The Fight for Egypt!

Starting from 639 AD, when the Arabs conquered Egypt, it seemed as though everyone wanted a piece of the “Egyptian pie.” After the Arabs conquest of Egypt from 639 to 868, the Tulunid dynasty ruled the land until the Khshidid dynasty took over. (A) However, in 969 AD, the Fatimid dynasty began to control Egypt, only to be followed by the Ayyubid dynasty. (A) Yet, in the 16^th century, the Ottomans, who pursued the Mamluks, made their mark in Egypt’s history. The Ottomans conquered Egypt in 1517 and maintained control over the land from 1517-1798. Like many other conquering nations, the Ottomans took control of Egypt in order to be provided with a source of taxation and a base of expansion. (A) There was a war between the Ottomans and Mamluks lasting from 1516-1517. It started when Selim I, the Ottoman sultan, attacked the Mamluk army in Syria. In 1516, the Ottomans defeated the Mamluks at Marj Dabiq. (A) During this battle against the Ottomans, the Mamluks lost their sultan, QanSuh al-Ghawri, in combat. The war ended with the defeat of the Mamluks as a result of two main events. After the death of QanSuh al-Ghawri, the Mamluks appointed a new sultan, who arrogantly repudiated terms for a settlement offered by Selim I. (A) This new sultan’s actions not only worsened the relationship between the Mamluks and Ottomans, but also led to the primary cause of the Mamluks defeat. Khayr Bey betrayed the Mamluks and aided the Ottomans in their war against the Mamluks. After their success against the Mamluks, the Ottomans then appointed Bey as their governor. However during the late 18^th century to early 19^th century, the fight for Egypt continued, but this time between the French and the British. Eventually though, Egypt won its independence from the British. However, before gaining their independence, Egypt experienced some colonialism from their conquerors.