Chapter 40: "Transforming" Cairo

"Very good, Roland! I didn't expect you to think of this. Well done," Napoleon nodded appreciatively at Roland.

"Desaix!" Napoleon then called out to Colonel Desaix.

"What are your orders, General Napoleon?" Hearing his name, Desaix quickly approached Napoleon to inquire.

"Immediately head to Alexandria and send word to Brueys. Tell him to guard against the British fleet coming from the Mediterranean," Napoleon commanded.

"Yes, General. I will go at once," Desaix saluted and prepared to carry out the order.

After giving instructions to Desaix, Napoleon shifted his focus away from naval concerns and concentrated all his attention on the ongoing battle for Cairo.

Moula did not disappoint him. Leading the French cavalry, he conducted a decisive assault within the city of Cairo, overwhelming the Egyptian defenders consistently. In less than an hour, he secured victory, and the French flag was hoisted at the highest point in Cairo.

"Looks like Moula has secured victory; let's enter the city! Then, we shall see what this ancient city truly holds," Napoleon remarked as he saw the French flag waving atop Cairo. His smile broadened, and the recent worries about the British fleet diminished.

Along the streets of Cairo, French soldiers stood guard, rifles in hand, faces stern, as they watched ahead. In the midst of them, Napoleon, dressed in lavish military attire, rode a majestic horse slowly towards the heart of Cairo.

As he advanced, Napoleon closely observed the ancient city, contemplating how to govern it. His aim was not merely to capture the city but to transform it into a French territory—making Egypt an impregnable fortress for France in the East. This meant that Napoleon could not merely exploit the region through oppressive rule; he needed to win the hearts of the local populace and secure their allegiance.

Thus, the day after capturing Cairo, Napoleon began the "transformation" of the city. He established a stringent administrative system, abolished feudal relations, and from a legislative standpoint, protected private property and the interests of business owners. He set a taxation system, established a police force, and went to great lengths to protect the Arab population's faith, giving full respect to Islam. He declared mosques and clerics as inviolable and sacred.

It can be said that Napoleon used religion to his advantage during his military dictatorship in Egypt. He proclaimed the liberation of the Arab people from the tyranny of the Mamluk cavalry, but the Arabs showed no interest in this so-called liberation, expressing their resistance through silence. Upon his arrival in Egypt, Napoleon established academic institutions and implemented political reforms, sparking significant reactions. Egypt, a cradle of science and scholarship, had enriched the lives of the barbaric Europeans in ancient times. However, since its conquest by the Arabs, it had nearly spent 1100 years in obscurity, now to be revived and developed through the application of these scholarly pursuits. The European cultural debt to Egypt was being repaid primarily through the institutions Napoleon founded, which is one of the many reasons he is revered and celebrated in history. Compared to Napoleon's versatile genius, even his most talented opponents seemed insignificant!

While undertaking religious and cultural reforms in Egypt, Napoleon did not neglect its politics. He first gathered a group of Egyptians who were loyal to him and used them to form an administrative council, a body designed to discuss and publicize his policies daily, focusing on public order and food supply. He then convened an all-Egypt council and established smaller administrative bodies for the provinces.

Napoleon consulted these institutions on judicial and tax issues. In the administrative bodies, he adopted terms used by the Easterners to minimize resistance from the Egyptians to his policies.

Following through with his ability to redistribute tax burdens, Napoleon revitalized the stagnant Egypt, enabling it to withstand the burden of constant French military campaigns. He established a mint and an Egyptian trading company, promoting the welfare of this new colony.

After these policies, it was clear to everyone that Egypt's authority was firmly in Napoleon's hands.

However, these diverse and strenuous efforts did not exhaust Napoleon's energy. During his journey to Suez, he encountered a camel caravan in the desert. Noticing the rapid pace at which camels could travel, he decided to establish a camel cavalry. Napoleon's genius even allowed him to defeat the Bedouins in their own desert, compelling even them to acknowledge his superiority.