'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part IA & IB. J G Lorimer. 1915' [‎1100] (1271/1782)

1100
with *disfavour; and in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. it was felt that a serious
decrease of British influence must result if the Egyptians should obtain
a permanent foothold in Eastern Arabia. In February 1839 the British
Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. at Bushehr was expressly instructed to use his influence
to check the encroachments of the Egyptians.
Egyptian intrgiues in Eastern Arabia and relations with the
British Government, 1838-40.
W e may now pass on to consider some aggressions on the states of
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; which the Egyptians, from the base that they had
acquired in Hasa, now attempted to commit.
» It is necessary here to revert to the European situation, and to continue the
footnote at page 1061.
The accession of Mahmud II to the throne of Turkey, though his reforms made
possible the survival of the Ottoman empire to the present day, did not at once check
the course of disaster. In 1812 Russia took Bessarabia, the province between the
Dniester and the Danube ; and in 1820, while the Porte was engaged in crushing the
rebellious Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. of Janina, Greece rose in insurrection. The Sultan then turned for aid
to his vassal Muhammad 'Ali, who had consolidated his power in Egypt during the
troublous period following the expulsion of the French, and who now possessed a better
fleet than his master, besides an army trained and organised in the European styles
Ibrahim Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , whom his father placed in command of the Egyptian forces, soon
reduced Crete and Greece, as he had done Qasim and Najd. Crete was taken in 1824;
Samos fell, and the Morea was invaded; Missolonghi was captured in 1826, and the
Abropolis of Athens in 1827. But at this point Ibrahim's victorious career was
interrupted by the battle of Navarino, in which his whole navy was destroyed bv the
combined fleets of Britain, France and Russia ; and in the following year, after a war
between Russia and Turkey ended by the Treaty of Adrianople, Greece obtained her
freedom.
In 1831 Muhammad Ali, whose heart was set on the aggrandisement of Egypt,
threw an army into Syria under Ibrahim. War between Egypt and Turkey followed,
and in 1832 Ibrahim inflicted a crushing defeat on the Turks at Konia in Asia
Minoi: the cession of Syria to Egypt and closer relations between Turkey and Russia,
initiated by the treaty of Unkiar Skelessi in 1833, were the result. In 1889. in spite
of improvements effected by Moltke and other Prussian officers, the Turkish Army
was again shattered by Ibrahim at Nisib, and the Turkish admiral with his whole
fleet deserted to Muhammad Ali; but this was more than Europe, except France who
favoured Muhammad 'Ali, could tolerate. Acre was accordingly captured by the
British, Austrian and Turkish fleets, and Ibrahim was obliged to withdraw from Syria.
As the result of this intervention, in which Britain played the leading part, Syria was
restored to Turkey, the Egyptian army was cut down to 18,000 men, and the Egyptian
fleet was condemned to rot in the harbour of Alexandria; but Muhammad'Ali, on
making formal submission to the Sultan, was recognised as hereditary Governor of
Egypt.
a v r0m f010 o 0 * d o ^ he evident that the Egyptian advance into Central
Arabia in 1837, was part of a large forward policy, and that the withdrawal in 1840
was due to a collapse of the same.