176 years ago today, August 2, 1849 (June 14, 1849, lunar calendar), Mohammed Ali Pasha of Egypt passed away. Egyptian Mohammed Ali Pasha (1769-August 2, 1849, 170 years ago), Egyptian Pasha (reigned 1805-1849), was a Pasha (governor) of the Ottoman Empire in Egypt. He is often referred to as the founder of modern Egypt. Mohammed Ali, whose ancestors were Albania, started buying and selling tobacco as a young man and later joined the Ottoman army. After 170 years, Western European civilization has made breakthroughs one by one in science, technology, culture and other aspects, and gradually become the leading force leading the progress of world civilization. In the wave of expansion of Western European civilization, the response methods of many civilizations with a long history in Asia and Africa can be roughly divided into three categories. One is to proactively implement changes and actively catch up with the trend before the threat of Western European civilization came. The Peter I reform in Russia belongs to this type. The other is to face the invasion of Western European civilization, they have no choice but to accept the transformation of the other side and passively integrate into the world order dominated by Western civilization. Most Asian and African countries fall into this category. There is also a way to assess the situation and proactively implement changes when it is just under threat. Japan's Meiji Restoration and Egypt's Ali Reform both belong to this type, although their outcomes are very different. Mohammed Ali's reforms have been controversial in future generations. However, as an outsider, he rejuvenated a declining ancient country, walked out of the long night, and began to make arduous explorations and progress on the road of modernization. This historical achievement cannot be denied. Of course, as far as he was concerned, he ultimately failed, and his tragedy was as tragic as a Shakespeare tragedy. Egypt became part of the Ottoman Turkish Empire in 1517, but in fact remained semi-independent and was ruled by Mamkru (meaning slaves, originally recruited from Greece, the Caucasus and other places, and later took over Egypt's military and political power). The Mamkru implemented a backward tax system, and the various Mamkru factions competed for power and profits, and there was endless fighting. The 18th century was the darkest century in Egypt, with a large-scale civil war occurring every 10 years on average. One-third of the land in the fertile Nile Delta has been abandoned, the output value of agricultural products is only one-quarter of that in ancient times, and the population has shrunk to half of that in the 10th century. The once international port city of Alexandria has been reduced to a town. With the opening of international shipping routes, Egypt's strategic importance of communicating the Atlantic and Indian Oceans has also been recognized by major powers. In 1797, Napoleon's army entered Egypt. At the height of the fierce battle, Egypt's suzerain, Turkey, and its allies, both sent troops to Egypt, and France was forced to withdraw. The post-war situation in Egypt was complex, with the British army, the Turkish army and Mamkru in the Egyptian mainland competing for leadership. In the end, it was Mohammed Ali who won the final victory. Mohammed Ali is from Albania. When he was a child, he traveled around in business with his father. When he was a boy, he lost his parents and joined the army when he was a teenager. Later, he married a rich widow and used his financial resources to gradually emerge. In 1801, Turkey sent troops to Egypt, and Ali was drafted into the army. The Albania Corps was the main force of the Turkish Army. Ali was gradually promoted to a senior general of the Corps because of his ability to recruit, good at fighting and resourcefulness. After the French army withdrew in 1801, the Mamkru leaders, the British-supported agents, the Albania Corps and the Guards in the Turkish army were all fighting for the rule of Egypt. For a while, there were cries of killing everywhere, and the king's flag was changed on the top of the city. After three years of fighting, a number of powerful figures died uneasily. Mohammed Ali rose to the most powerful figure. He used the Egyptian people to drive out the governor of the Mamkru leader Baldisi and the Turkish sultan. He was finally elected as the new governor of Egypt at the Presbyterian Legislative Council in 1805, and the Turkish sultan was forced to admit this fait accompli. Mohammed Ali's ascent to the top made full use of public support, and his political achievements in the early days of his accession to the throne were indeed worthy of the support of the Egyptian people. In 1807, faced with the British invasion, Ali mobilized the people to participate in the war and forced the British to withdraw its troops. Then, in the name of Mamkru's collusion with foreign enemies, he hunted and killed the upper echelon of Mamkru across the country in 1811, thus ending the history of Mamkru's control of Egypt for more than 500 years. Mohammed Ali's reforms began when he came to power. In terms of politics, we improved the bureaucratic system and strengthened centralization of power, ending centuries of political chaos. He abolished the tax package system that had become the root cause of corruption and exploitation, confiscated the land of Mamkru and the Islamic Church, and granted part of the land to his cronies to consolidate his rule, and part to landless farmers to win over people's hearts. Agriculture is the foundation of the world, especially for Egypt, which relies on rivers for its livelihood. During the Mohammed Ali period, remarkable achievements were made in agriculture. Water conservancy was built, the area of cultivated land increased exponentially, breakthroughs were made in agricultural technology, the land developed from one crop per year to three crops per year, and the famous long-fiber cotton began to be widely planted. And reduce farmers 'taxes to promote production enthusiasm. Mohammed Ali encouraged the creation of a number of modern industries, among which the shipbuilding and arms industries closely related to the military were particularly eye-catching, which developed rapidly under the guidance of Western European technicians. The development of industry and agriculture has promoted the prosperity of commerce and trade. Imports and exports have multiplied, and exports exceed imports. At that time, Egypt's industrial and commercial development was obviously of a state monopoly. Almost all industrial and foreign trade exports were controlled by the government, which filled Ali's treasury. Mohammed Ali will never forget the severe international situation Egypt faces. After his pockets were full, he began to vigorously develop the military. The traditional mercenary system was replaced by conscription. After years of hard work, an army including 230,000 troops, 15,000 navies, and 32 warships equipped with new firearms has been established. Ali also founded a number of non-religious junior colleges, sent international students to Western Europe, published foreign science and technology books, and fresh air in the intellectual world also spread. Ali's reforms covered a wide range of areas and lasted for a long time. They lasted from 1805 to 1840, causing Egypt to undergo qualitative changes in many aspects. However, Ali, who was born as a soldier, always had a warlike and great empire factor flowing in his blood. This factor brought a series of honors to Ali, but it also eventually led to disaster. In 1811, Ali sent troops to suppress the Wahhabi faction on the Arabian Peninsula, and later forced the Sultan to surrender. Egypt's national strength and military strength actually exceed that of its sovereign state, Turkey. Egypt helped Turkey suppress the Greek revolution, but Turkey was unwilling to fulfill its promise to cede Syria and Crete, which triggered the Turkish-Egyptian War. Ali won a complete victory in the First Turkish-Egyptian War. Around 1833, he and his country reached their heyday. It seemed to be an empire spanning Asia and Africa. Ali even conceived plans to build a new Arab empire that included all Arabic-speaking regions. However, vested interests in the international order joined forces to smash this beautiful dream. Egypt's "bullsh" has made it a target of international criticism. Britain could not allow a rival power to emerge in such an important strategic position, so it joined forces with Turkey and launched the Second Turkish-Egyptian War. Faced with the rapid development of Britain during the Industrial Revolution, Egypt was no match after all. In 1840, it was completely defeated in the West Asian battlefield, and the following year the British landed successfully in Alexandria. In the past, Ali had repeatedly defeated his opponents with the power of the people, but years of war had caused him to lose the support of the people. Ali, who was unable to resist the British army, was forced to accept a humiliating peace treaty, ceding all land in West Asia and Libya, leaving only Egypt and Sudan. The navy was handed over to Britain, and the army only retained one-tenth of it. By this point, the political Mohammed Ali was in fact dead. He became ill and mentally disturbed, and was regent by his eldest son Ibrahim from 1841. His life lasted until 1849, when he was 80 years old. After the defeat, Egypt gradually became a semi-colony, its industry and commerce declined greatly, and it was controlled by Britain and France. However, the process of modernization in Egypt initiated by Mohammed Ali has become difficult to stop. More importantly, Egypt has thus become a bridgehead in the Arab world for accepting Western ideas and advanced technology. Most Arab progressives in the second half of the 19th century used Egypt as their base of operations. As an emperor who changed the political landscape and modernization process in the Middle East, Mohammed Ali ranks 65th in this ranking. Comments: Egypt declined due to the opening of new overseas shipping routes, and was revived because the value of its waterways connecting the two oceans was re-recognized. Mohammed Ali's heroic era was inseparable from the background of Egypt's rejuvenation, but it was his foresight that promoted Egypt's rejuvenation. Without Mohammed Ali, Egypt in the 19th century would have been a fish at the mercy of great powers. Since him, no matter what form of plunder Egypt suffered, its status as an independent political entity could no longer be shaken.