Compulsion and Transformation in Rural Egypt: Fellahin During the Era of Mehmet Ali Pasha

Compulsion and Transformation in Rural Egypt: Fellahin During the Era of Mehmet Ali Pasha

Fatih Özçelik

Abstract

The fellah is the peasant of Egypt and has been the main actor in the effort to bring the Nile River, which gives life to the desert for thousands of years, together with fertile lands. In every period of history, they have lived in the Egyptian countryside between the demands of the administration and the flow of the Nile River. When the historical process is considered, the fact that the fellah has always been a labor force exploited by the administrators cannot be ignored. However, the period of Mehmet Ali Pasha represents a different period for the fellah from historical periods. In line with their needs, they have become farmers in the fields, wor kers in the canals, soldiers in the army and workers in the factories. When the processes of their inclusion in activities are considered, there are quite despotic practices. It is important to examine the conditions of the fellah in the first half of the 19th century, to show the intense pressure on them and to reveal the fellah’s behavior against the pressure. This study focuses on the intense pressure process and the reaction of the fellah in the light of historical heritage.

Keywords: Mısır, Mehmet Ali Paşa, Fellah, Nil Nehri, Despotizm

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Journal of Gazi Academic View is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY NC)

ISSN: 1307-9778 E-ISSN: 1309-5137

 

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