The 5,000 year old country of Egypt has long played a pivotal role in world history. Its contributions to humanity during its golden years have permanently placed this country into a “Hall of Fame” for history. The strategic importance of Egypt has made it a gem that foreign rulers have continuously wanted to claim as their own. Unfortunately, Egypt’s golden age burnt out several millennia ago and its people became vassals to empires very different from their own. With Europe of the 18th century showing growing trends of nationalism, Egypt found a new unexpected leader that would drive his populace to reform which would modernize the nation but follow the dangerous paths of many civilizations where a once celebrated ruler would become corrupt and lose the favor of his people in only the span of one lifetime.
Much like some of the new rulers of the European powers, Muhammad Ali was a self-made man who used his brilliance instead of his pedigree to seize power. Showing stark similarities to the more well-known Napoleon, Ali moved from humble beginnings to brutally carving a path for himself to the throne of Egypt (McKay, Hill, Buckler, Crowston, Wiesner-Hanks, Perry). Ali had a singular vision on how to strengthen his
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Ali’s dynasty lasted for 150 years and is credited as the force that uplifted Egypt into a more modern state that helped soften the blow to that part of the world when the Ottoman Empire eventually collapsed. Unfortunately, Ali’s people never got to share in the benefits some of his modern ideas brought to Egypt. The progress of Western society was indisputably brought to Egypt by Muhammad Ali but only a few at the top of the social ladder were able to reap the financial and educational benefits their European cousins were achieving on a grander