Ismāʿīl Bey ( 1735? - March 1791), also known as ''Ismail Bey al-Kabir'' ("the Great") was a Mamluk emir and regent of

Ottoman Egypt The Eyalet of Egypt (, ) operated as an administrative division of the Ottoman Empire from 1517 to 1867. It originated as a result of the conquest of Mamluk Egypt by the Ottomans in 1517, following the Ottoman–Mamluk War (1516–17) and the a ...

Biography

Ismail was of

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

origin, and became a Mamluk of the Emir Ali Bey al-Kabir in Egypt. During the Russo-Turkish War Ali Bey used the opportunity to declare Egypt's independence from the Ottoman empire. On Ali's behalf Ismail Bey suppressed a pro-Ottoman revolt in Lower Egypt (1768). Acting on Ali's orders he also invaded Hidjaz and subdued all of its ports and coastal towns north of Djidda (1770). When Ali Bey's most trusted general (and brother-in-law) Muhammad Bey Abu al-Dhahab betrayed him and marched against Cairo, Ismail Bey was sent out to intercept him but was forced to surrender and to submit (1772). After Abu Dhahab's death (1775) Ismail Bey rallied the remaining mamluks of Ali Bey but failed to prevent Abu Dhahabs comrades

Ibrahim Bey Ibrahim Bey or İbrahim Bey may refer to: * Bedreddin I. İbrahim Bey (ruled 1312–1333 and 1348–1349), bey of Karaman * Tacettin Ibrahim Bey (ruled 1443–1461), Isfendiyarid prince * İbrahim II of Karaman aka Damad II (?–1464), bey of Ka ...

and

Murad Bey Murad Bey Mohammed ( 1750 – 22 April 1801) was an Egyptian Mamluk chieftain ( Bey), cavalry commander and joint ruler of Egypt with Ibrahim Bey. He is often remembered as being a cruel and extortionate ruler, but an energetic courageous fighter ...

from succeeding him. Murad tried to poison him, however, Ismail and the Ali-Bey-faction (''Alawiyya'') managed to expel the Abu-Dhahab-faction (''Muhammadiyya'') from Cairo to Upper Egypt (1777). A few months later several Alawiyya-emirs changed sides. Ibrahim and Murad came back and forced Ismail to flee (1778). File:Ali Bey al-kabir.jpg, Mentor: Ali Bey File:Any Mameluke Emir portrait.jpg, Rival: Abu Dhahab File:Mourad Bei.jpg, Enemy:

File:Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Paşa büstü.JPG, Ally: Hasan Pasha Following the intervention of the Ottoman admiral Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha in 1786 Ismail Bey returned to Egypt and was installed as Shaykh al-Balad (civil governor and de facto ruler) while Ibrahim and Murad escaped to Upper Egypt again. Due to another Russo-Turkish War the Ottoman Empire withdrew the Turkish troops the next year. Ismail Bey asked the French consul whether France could send military instructors and training units. However, the French revolution made this impossible. Ismail Bey and almost the whole of his faction was wiped out because of the plague. After the Ismailiyya-regime collapsed, Ibrahim and Murad returned and took over the power again. Murad decided to reside in Ismail's palace.

References

Literature

*ʿAbdarraḥmān al-Ǧabartī, Arnold Hottinger (translator): ''Bonaparte in Ägypten - Aus den Chroniken von ʿAbdarraḥmān al-Ǧabartī'', pages 58–71. Piper, Munich 1989 * Robin Leonard Bidwell: ''Dictionary of Modern Arab History'', pages 205 und 286f. London/New York 1998 *M. W. Daly, Carl F. Petry: ''The Cambridge History of Egypt'', Volume 2, pages 79–85. Cambridge 1998

External links

*Sauveur Lusignan:
A history of the Revolution of Ali Bey against the Ottoman Porte
'. London 1783 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ismail Bey 1735 births 1791 deaths 18th-century Ottoman governors of Egypt Egyptian nobility Political people from the Ottoman Empire Slaves from the Ottoman Empire Mamluks Ottoman governors of Egypt Georgians from the Ottoman Empire Muslims from Georgia (country) 18th-century deaths from plague (disease) 18th-century slaves