d of an
assassin who had aspired to occupy one of the vacant beyships himself,
which was conferred instead on 'Ali, who as 'Ali Bey was destined to
play an important part in the history of Egypt. The murder of Ibrahim
Bey took place in 1755, and his colleague Ridwan perished in the
disputes that followed upon it.

'Ali Bey.

'Ali Bey, who had first distinguished himself by defending a caravan in
Arabia against bandits, set himself the task of avenging the death of
his former master Ibrahim, and spent eight years in purchasing Mamelukes
and winning other adherents. He thereby excited the suspicions of the
Sheik al-Balad Khalil Bey, who organized an attack upon him in the
streets of Cairo, in consequence of which he fled to Upper Egypt. Here
he met one Salh Bey, who had injuries to avenge on Khalil Bey, and the
two organized a force with which they returned to Cairo and defeated
Khalil, who was forced to fly to Tanta, where for a time he concealed
himself; eventually, however, he was discovered, sent to Alexandria and
finally strangled. The date of 'Ali Bey's victory was 1164 A.H. (A.D.
1750), and after it he was made Sheik al-Balad. In that capacity he
executed the murderer of his former master Ibrahim; but the resentment
which this act aroused among the beys caused him to leave his post and
fly to Syria, where he won the friendship of the governor of Acre, Zahir
b. Omar, who obtained for him the goodwill of the Porte and
reinstatement in his post as Sheik al-Balad. In 1766, after the death of
his supporter the grand vizier Raghib Pasha, he was again compelled to
fly from Egypt to Yemen, but in the following year he was told that his
party at Cairo was strong enough to permit of his return. Resuming his
office he raised eighteen of his friends to the rank of bey, among them
Ibrahim and Murad, who were afterwards at the head of affairs, as well
as Mahommed Abu'l-Dhahab, who was closely connected with the rest of
'Ali Bey's career. He appears to have done his utmost to bring Egyptian
affairs into order, and by very severe measures repressed the brigandage
of the Bedouins of Lower Egypt. He appears to have aspired to found an
independent monarchy, and to that end endeavoured to disband all forces
except those which were exclusively under his own control. In 1769 a
demand came to 'Ali Bey for a force of 12,000 men to be employed by the
Porte in the Russian war. It was suggested, however, at Constantinople
that 'Ali wou