Sultanate of Egypt

The Sultanate of Egypt (Arabic: السلطنة المصرية, romanized: Al-Salṭana Al-Miṣrīyya) was a British protectorate in Egypt. It started in 1914 when World War I began and lasted until 1922. During this time, Egypt was under the protection and influence of Britain.

The Sultanate came into being because Britain wanted to control Egypt, especially important trade routes like the Suez Canal. This helped Britain manage its interests in the region during the war.

In 1922, Britain issued the Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence, which ended the Sultanate and allowed Egypt to become independent again, though Britain still kept some control over certain areas like defense and foreign affairs.

For the medieval state centered in Egypt before this time, you can read about the Mamluk Sultanate.

History

After the start of World War I, the British removed the leader of Egypt, Abbas II, because they did not trust him. They put his uncle, Hussein Kamel, in charge instead. He said Egypt was now independent from the Ottoman Empire but was actually controlled by Britain.

People in Egypt were unhappy with British control. They felt treated unfairly during the war, like being forced to work and pay high prices. After the war, many Egyptians wanted their country to be free from British rule. They formed a group called the Wafd to ask for independence. When some leaders were arrested and sent away, people across Egypt protested. There were big marches and strikes, and many people were hurt during these events. Women also joined the protests for the first time, helping to organize and support the movement.

Egyptian revolution of 1919

Further information: 1919 Egyptian revolution

In 1919, large protests began in Egypt. The British leader in charge realized he could not stop the protests and had to follow orders from London to restore peace, which he could not do.

London sent a famous war hero, Field Marshal Sir Edmund Allenby, to take charge. He arrived in Egypt and met with Egyptian leaders. He agreed to let Egyptian leaders travel to Paris, which helped calm the protests.

Later, a mission led by Lord Milner came to Egypt to find a way to give Egyptians more control while keeping British interests. But many Egyptians refused to work with this mission. Talks continued, and eventually, the British agreed to discuss ending the protectorate.

When a leader named Zaghlul returned to Egypt, he was welcomed by many people. But the British leader, Allenby, did not want him in charge and sent him away. This led to more protests and clashes in many Egyptian cities.

Egyptian Independence (1922)

Further information: Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence

On 28 February 1922, Britain unilaterally declared Egyptian independence, which was a big moment for Egypt. However, there were some important things that Britain still controlled until they could make agreements about them. These included keeping safe the British Empire’s communications in Egypt, protecting Egypt from any outside attacks or interference, and making sure foreign interests and minority groups were safe. Britain also still had control over Sudan.

After this, Britain still had some informal power over Egypt, just like it did before 1922. Sultan Ahmad Fuad became King Fuad I, and his son Faruk was named to take over after him. A new constitution was approved on 19 April, and soon after, new laws for elections were put in place, starting a new time for Egypt’s government.