General Muravyov’s Mission During the Revolt of Mehmet Ali Pasha (1832-1833)

In 1831, Mehmet Ali Pasha's opposition to the central authority and later his son Ibrahim's intention to enter the Anatolian borders and move towards the Ottoman capital, was a seriously threat for Russia. As Mehmet Ali Pasha established with his reforms a strong army and received the support of France, the possibility of him replacing the Ottoman dynasty, would threaten Russia’s position in the Ottoman Empire. Thus, the Tsar aimed at ensuring the remaining of the Ottoman Sultan on his throne. For this purpose, he appointed General N. N. Muravyov with the mission to meet with Mehmet Ali Pasha. Muravyov, arrived in Istanbul to discuss the issue with the palace, and then went to Alexandria to meet with Mehmet Ali Pasha and try to stop the rebellion. Meanwhile, Muratov recorded in detail his impressions about the Ottoman bureaucracy, military developments, Mahmud II and Mehmet Ali Pasha. As seen from his notes, one of the purposes of his trip to the Ottoman capital was to obtain military intelligence. He collected strategic information about the Ottoman bureaucracy, the army, and geography, especially about the Straits, with the support of the cartographers who accompanied him. This paper, based Muravyov's notes discusses primarily the Egyptian Question, Russia's involvement in the issue and the respond of the Ottoman bureaucracy to the events. On a second level, Muravyov’s notes, one of the most important witnesses of the period reveal that the main reason for Russia's proposal to aid the Ottomans stems from her own concerns and strategies to gain a military advantage in the future.