Page 21 - Issue 63

Vol.1 Issue 63 January 2024Vol.1 Issue 63, May 2024 ElITE

We do not claim that Muhammad Ali had If he had kept it and improved its policy

read Machiavelli's book The Prince, but we instead of destroying it in a scene that
claim that this tendency to eradicate makes the eloquent speechless from its

opposition and potential opposition, horror and the wise man confused about
especially in the early stages of the birth of estimating its consequences.

states, was very common among world
leaders regardless of their location and His exclusion of those with a say in the

time. The article does not allow us to matter from the Ahl Al Hall wa Alaqd who
mention more examples of this. had given their word to the Sultan to take
Title
over was an uncalculated adventure. He

But did Muhammad Ali succeed by thereby lost the legitimate popular support

excluding all political and social forces and made his lineage his sword exclusively.
And how quickly the states that are vain of
from the scope of potential effectiveness
their strength collapse!
and participation in establishing the
foundations of his strong state?
In addition to his authoritarian policies,
Muhammad Ali Pasha adopted a Western
There is no doubt that he succeeded in
approach to administration, economy, and
establishing a totalitarian and
the army. With this Western-inspired
authoritarian system of government that
approach - although it had many positive
did not face any significant opposition.
aspects - he planted the seed that would
However, he did not succeed in establishing
soon bear fruit in the reign of his
a state that reflected the will of the nation
successors, who would be more fascinated
and respected its rights and values. In very
by the manifestations of Western
simple terms, a state that does not reflect
civilization and more in line with their
the will of its people cannot be a strong
subversive policies, until the plant of what
state.
Malek Bennabi calls "susceptibility to
colonialism" grows and intensifies.
Moreover, the vicissitudes of time and the
passage of years have shown the observer

that the consequences of eliminating this
powerful force were not entirely in

Muhammad Ali's favor. Perhaps it would
have been - with the popular leadership and

the nation behind it - a shield for him from
the influence of external pressures in his

economic and military policy, as well as his
expansions.
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