Tewfik was very weak ruler and virtually became a puppet in the hands of Europeans. In the meanwhile, France and Britain established ‘Dual Control’ to assist Egypt to discharge her debts.
It may be noted that this ‘Dual Control’ was quite different from the Debt Commission, which was 10 merely receive money due from the Khedive. The people of Egypt did not approve of the incompetence of their rulers and the growing interference by the Europeans in their internal affairs. They also disliked the policy of discrimination in administration and repressive methods being used by the Dual Control. Almost all the sections of the people were unhappy.
The farmers complained of heavy taxes while the civil servants and army officers grumbled against the cut in their salaries. The common man felt that the administration of the country was being carried on far the benefit of the foreigners, whose number had greatly swelled of late.
Under the circumstances Colonel Ahmed Arabi founded the Egyptian National Party in 1872 with a view to free the Egyptian people from the rule of self-interested aristocrats and protest against the hold of the outsiders. His objectives were purely nationalistic viz. to fight for the rights of fellow countrymen and freedom of the country.
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He openly declared “Must Egypt be nothing but a geographical expression? Must her five million inhabitants be as cattle over which are imposed drovers at will?
Egypt wishes to liberate herself from her debts on condition that the power leave her free to apply urgent refunds.” The effectiveness of Arabi as leader is evident from the fact that he not only appraised the Khedive of the grievances of the army officers against the government but also forced him to change his advisers. The resentment against the foreigners culminated in armed outbreak in 1882.
In view of the threat to lives of the Europeans in Egypt, the British Government approached the French Government for support in suppression of the outbreak. However, the French Government refused to cooperate and the British Government was obliged to act alone and restore order.
English Admiral Seymour bombarded Alexandria. Thirty-five thousands troops from Cyprus, Malta, Gibralter and India, under the leadership of General Wolsely, took part in the operations against Egypt. Ultimately the British succeeded in defeating Arabi at the battle of Tel-el- Kabir. They captured Cairo the next day.
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The rest of the Egyptian army was easily rounded. Subsequently, Arabi was captured and tried. Eventually he was exile to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) for life. As a result of these developments, the British per chance found themselves in single occupation of Egypt. However, the British Cabinet was opposed to permanent occupation of Egypt and held that the British troops should be withdrawn at the earliest.
Gladstone strongly opposed the permanent British occupation of Egypt and said, “We are against it on the ground of our duty to Egypt; we are against it on the ground of the specific and solemn pledges which have earned for us the confidence of Europe during the course of difficult and delicate operations, and which, if one pledge can be more solemn and sacred than another, special sacredness in the case, bids us to observe.”
After occupation of Egypt the British tried to recognize the government and finances of the country. However, the task of reorganizing the government and strengthening the Egyptian finances proved quite difficult and the British were obliged to postpone their departure indefinitely. It may be observed that the British officers had to work under very peculiar conditions.
The county was nominally still under joint European guarantee established in 1941. Theoretically it still formed a part of the Turkish Empire. The British had not legal authority over Egypt. Therefore, the British had no legal authority over Egypt. Therefore, the British officers merely continued to work as advisers to the Khedive.