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 protected and influenced by Britain.

The Sultanate began because Britain wanted to control Egypt, especially important trade routes like the Suez Canal. This helped Britain during the war.

In 1922, Britain issued the Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence. This ended the Sultanate and let Egypt become independent again, though Britain still kept some control over 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 World War I began, the British did not trust the leader of Egypt, Abbas II. They removed him and put his uncle, Hussein Kamel, in charge. He said Egypt was now independent from the Ottoman Empire, but Britain still controlled the country.

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, people across Egypt protested. There were big marches and strikes. 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, big protests started in Egypt. The British leader there could not stop them and had to follow orders from London to bring peace, but he could not.

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 try to give Egyptians more control while protecting British interests. But many Egyptians did not want to work with this mission. Talks went on, and finally, the British agreed to talk about ending the protectorate.

When a leader named Zaghlul returned to Egypt, many people welcomed him. But the British leader, Allenby, did not want him in charge and sent him away. This caused 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 an important moment for Egypt. However, Britain still controlled some key areas until agreements could be made. These included protecting the British Empire’s communications, keeping Egypt safe from outside attacks, and ensuring the safety of foreign interests and minority groups. Britain also still controlled Sudan.

After this, Britain still had some influence over Egypt. 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 new election laws were introduced, beginning a new era for Egypt’s government.