The national movement before the revolution

01The national movement before the revolution

• The policy of foreign intervention in financial affairs and Khedive Tawfiq's subservience to the foreigners aroused hatred against foreigners and Khedive alike, and therefore protest against the intervention.
• The banner of opposition was carried by a select company of Egyptian notables — the large landowners and the educated — to whom the military men joined.
• The notables objected to the policy of Riad Pasha, who opposed parliamentary life, favoured European influence, persecuted the nationalists and suspended the newspapers that criticised the government's conduct.
• The intellectuals came to see that reform came by applying the constitution Sharif had framed late in Isma'il's rule (the constitution of 1879) and by creating a Chamber of Deputies.

The National Party

• An association was formed at Helwan of those discontented with Riad's policy, known as the National Party, and it published its first political statement in November 1879.
• In mid-1881 the party demanded:
  • the return to the Egyptian government of all the Khedive's properties (the Daira Sanuya) and the family's properties (the Domain);
  • cancellation of the clause earmarking railway revenue for the debt;
  • consolidating the various debts into one debt at interest of only 4%;
  • forming a national control administration, temporary, to replace the foreign dual control.
• Riad tried to learn the party's members in order to exile them to the Sudan, but could not.
• Another association was founded in Alexandria named Young Egypt, which issued a newspaper of the same name and demanded of the Khedive public liberties.