modernization.

Evidence

It is here that we come to the second assumption of nationalist historiography, namely, that the Egyptian nationalist project of gaining independence from the Ottoman Empire and of establishing the basis of an independent, self-sustaining “take-off” failed not through “any shortcoming of the Egyptians” but because of European intervention. Having seen “Egypt” as a clearly defined nation and given the honest, unceasing efforts of “her children,” and after stressing the consistent policies of Mehmed Ali, the reason Egypt did not “take off” during the first half of the nineteenth century and become one of the leading nations of the world is always attributed to European intervention. Protective of their privileged position and determined to prevent latecomers from joining the highly competitive race to modernity “European powers, at Britain’s instigation, joined forces against Egypt and denied her the fruits of her [military] victory.” — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 95

Categorization

• QUESTION: What is Fahmy’s own counter-explanation for why Mehmed Ali’s expansion failed in 1841? The reader wants the army’s performance and its constraints — this critique sets up Fahmy’s answer.