xvi Introduction
ago the Egyptian peasantry—nine-tenths of the people
—lived much the same lives as they did under the
Pharaohs. Yet the status of the people and the story of
the nation was, all through the last century, changing
rapidly in all manner of vicissitudes. The story of Modem
Egypt must therefore be told in the old manner, mainly
through the careers of its rulers and the political events
of the day. In a word, it is in talking about Kings, and
not about cabbages, that an author must tell the real
story of Modern Egypt.
But the picturesque characters and careers of these
'' kings '' of Egypt must not be allowed to obscure those
cross-currents of Egyptian nationalism and of European
Imperialism on which they were floated to fortune or
drifted to destruction. So when we read how Mehemet
AH made Egypt, we must also be reminded how Egypt
made Mehemet Ali. When we review with pride how
Cromer rehabilitated Egypt, we must also realise that
this was very largely the natural convalescence of a
laborious people from an imported disorder. When we
realise how Kitchener could control Egypt because he
had conquered the Sudan, we must remember that this
was because Egypt knew that the reconquest had been
done by Egyptians. When we rejoice with even more
pride that Allenby prevented a war of independence
against our protectorate, such as those which have dis-
graced other European Powers in Morocco, Tripoli, and
Syria, we must recollect that the Egyptian is not like a
Riffi, a Senussi, or a Druse ; and that, nevertheless, we,
too, have had our troubles. In short, we must bear in
mind that in this story of Georgian, Arnaut and British
rule in Egypt, it is Egypt that is really counting all the
time. It will, indeed, be rather like writing the life of a
public man with a clever wife. While she helps him he