Ibrahim Pasha

Ibrahim Pasha (1789-1848), Egyptian general and viceroy, born in Kavála, eastern Macedonia, Greece, the son or adopted son of Muhammad Ali, who became the Ottoman viceroy of Egypt. Ibrahim commanded the Egyptian troops in Arabia in their successful campaign against the Wahhabi tribesmen (1816-1818). In 1824, during the Greek revolt against the Ottoman Empire, he was sent with a squadron and an army of 17,000 men to put down the rebellion. With superior forces and artillery, he was victorious in the field but was harassed by Greek guerrilla forces after the siege of Mesolóngion (Missolonghi). In revenge, he devastated the country and deported and enslaved thousands of Greeks. Britain, Austria, and France intervened and forced the withdrawal of the victors in 1828.

In 1831, when his father revoked his allegiance to the Ottoman sultan, Ibrahim invaded Syria, then under Ottoman rule. He defeated the Ottomans in several battles and became governor of Syria. The conflict was resumed in 1838-1839 and culminated in Egyptian victory. Britain and Austria, however, forced him to abandon Syria in 1841. Ibrahim replaced his father as viceroy of Egypt in 1848, but died shortly afterward.