Can't really do any more work on this before I go back to uni and have access to the library, so thought I'd post some of my initial brainstormings here.
My goal was to steer events towards a stronger domestic Egyptian dynasty which manages to evade colonial domination for longer than OTL, if not completely. A line of rulers who could absorb European modernisation without having it imposed upon them, if you will.
To this end, I felt that a continuation and evolution of the original modernising intent of Muhammad Ali (Governor of Egypt, 1805-49), perhaps by-passing OTL's somewhat traditionalist Abbas I (Governor of Egypt, 1849-54) and the entire financial disaster of the Suez Canal (arguably the fault of Sa'id, who [ruled] between 1854-63).
My POD is the survival of Ibrahim Pasha (b. 1789) beyond November 1848, allowing him to continue as Regent for his father, Muhammad Ali, as he slowly sucumbs to the grips of insanity, finally dying in August 1849. In TTL, Ibrahim Pasha takes the Governorship, holding the post until his natural death in early 1861. Ibrahim's [reign] is characterised by moves supressing feudalism, the creation of a consultative council of notables, plans for modernisation and industrialisation etc. etc.
Ibrahim is suceeded by his son - Isma'il Pasha (b. 1830) - who in TTL beomes Governor of Egypt two years earlier than in OTL. In OTL Isma'il is notable for having greatly modernized Egypt, but he also managed to put the country heavily in debt, mainly as a result of problems with the Suez Canal and the colonial powers.
Ismail Pasha dies in 1895, at which point, the Egyptian [rulership] is contested by two rival claimants…
1) Ismail’s grandson by his now-dead elder son – Abbas Hilmi (b. 1874)
2) Ismail’s living younger son and Abbas’ uncle – Husayn Kamil (b. 1853)
…in a turn of events which look to plunge Egypt into a civil war of sorts.
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Any ideas, comments or nitpicks? I want to add a lot more detail, before advancing any further chronologically.
Credit goes to Leo for helping work out what the dynasty was / would have actually been called.
My goal was to steer events towards a stronger domestic Egyptian dynasty which manages to evade colonial domination for longer than OTL, if not completely. A line of rulers who could absorb European modernisation without having it imposed upon them, if you will.
To this end, I felt that a continuation and evolution of the original modernising intent of Muhammad Ali (Governor of Egypt, 1805-49), perhaps by-passing OTL's somewhat traditionalist Abbas I (Governor of Egypt, 1849-54) and the entire financial disaster of the Suez Canal (arguably the fault of Sa'id, who [ruled] between 1854-63).
My POD is the survival of Ibrahim Pasha (b. 1789) beyond November 1848, allowing him to continue as Regent for his father, Muhammad Ali, as he slowly sucumbs to the grips of insanity, finally dying in August 1849. In TTL, Ibrahim Pasha takes the Governorship, holding the post until his natural death in early 1861. Ibrahim's [reign] is characterised by moves supressing feudalism, the creation of a consultative council of notables, plans for modernisation and industrialisation etc. etc.
Ibrahim is suceeded by his son - Isma'il Pasha (b. 1830) - who in TTL beomes Governor of Egypt two years earlier than in OTL. In OTL Isma'il is notable for having greatly modernized Egypt, but he also managed to put the country heavily in debt, mainly as a result of problems with the Suez Canal and the colonial powers.
Ismail Pasha dies in 1895, at which point, the Egyptian [rulership] is contested by two rival claimants…
1) Ismail’s grandson by his now-dead elder son – Abbas Hilmi (b. 1874)
2) Ismail’s living younger son and Abbas’ uncle – Husayn Kamil (b. 1853)
…in a turn of events which look to plunge Egypt into a civil war of sorts.
-----
Any ideas, comments or nitpicks? I want to add a lot more detail, before advancing any further chronologically.
Credit goes to Leo for helping work out what the dynasty was / would have actually been called.
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