During the last 30 years; Egypt-Quest was torn between facts and denial.. As many reformists were fought back by graduated others, while wealth-lobbyist were also cheered by others..
Throughout the thousands of years, the game of musical chairs verses power chairs, between knowledge-making verses money-making, true soul of the Nile culture was rusted or hidden beneath unbelievable amount of intellectual rubbish..
Unconsciously, many people kept the faith; while rational slogan of Egypt-pride were slowly replaced with hysterical Egypt-love.. Thus, yet as always was the case in Egypt's history; fetal trap was set for many whereas growing shaken and doubtful convections drove the common to lose all grounds.. Simply, victims of unreasonable wealth-climber yet intellectuals who poisoned the conscious lives of many millions..
Egypt was always a melting pot for surrounding cultures, where all humane experiences were groomed along the fertile Nile Valley.. Always was open for new without priggism, as its ever-revival soul was fed with the latest; making it a Mecca for all change-seekers..
Unfortunately, dramatic change took place, as resistance of life-killers created mixed sense of envy, street-smartness (fahla'wah) and bitterness.. No more new-comers came in to feed the vivid Egyptian soul.. Therefore, it had to look inside, giving life for historical and out-dated concepts and models.. Thus, conservatives and intolerant streams flourished..
Ironically, the intelligentsia could not stand for the battle, withdrawn or migrate.. even inside Egypt.. New gated communities and hide-out townships grow like mad.. Cafe-Riche closed its doors for 15 years, as description of intellectual was downgraded to any degree holder..
What took place in Egypt is less dramatic than USSR or eastern Europe, where freedom from wealth-game had allowed spirits to fly, and when recalled, anarchy took place.. This is why Chinese stick hard to their out-dated regime, knowing that chaos will be the future..!! Egypt alike all oriental nations; is driven by Patriarchy, where somebody had to drive the whole nation.. either to heaven or to hell.. Oriental code of Democracy is absent, as true application of the “Prince” which could not survive for long in Europe..!!
Hopefully, some Hero will come out of this dark age, and do something..!!
You got to read it carefully, as coming from close outsider who knows well the insiders..!!
Throughout the thousands of years, the game of musical chairs verses power chairs, between knowledge-making verses money-making, true soul of the Nile culture was rusted or hidden beneath unbelievable amount of intellectual rubbish..
Unconsciously, many people kept the faith; while rational slogan of Egypt-pride were slowly replaced with hysterical Egypt-love.. Thus, yet as always was the case in Egypt's history; fetal trap was set for many whereas growing shaken and doubtful convections drove the common to lose all grounds.. Simply, victims of unreasonable wealth-climber yet intellectuals who poisoned the conscious lives of many millions..
Egypt was always a melting pot for surrounding cultures, where all humane experiences were groomed along the fertile Nile Valley.. Always was open for new without priggism, as its ever-revival soul was fed with the latest; making it a Mecca for all change-seekers..
Unfortunately, dramatic change took place, as resistance of life-killers created mixed sense of envy, street-smartness (fahla'wah) and bitterness.. No more new-comers came in to feed the vivid Egyptian soul.. Therefore, it had to look inside, giving life for historical and out-dated concepts and models.. Thus, conservatives and intolerant streams flourished..
Ironically, the intelligentsia could not stand for the battle, withdrawn or migrate.. even inside Egypt.. New gated communities and hide-out townships grow like mad.. Cafe-Riche closed its doors for 15 years, as description of intellectual was downgraded to any degree holder..
What took place in Egypt is less dramatic than USSR or eastern Europe, where freedom from wealth-game had allowed spirits to fly, and when recalled, anarchy took place.. This is why Chinese stick hard to their out-dated regime, knowing that chaos will be the future..!! Egypt alike all oriental nations; is driven by Patriarchy, where somebody had to drive the whole nation.. either to heaven or to hell.. Oriental code of Democracy is absent, as true application of the “Prince” which could not survive for long in Europe..!!
Hopefully, some Hero will come out of this dark age, and do something..!!
You got to read it carefully, as coming from close outsider who knows well the insiders..!!
The Semitic-origin word “Misr” means the English noun of “Egypt”. Notably; “Misr” in the common Egyptian folklore, speaking and slogan, does not mean the country, but the Capital city that is well known as “Cairo”.. This can be traced in any records, media or simple interaction with non-Cairo residents.. People in other Egyptian provinces and countryside would say: “Going to Misr” meaning going to Cairo.. Cairo itself is the prominent name of one of the townships that historically constitute the Egyptian Capital city..
ReplyDeleteThe word “Misr” was mentioned in Quran; which widely understood as reference to Egypt; while another opinion make it as reference to an limited-used Arabic noun that means township.. However, it is a great debate among Quran-scholars and researchers..!! No wonder that such an issue is complicated linguistically, theologically, scientifically, and politically as well..!! Mamluk-Dynasties in medieval Egypt had established the phenomenon of grooming politics, religion and science to concrete their rule against any opposition. Thus, lots of myths turn to be part of the common mind-set; which growingly hindered and disturbed the Egyptian contributions to modern worldly intelligentsia..!!
Through time and history; Egyptian Expatriates used to ask about conditions and status back home by simple question:”How is Misr..” which can be literally translated: “How is Egypt..” or conceptual means: “How is Cairo..” On parallel, Egyptians in other Egyptian provinces used the same term to question the status of the country.. This reflects the common culture among Egyptian, which widely affected their political and social lives.. Cairo used to be a hub of all achievements; with agreement on the lower status of other Egyptian cities and centers.. Always it was the destination of migrants from surrounding Arab, Mediterranean and Western Asian states.. Residing in Cairo was a social grading status, and political one as well.. Only few Ottomans had made residencies outside Cairo, as they have to closely manage their vast feudalities and farmlands.. All critical activities are stationed in Cairo, alike the same model in all underdeveloped and developing cities, apart from China and India..
Hardly to find an Egyptian without a surname linked to a village, a province or a craftsmanship existent outside Cairo.. Some had surname extracted from ethnic or cultural origins.. Therefore, Cairo is not a custody of any, but all Egyptian.. This interprets the weight of Cairo-happenings as true and critical mirror of overall Egyptian status.. Egyptian never complained on the economic deterioration in their townships or countryside, but on the same if happened in Cairo itself.. For all Egyptians, wellbeing of Cairo is the well being of Egypt, and themselves as well.. Famous poems made on Egypt as a “Land”; which turn the cultural taboo into a physical one.. Such land is not any land, but mainly the black fertile one along the Nile and its irrigation branches; where 95% of the Egyptian live (only 94% of Egyptian territories).. Land in Egyptian culture is the Life itself.. Therefore, Egyptians are not merchants, but farmers or industrialists..!! Also, Egyptian they would give their life fighting for their land, which made them an elite soldier, not for any cause, but their own Land.. Now, it can be understood, the losses Egyptian army made in Syria 1841, Khartoum 1885, Yemen 1964 and Sinai 1967.. The latest military breakthrough in 1973 was driven by preventing the dangers away from the heart land, not to liberate the vacant desert of Sinai.. I guess the Israelis had successfully understood the same, and draw the Egyptian involvement in ME quest..!!
Islamic Egypt Time-line (1)
ReplyDeleteThe Orthodox or Rightly-Guided Caliphs AD 632-661 (AH 11-40) following the death of the Prophet Mohamed in Medina AH 11 (AD 632)succeeded by four of his Companions, related by blood or marriage to the Prophet, each taking the title Caliph, in Arabic Khalifa meaning 'he who follows behind, successor': 11/632 Abu Bakr, 13/634 Umar bin al-Khattab, 23/644 Uthman bin Affan, 35-40 Ali bin Abi Talib
Under the second Caliph, the Arab armies were organized to attack the Byzantine and Sassanid Empires; under his rule, the Arab general Amr overwhelmed the Byzantine forces in Egypt.
The Umayyad Caliphs AD 661-750 (AH 41-132) centre of rule: Damascus
The Abbasid Caliphs ruled the Islamic world at first in full force, and then as increasingly nominal religious leaders, until finally the Ottoman Turks assumed leadership of the Islamic world on their conquest of Egypt (AD 1517) and Syria. From 868 onwards, the power of the caliphs over Egypt was interrupted by the following dynasties: 868-905 Tulunids, 935-969 Ikhshidids, 969-1171 Fatimids, adherents of the Shiite branch of Islam, 1169-1252 Ayyubids, the dynasty of Saladin, 1250-1389 Mamluks, Bahri line, and 1382-1517 Mamluks, Burgi line
The Tulunids were the first separate dynasty to rule over Egypt, which they controlled together with Syria. The reign of the first in the dynasty, Ibn Tulun, marks a high point in Egyptian history. Of Turkish origin, he rose to power from his position as deputy governor. The dynasty ruled from Fustat, on the south side of the later city of Cairo. In 905 Tulunid independence was ended with the conquest by the general Muhammad bin Sulayman fighting for the Abbasid Caliph.
The first Ikhshidid ruler, Muhammad bin Tughj, was of Turkish military origins, and rose to power from his position as governor of Egypt in 323/935, for which the Abbasid Caliph ar-Radi gave him the title Ikhshid (an Iranian title signifying 'prince' or 'ruler'). After his death the effective ruler of Egypt was the Nubian slave Kafur. In 969 Ikhshidid rule was extinguished after the death of Kafur by the Fatimid conquest in 969.
The Fatimid dynasty originated in central North Africa, moving to take over Egypt and Syria after 969. The following list gives all rulers of the dynasty. The Fatimid rulers were adherents of the Shiite branch of Islam, in opposition to the Sunni branch expounded by the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphs of Baghdad, and the Fatimids proclaimed themselves rival Caliphs. They founded the city of Cairo, and ruled from there. During their time, the First Crusade established Western Christian kingdoms in the Levant. Despite this, the age of Fatimid rule was one of great prosperity, and the new city of Cairo came to outshine the older centers of the Islamic world, Damascus and Baghdad. Fatimid rule was ended by Saladin, who restored Sunni Islam at the highest level.
The first Ayyubid ruler was Saladin, of Kurdish origin, famous for re-conquering Jerusalem from the Crusaders (victory at Hattin 583/1187), and for his humane treatment of all his subjects. The Ayyubids eventually lost power to their Mamluk slave troops in Egypt and elsewhere.
Islamic Egypt Time-line (2)
ReplyDeleteThe Mamluks were originally troops of slave status enlisted to sustain Ayyubid power. After they took control of Egypt, they achieved the reconquest of the last of the Crusader kingdoms in the Levant, and defeated the Mongols at the critical battle of Ayn Jalut (658/1260). The Mamluks are divided into an earlier group called the Bahri Mamluks, and a later group, the Burgi Mamluks; the Bahri Mamluks were originally soldiers based on Roda Island by Cairo, on the Nile (Bahr), while the Burgi Mamluks were associated with the Citadel (al-Burj). The Bahri Mamluks derived largely from Qipchaq tribesmen in what is now southern Russia, with Mongols and Kurds; the Burgi Mamluks were mainly Circassians, from the Caucasus Mountains. There was a tendency for sons of the family, after two or three generations, to move into professions other than the military; the military stock was continually replaced with new troops of slave status from those areas. In 656/1258 the Mongols sacked Baghdad, and Hulegu murdered al-Mustasim. Shortly afterwards, the Mamluk Sultan Baybars in Cairo installed an Abbasid Caliph in Cairo, legitimating the new Mamluk rule over Egypt and Syria. The line of Abbasid Caliphs continued at Cairo under Mamluk rule (659-923/1261-1517). In 1517 the line of the Mamluks and their Abbasid Caliphs ended with the Ottoman Turkish conquest of Egypt.
The Ottoman expanded by 1517 Selim I and conquered Egypt. Until the relative autonomy of the Muhammad Ali dynasty in the nineteenth century, Egypt remained a part of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. Until the proclamation of the kingdom in 1914, Egypt was still nominally under Ottoman rule. The following list gives the Ottoman rulers on the throne between 1517 and 1914. The capital of the Ottoman Empire was Istanbul, the new name for Byzantium/Constantinople, conquered by the Ottomans in 1453.
Muhamad Ali was of Turkish Albanian origin, and came to Egypt as part of the Ottoman forces sent to expel the French Revolutionary expedition of 1798-1801. He rose to power, removing the Mamluk ruling class, and obtained the title Pasha as governor of Egypt. He led the modernization of Egyptian agriculture, medicine and technology. His son Ismail was given the title Khedive (of Iranian origin). As a kingdom, Egypt became independent of the Ottoman Empire. However, from 1882 there was an occupying British military force in the country, and British Protectorate status only ended in 1922. Full independence was secured by the revolution of 1952, forcing the abdication of king Faruq, with the abolition of the monarchy a year later.
Since 1953 Egypt has been an independent republic.
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