Why was this area such a problem? In the mid 1800s, the Europeans had colonized Africa and India and created one-sided "spheres of influence" in China, and now they set their sites on the Middle East and the Muslim World. The Ottoman Empire was known during this time as the "sick man of Europe." Corruption was widespread and there was discontent with government in the Middle East. Through diplomacy and threats of military action, European powers made favorable trade agreements. Then they demanded special rights for Europeans living in Muslim lands. These special rights became known as the "capitulations." The word capitulate means to give in to demands, and that's exactly what the Ottoman Empire did. It showed the rest of the world how weak and "sick" they really were.

In 1805, Muhammad Ali (the political leader, not the boxer) was appointed governor of Egypt. Egypt was part of the Ottoman Empire but operated much like an independent state. Muhammad Ali was a pasha and was known as "the Father of Modern Egypt." He introduced political and economic reforms, expanded cotton production, and developed local industries. He brought in military experts to modernize the Egyptian armed forces and conquered neighboring lands. He put Egypt on the road to becoming a major player in the Middle East.

Activity 2:
Think about the following questions and jot down a few notes. So, what was Egypt missing? What more did Egypt need to become a superpower? What could Egypt do that would make it the best friend of every country in Europe?

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Egypt was modernizing, but there was still that chokepoint between the Mediterranean and Red Seas. If Egypt could solve THAT problem, every nation in the world would be able to cut shipping costs dramatically, and it would confirm that Egypt was a modern, major power.