Arabi's Revolt

(1882)

In the late 1870’s, Egypt’s economy was becoming less and less stable.  This did not suit Britain (who, in 1875, had purchased the Suez canal) or France, the two European powers with the greatest interest in the area, and, in 1879, they persuaded the Sultan of Turkey to replace Ismail Pasha with his son, Mohammed Tewfik.

This gave the two powers more control over the country, but was colossally unpopular with both the common people of Egypt, who wanted an independent ruler even if he did bleed them dry, and with the nobility, who objected to “fairer” taxes as it lessened their incomes.  This resentment was even more pronounced in the army, under control of the Under-Secretary of War, Lieutenant-Colonel Ahmedt Arabi, and a major drain on the country’s economy.

In May 1882, a force of some eight battleships and eleven gunboats were sent by the British to Alexandria as a show of support for Tewfik.  Unfortunately, this gesture inflamed matters further, and throughout May and June nationalist-inspired chaos reigned in the cities of Alexandria and Cairo, culminating in the massacre of several Europeans.

On 3^rd July 1882, Alexandria’s European population was evacuated to the waiting fleet, now reinforced, and an ultimatum was issued to the Egyptians:  surrender the defences of Alexandria to the British or their ships will bombard the city.

The Egyptians did not respond so, at 7am on 11^th July 1882, the bombardment began:  putting the Egyptian defensive artillery out of action by the end of the morning.  On the following day, after setting fire to Alexandria, Arabi’s men withdrew southwards to Kasr-el-Dowar, and the British landed marines and sailors to restore order.

By 16^th July, the British had established control of the Alexandria area, and, after an abortive attempt to persuade the Turkish Sultan to send troops to restore order, and with the French refusing to get further involved, decided to send an expeditionary force to quash what was now a full-scale rebellion led by Arabi.  Until this force could arrive, the 4000 or so British troops in the area would keep Arabi occupied with a series of feints and skirmishes designed to convince him that they were the only force that Britain was prepared to send to deal with the situation.

By 25^th August 1882, the British had landed 25,000 troops under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Garnet Wolseley. After the Suez had been made safe by a naval expedition supported by a party of Cameron Highlanders; Wolseley decided to move his men 150 miles south-east to Ismailia, which had been cleared of rebels and secured by the navy around the 20^th of August.

Feinting towards Aboukir, and with a diversionary attack on Kesr-el-Duar, he arrived by steamer at Ismailia, and rapidly secured dams, constructed by the rebels to impede further British progress by water, at Tel-el-Nafisha, Magfar, and Tel-el-Mashkuta.  He then halted to consolidate his position and improve communications and supply, dispatching General Graham’s brigade to take and hold Kassassin Lock, 30 miles due west of Ishmailia.

Graham’s men secured Kassassin, but suffered greatly from the heat and lack of easy supply (all stores had to be carried over ten miles of soft sand).  There, on 28^th August, they were attacked by large numbers of Egyptians (infantry, cavalry and artillery), but beat off their attackers with the aid of reinforcements in the shape of the main British cavalry force under Major-General Lowe.

The next twelve days were spent putting the railway line and Sweet Water canal into full working order but, by around 12^th September 1882, Wolseley had concentrated his force on Kassassin and was ready to attack the rebels in their fortifications at Tel-el-Kebir.

Wolseley decided to launch a surprise night attack (no advance in the killing heat of the day, a full day to pursue the rebels if they broke) with no preliminary bombardment.  Accordingly, on 13^th September 1882, in absolute silence, the British troops (2785 cavalry, 1214 infantry, 61 field guns and 6 gatling guns – 17401 in all) marched towards their enemy (estimated at 20-30,000 regular infantry with 75 pieces of artillery), guided by a naval officer.

The troops were still some 8-900 yards short of the Egyptian defences when dawn broke, but the Highland division charged the first line and took it at the point of the bayonet.  Other regiments followed suit, and by 6am the Egyptians were in full rout pursued by the British cavalry.

Cairo, some 50 miles to the south-west of Tel-el-Kebir, fell to Lowe’s cavalry without a fight (some 10,000 Egyptian regular’s surrendering their arms); and Zagazig, an important railway junction 16 miles to the west, fell, after some minor fighting, to the Indian contingent of the British force.

With his army defeated and fleeing, Arabi surrendered to the British on 14^th September, and the revolt was over.

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