The founder of the modern Egyptian dynasty, lasting for over 100 years can be contributed to an Albanian named Muhamet Ali.  Ali was born in 1769, in the Ottoman province of Albania.  He arrived in Egypt in 1798 in an effort to fight off a French invasion there.  Using the exceptional skill of the mostly Albanian army that he had created, he succeeded in gaining Egypt in 1801, and being named Pasha of Egypt in 1805.  The excellent statesmanship that followed has been considered one of the most efficient in world history.  He was able to transform an undeveloped Egypt into a modern competitor.  He set up reforms in Egypt's irrigation system, introduced new crops like cotton, and established many Western-style schools.  His many achievements in industry and agriculture turned Egypt into a modernized society.  Yet his genius did not stop here.  Muhamet Ali displayed the skill of his superior Albanian army in aiding the sultan to suppress numerous rebellions, and between the years of 1838 and 1841, he challenged, with much success, the power of the sultan in creating a greater independent Egypt.  He had invaded the Sudan and founded the city of Khartoum by this time.  Yet when his powers stretched in the suppression of Greek affairs, Europe stepped in and overwhelmed his army.  Still, he was granted the rule of Egypt and Sudan, and with this empire he created an exceptionally efficient dynasty that ensured Egypt's success for the next 100 years.  The achievements of this revolutionary ruler and statesman serve as just another example validating the historical importance of Albania.

[ comment on this article ]