colony · Egypt, North Africa and Sudan
French occupation of Egypt
Origins
In 1798 the French First Republic sent Napoleon Bonaparte with an army to Egypt to threaten British trade with India. He landed at Alexandria in July, defeated the Mamluk beys at the Battle of the Pyramids and entered Cairo, but Nelson destroyed his fleet at Aboukir Bay in August 1798.
Rule and society
The French governed through councils of Egyptian notables and ulama, imposed new taxes and suppressed revolts in Cairo in 1798 and 1800. Bonaparte brought scholars who founded the Institut d'Égypte and compiled the Description de l'Égypte; the Rosetta Stone was found in 1799. After Bonaparte left, Kléber commanded until his assassination in 1800, then Menou.
Decline and legacy
British and Ottoman forces landed in 1801, and the French capitulated at Cairo and Alexandria that year. The collapse of Mamluk power paved the way for Egypt under Muhammad Ali.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (3)
- Ottoman Egypt was conquered by French occupation of Egypt1798 CE – 1801 CE
- French occupation of Egypt was a colony of French First Republic1798 CE – 1801 CE
- French occupation of Egypt was conquered by Ottoman Egypt1801 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). French occupation of Egypt. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/french-occupation-of-egypt
- MLA
- “French occupation of Egypt.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/french-occupation-of-egypt. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “French occupation of Egypt.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/french-occupation-of-egypt.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘French occupation of Egypt’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/french-occupation-of-egypt (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻