The term Liman once meant forced labor rather than prison

Evidence

It seems that it had undergone a transitional meaning that is now lost, that of corvėe, or forced labor; see John Wilkinson, Modern Egypt, I, p. 431. Mehmed Ali, he says, is to be distinguished for being “the first to substitute forced labor (luman) for capital punishments.” — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 841

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains the historical shift in meaning of ‘Liman’ from forced labor to prison.
• QUESTION: What made Mehmed Ali substitute forced labor for capital punishment — a reform motive or pure labor demand?