The morning of July 29, 1832 AD, and the Egyptian army under the command of "Ibrahim Pasha" is heading into a tight ambush, prepared by the Ottoman army; in the mountainous passes of Belen, on the Turkish-Syrian border.
The terrible plan that Serasker "Hussein Pasha" had drawn up with his French military adviser "Thevenin".. as an alternative plan in the event of the most negligible possibility that "Ibrahim" would defeat them in Syria.. which is exactly what happened.
The Ottoman forces appear to "Ibrahim" on the horizon, stationed in the Belen passes.. while the artillery on the mountain peaks is hidden and camouflaged.. waiting for the Egyptians to advance.. and it was supposed that as soon as they advanced.. the Ottoman forces would withdraw.. and leave the field to the artillerymen.. to do their work.
And indeed "Ibrahim Pasha" advanced with the vanguard cavalry toward the heart of the Ottoman forces.. and "Hassan al-Manasterli" toward the right wing, and "Suleiman Pasha the Frenchman," toward the left wing.
And the Ottoman artillery began to take aim.. and tried to pick off "Ibrahim," who was already engaging the Ottoman army.. and the latter fell back a kilometre or more, waiting for the Ottoman artillery to open up.. which never opened up at all.
And the Ottoman Serasker "Hussein Pasha" was stunned.. that the artillery batteries had fallen into Egyptian hands.. and he realised far too late.. that "Ibrahim" had known his secret plan from the beginning.. The secret is that his adviser "Thevenin" had been counted among the missing at the Battle of Aleppo.. and "Hussein Pasha" had assumed he was killed in the battle.. and in truth he had not been killed.. he had been taken prisoner by the Egyptian forces.. and while "Hussein Pasha" was withdrawing to Belen.. the Egyptian army soldiers were interrogating "Thevenin," and he was indeed a tough, hard-nosed French military commander.. refusing to give them a single piece of information.. so they gave him a gentle greeting.. with every boot they could lay their hands on.. until he confessed the original plan, the alternative plan, and his aunt's date of birth.
And because "Ibrahim Pasha" knew of the plan, the Egyptian soldiers were let loose, especially those from Upper Egypt accustomed to mountainous terrain.. so they crept in stealthily like commandos and climbed the mountains of Belen in their hundreds.. and killed the artillery guards with cold steel in silence and quiet, then killed the artillerymen themselves.. and took full control of the Ottoman artillery batteries.
And because "Ibrahim" and "al-Manasterli" were already engaged with the Ottoman infantry.. it became impossible for the Ottoman artillery to find replacement forces to protect it.
And before the blows of the trio "Ibrahim," "Suleiman," and "al-Manasterli".. the Ottoman army withdrew.. and this time.. it was bombarded by the batteries of its own artillery, which the Egyptian army had seized, from the highest heights of Belen.
And the Ottoman army was defeated for the second time, and withdrew into Turkish territory, and for the first time in ages.. the Egyptian army extended its control over the whole of Syria, including Alexandretta, and occupied the port of Payas, north of Alexandretta, and for the first time in three centuries.. the Egyptian army encamped on the Turkish-Syrian border, in July of the same year, 1832.
"Ibrahim" was forced to leave an Egyptian garrison on the border, and return with most of the army to "Aleppo".. and he wrote to his father "Mohamed Ali" with the developments.. so he told him "That's enough, stop here".. do not advance any further.
But suddenly a strange situation occurred, which changed the course of events.. which is that the Ottoman governor of "Diyarbakir" took with him his colleague the governor of "Urfa," and they moved from the Turkish border, and crossed into Syria and from there to Aleppo.. and they came in on "Ibrahim" suddenly, carrying their shrouds in their hands.. and they knelt before him, declaring the submission of "Diyarbakir" and "Urfa" to the Egyptian state.
And these were the first Ottoman cities to surrender without attack or fighting.. so on the basis of this dangerous development, "Ibrahim Pasha" sent to his father, that he was determined to advance.. and strike while the iron was hot.. and he informed his father of a great victory, that people would talk of through the ages.. and he gave him the glad tidings that from now on the imams on the pulpits, the sheikhs in the study circles, and the monks in the churches and temples would call him by the title "Mohamed Ali Pasha, Sultan of the Muslims," and he actually asked his father to issue a decree to that effect in Egypt, Sudan, Syria, and the Hejaz.
But "Mohamed Ali" was a simple man.. by the way, genius.. all genius.. lies in simplicity.. not in complexity and idiotic intrigue and empty appearances.. if you notice, every Ottoman sultan who came along gave himself a title of at least ten words.. beginning with "Brave of the World".. "Succour of the World and the Faith".. "Thunderbolt of Islam".. "Bab al-Bahr of Conquest".. "The Toilet Pipe of the Muslims".. etc.. but "Mohamed Ali," no.. he remained simple all his life.. and that is why he replied to "Ibrahim" with a letter preserved in history, in which he agreed with him on advancing into Ottoman territory.. but he concluded it by saying:
"You say in your letter that you want to strike the metal while it is hot.. and this I approve for you.. and that you want the sermon to be delivered in my name in all the mosques and temples, which I do not approve for you...
Know, my son, that we did not reach the position we now occupy except by the power of gentleness and humility.. for it is enough for me to bear the name (Mohamed Ali) pure of every rank and adornment.. for it is greater to me than all the titles of the sultanate and kingship.. because this name alone is what has granted me the honour that now covers me.. so how can I, my son, leave it for another? No, my son.. I shall keep my name (Mohamed Ali).. and you, my son, keep your name (Ibrahim); and upon you and with you be the mercy of God and His blessings."
And the Egyptian army broke up its camp, and organised its ranks, and crossed the Syrian border toward Turkish territory.
And this time the Ottoman Sultan "Mahmud II" wet his trousers with terror.. so he rushed to Europe to save him.. but no one had any time for him at all.. because since August 1830 AD, "the Belgian Question" had begun and would continue with its problems until 1835, and it was a raging revolution.. led by the southern provinces of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, against the Dutch King "William I," and because of it these provinces would become independent and unite into a kingdom.. as a first birth cry of a new state that was not on the map.. Belgium.
The birth of the Belgian kingdom.. from which the state of Belgium that exists now would be delivered.. and revolutions, and a struggle over the throne, and negotiations and conferences.. so no one in Europe had any time for "Mahmud II".. always bear in mind that they tell you:
"Mohamed Ali was supported by infidel Europe to dismantle the Muslim Ottoman state"... The truth is that in "Mohamed Ali's" war with the Ottomans.. no one resorted to Europe and was supported and backed by it except the Ottomans.
The important thing is that "Mahmud II" found that no one among the European states had any time for him.. so he mobilised every soldier of the Ottoman army, and sent out the criers and the messengers, across the domains of the sultanate, calling for "holy jihad".. to protect the Ottoman sultanate.. and Ottoman soldiers poured in to him like ants, from every hill and hollow, from every part of the state, to defend the heart of the sultanate.
And the Egyptian army entered the province of Adana and Tarsus.. and camped there for a period, until the Egyptian reconnaissance forces informed "Ibrahim" Pasha.. that the huge Ottoman army was advancing toward them under the command of the Grand Vizier "Rashid Mohamed Khawja Pasha."
And because "Ibrahim" was a clever commander.. he did not wait for the attack.. he left battalions of the army in the confrontation line.. and marched himself with the rest of the army to the north.
And he besieged Ankara.
The Egyptian army camped on the outskirts of Ankara, in the most violent winter you could possibly imagine to pass over the Ottoman state.. in which the temperature dropped below zero and snow fell the whole time, on Egyptian soldiers who were neither accustomed to nor expecting this climate.
And the garrison of Ankara and the Ottoman army battalions in it confronted the Egyptian army, and opened up on it with the fire of their artillery and their shells.. but "Ibrahim" was at a safe distance from the artillery fire.. so he watched the garrison coolly.. until its ammunition ran out or nearly so.. and on an evening in mid-October, of the year 1832, history paused to record for us the terrible events that shook the world that night.
The night Ankara fell.
The Egyptian army descended on Ankara on the evening of mid-October of the year 1832 and routed the Ottoman army forces in it.. and occupied it.. in an astonishing surprise, that stunned the world.. the occupation of "Ankara" at that time.. was as if, for example, today you occupied New York in America, say.. or camped your forces on the outskirts of Berlin.
And on December 18 of the year 1832, the dust of the horses of the huge Ottoman army appeared on the horizon, under the command of "Rauf Pasha," the envoy of the Grand Vizier "Rashid Mohamed Khawja Pasha" himself.. and "Ibrahim" had advanced to the north of "Konya".. and there, "Ibrahim Pasha" camped face to face with "Rauf".. and waited until the forces of the Grand Vizier "Rashid Mohamed Khawja Pasha" joined him two days later.
And on December 21, with the Ottoman army organising its ranks under the command of "Rashid Pasha".. a thick, dense fog suddenly descended on the area, so thick that neither army could see the other.. so "Rashid" seized the opportunity.. and ordered the artillery batteries to advance.. and by intuition and sense of place.. he fired his shells at the Egyptian army camp.
And the shells rained down on the Egyptian army position, and turned it into a blaze of flame.. without a single shot being fired from the Egyptian camp, and it appeared to "Rashid" that the commander "Ibrahim" had been taken by surprise by the blow, and had taken the fire.. and perished among his men.
And the truth is that "Rashid Pasha" was bombarding empty ground.. because with the descent of the fog.. "Ibrahim" had broken up his camp.. and moved the army to the left a distance of two kilometres.
And "Rashid" began to advance.. while "Ibrahim" sat in the midst of the fog with his army in silence.. until the Ottoman army passed within only 500 metres of them.. then the men of the Egyptian army suddenly fell upon them from the side in the midst of the fog like ghosts.. and from a very close range, at which the Ottoman artillery lost its effectiveness, and with the violent surprise attack, the right wing of the Ottoman army fell and the centre was exposed.. and then the left wing fell, and while "Ibrahim Pasha" was encircling the Ottoman army, the Egyptian artillery had begun firing its shells.. and enormous confusion prevailed.. and the Ottoman soldiers began trying to flee.. but they were already encircled.. and whoever tried to flee lost his life at once.. so "Rashid Pasha" decided to set out himself, and reorganise the ranks.
But "Rashid" lost his direction in the fog.. and did not know where he was or where he was going.. and when he turned about trying to return.. he suddenly found himself surrounded by Egyptian soldiers.. they attacked him and stripped him of his weapon.. and seized him and led him away as a prisoner to "Ibrahim Pasha."
The Grand Vizier was taken prisoner, and the Egyptian army finished off the Ottomans, who tried to flee north across the marshes, but the cavalry pursued most of them and killed them.. and none escaped except those who took off their military uniform (apparently hereditary) and fled naked to the nearby towns and the Bedouin tribes, and took from them what covered their bodies.
History has recorded this battle for us under the name "the Battle of Konya".. and in it the Ottoman state lost most of its army.. and "Ibrahim Pasha" took prisoner the prime minister.. the Grand Vizier "Rashid Pasha".. and shipped him to Cairo.
And "Mahmud II" rushed to Prussia and Austria.. and they were somewhat far from the Belgian Question.. but both refused to assist him.. and told him that they were not prepared to engage with the Egyptian army at all.. and that this might cause them grievous losses.. and perhaps defeat.. threatening their rule and undermining their thrones.
And at the same time, the remaining Ottoman soldiers reorganised their ranks.. and camped at "Kutahya".. and "Ibrahim" marched to them and met them once again and for the last time, and finished them off completely there.
After "Kutahya" the Egyptian army entered "Magnesia" on the outskirts of Izmir.. and there, at its gates, they met the governor of Izmir and his forces.. who laid down their weapons without confrontation.. and knelt before the Egyptian commander and his soldiers.. and declared their submission to the Egyptian state and their loyalty to "Mohamed Ali."
And "Ibrahim Pasha" took over the city and dismissed its defeated, surrendering governor.. and appointed over it one of its notables, "Mansur Effendi Zada."
And the Egyptian army marched on Bursa and entered it.. and camped in it.. and there it defeated the last Ottoman garrison present.. which meant that the Ottoman army had been almost entirely destroyed.. and the road to the capital of the caliphate lay open.
And "Ibrahim" moved.. and camped 200 kilometres from the palace of the Ottoman Sultan in the heart of Constantinople.
The city that we all know today by its common, famous name.
"Istanbul"...
And it seems that time has robbed us today and the story has grown long.. so we will continue our tale later.
And there remains more to say, God willing.
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- Previous posts in the first comment.
- The image is of the statue of "Ibrahim Pasha" from Ataba Square in Cairo, inscribed on its base: "Peace be upon Ibrahim, who led his army from victory to victory."
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