--- type: article status: Published slug: "napoleon-egyptians-1798" title: "Proclamation to the Egyptians" author: "Napoléon Bonaparte" tradition: "european" language: "fr" genre: "proclamations" period: "1798" source_url: "https://archive.org/details/correspondancede04napouoft" certainty: observed source: "https://archive.org/details/correspondancede04napouoft" --- # Proclamation to the Egyptians ## Original ### 2723. Proclamation to the Egyptians (July 1798) 2723. — PROCLAMATION. Quartier général, Alexandrie, 14 messidor an VI (2 juillet 1798), 18 du mois de muharrem, l’an de l’hégire 1213. Bonaparte, membre de l’Institut national, général en chef: Depuis assez longtemps les beys qui gouvernent l’Égypte insultent à la nation française et couvrent ses négociants d’avanies: l’heure de leur châtiment est arrivée. Depuis trop longtemps ce ramassis d’esclaves achetés dans la Géorgie et le Caucase tyrannise la plus belle partie du monde; mais Dieu, de qui dépend tout, a ordonné que leur empire finît. Peuples de l’Égypte, on vous dira que je viens détruire votre religion; ne le croyez pas! Répondez que je viens vous restituer vos droits, punir les usurpateurs, et que je respecte, plus que les Mameluks, Dieu, son prophète et l’Alcoran. Dites-leur que tous les hommes sont égaux devant Dieu; la sagesse, les talents et les vertus mettent seuls de la différence entre eux. Or, quelle sagesse, quels talents, quelles vertus distinguent les Mameluks, pour qu’ils aient exclusivement tout ce qui rend la vie aimable et douce? Y a-t-il une belle terre? elle appartient aux Mameluks. Y a-t-il une belle esclave, un beau cheval, une belle maison? cela appartient aux Mameluks. Si l’Égypte est leur ferme, qu’ils montrent le bail que Dieu leur en a fait. Mais Dieu est juste et miséricordieux pour le peuple. Tous les Égyptiens seront appelés à gérer toutes les places; les plus sages, les plus instruits, les plus vertueux gouverneront, et le peuple sera heureux. Il y avait parmi vous jadis de grandes villes, de grands canaux, un grand commerce. Qui a tout détruit, si ce n’est l’avarice, les injustices et la tyrannie des Mameluks? Cadis, cheiks, imams, tchorbadjis, dites au peuple que nous sommes amis des vrais musulmans. N’est-ce pas nous qui avons détruit le Pape, qui disait qu’il fallait faire la guerre aux musulmans? N’est-ce pas nous qui avons détruit les chevaliers de Malte, parce que ces insensés croyaient que Dieu voulait qu’ils fissent la guerre aux musulmans? N’est-ce pas nous qui avons été dans tous les siècles les amis du Grand Seigneur (que Dieu accomplisse ses désirs!) et l’ennemi de ses ennemis? Les Mameluks, au contraire, ne se sont-ils pas toujours révoltés contre l’autorité du Grand Seigneur, qu’ils méconnaissent encore? Ils ne font que leurs caprices. Trois fois heureux ceux qui seront avec nous! Ils prospéreront dans leur fortune et leur rang. Heureux ceux qui seront neutres! Ils auront le temps d’apprendre à nous connaître, et ils se rangeront avec nous. Mais malheur, trois fois malheur à ceux qui s’armeront pour les Mameluks et combattront contre nous! Il n’y aura pas d’espérance pour eux: ils périront. ARTICLE 1er. — Tous les villages situés dans un rayon de trois lieues des endroits où passera l’armée enverront une députation pour faire connaître au général commandant les troupes qu’ils sont dans l’obéissance, et le prévenir qu’ils ont arboré le drapeau de l’armée, bleu, blanc et rouge. ART. 2. — Tous les villages qui prendront les armes contre l’armée seront brûlés. ART. 3. — Tous les villages qui se seront soumis à l’armée mettront, avec le pavillon du Grand Seigneur, notre ami, celui de l’armée. ART. 4. — Les cheiks feront mettre les scellés sur les biens, maisons, propriétés qui appartiendront aux Mameluks, et auront soin que rien ne soit détourné. ART. 5. — Les cheiks, les cadis et les imams continueront les fonctions de leurs places. Chaque habitant restera chez lui, et les prières continueront comme à l’ordinaire. Chacun remerciera Dieu de la destruction des Mameluks et criera: Gloire au Sultan! gloire à l’armée française, son amie! malédiction aux Mameluks, et bonheur aux peuples d’Égypte! BONAPARTE. ## Translation — Mouseia > Machine-assisted Musean translation directly from the French transcript; source-language model review covered the earlier corpus, with later changes separately checked as documented in corpus/raw/napoleon-proclamations/source-language-review.md. ### 2723. Proclamation to the Egyptians (July 1798) 2723. — PROCLAMATION. Headquarters, Alexandria, 14 Messidor, Year VI (July 2, 1798), the 18th of the month of Muharram, in the year 1213 of the Hijra. Bonaparte, member of the National Institute, commander in chief: For long enough the beys who govern Egypt have insulted the French nation and subjected its merchants to indignities: the hour of their punishment has arrived. For too long this horde of slaves bought in Georgia and the Caucasus has tyrannized the fairest part of the world; but God, on whom all things depend, has ordained that their rule should end. Peoples of Egypt, you will be told that I come to destroy your religion; do not believe it! Answer that I come to restore your rights, punish the usurpers, and that I respect God, his prophet, and the Quran more than the Mamluks do. Tell them that all men are equal before God; wisdom, talents, and virtues alone make a distinction among them. Now, what wisdom, what talents, what virtues distinguish the Mamluks, that they alone should possess all that makes life pleasant and gentle? Is there a fine piece of land? It belongs to the Mamluks. Is there a beautiful female slave, a fine horse, a fine house? It belongs to the Mamluks. If Egypt is their farm, let them show the lease God has given them for it. But God is just and merciful to the people. All Egyptians will be called upon to fill every office; the wisest, the most learned, the most virtuous will govern, and the people will be happy. Once there were among you great cities, great canals, and great commerce. Who destroyed it all, if not the greed, injustice, and tyranny of the Mamluks? Qadis, sheikhs, imams, chorbadjis, tell the people that we are friends of true Muslims. Was it not we who destroyed the Pope, who said that war must be made on Muslims? Was it not we who destroyed the Knights of Malta, because those madmen believed that God wanted them to make war on Muslims? Is it not we who have been, in every century, the friends of the Grand Seigneur (may God fulfill his desires!) and the enemy of his enemies? Have not the Mamluks, on the contrary, always rebelled against the authority of the Grand Seigneur, which they still refuse to recognize? They follow nothing but their own whims. Three times happy are those who will be with us! They will prosper in fortune and rank. Happy are those who remain neutral! They will have time to come to know us, and they will join our side. But woe, three times woe to those who take up arms for the Mamluks and fight against us! There will be no hope for them: they will perish. ARTICLE 1. — All villages within a radius of three leagues of the places through which the army passes shall send a delegation to inform the general commanding the troops that they are obedient and to notify him that they have raised the army's flag, blue, white, and red. ART. 2. — All villages that take up arms against the army shall be burned. ART. 3. — All villages that have submitted to the army shall display the army's flag alongside that of the Grand Seigneur, our friend. ART. 4. — The sheikhs shall have the goods, houses, and properties belonging to the Mamluks sealed, and shall take care that nothing is diverted. ART. 5. — The sheikhs, qadis, and imams shall continue to perform the duties of their offices. Every inhabitant shall remain at home, and prayers shall continue as usual. Everyone shall thank God for the destruction of the Mamluks and cry: “Glory to the Sultan! Glory to the French army, his friend! A curse on the Mamluks, and happiness to the peoples of Egypt!” BONAPARTE. ## Translation — Mouseia > Independently produced machine-assisted Plain translation directly from the same French transcript; source-language model review covered the earlier corpus as documented in corpus/raw/napoleon-proclamations/source-language-review.md. ### 2723. Proclamation to the Egyptians (July 1798) 2723. — PROCLAMATION. Headquarters, Alexandria, 14 Messidor, Year VI (July 2, 1798), the 18th of Muharram, in the year 1213 of the Hijra. Bonaparte, member of the National Institute and commander in chief: For long enough, the beys ruling Egypt have insulted the French nation and heaped indignities on its merchants. The time for their punishment has come. For too long, this rabble of slaves purchased in Georgia and the Caucasus has oppressed the most beautiful region in the world. But God, on whom all things depend, has decreed an end to their power. Peoples of Egypt, you will hear that I have come to destroy your faith. Do not believe it! Say in reply that I have come to give you back your rights and punish those who seized power, and that I hold God, his prophet, and the Quran in greater respect than the Mamluks do. Tell them that in God's sight everyone is equal. Wisdom, ability, and virtue alone make one person different from another. So what wisdom, ability, or virtue makes the Mamluks so special that they alone should possess everything that makes life pleasant and easy? Is there a fine piece of land? The Mamluks own it. Is there a beautiful enslaved woman, a fine horse, or a fine house? The Mamluks own that too. If Egypt is a farm they hold, let them produce the lease God gave them for it. But God is fair and merciful to the people. All Egyptians will be called on to hold every kind of public post. Those with the most wisdom, learning, and virtue will rule, and the people will be happy. Once you had great cities, great canals, and extensive trade. What ruined them all, if not the Mamluks' greed, injustice, and tyranny? Cadis, sheikhs, imams, tchorbadjis, tell the people that we are friends to true Muslims. Were we not the ones who destroyed the Pope, who said that Muslims must be fought? Were we not the ones who destroyed the Knights of Malta, because those madmen thought God wanted them to fight Muslims? Have we not throughout the centuries been friends to the Grand Seigneur (may God grant his wishes!) and foes to his foes? The Mamluks, on the other hand, have they not always rebelled against the Grand Seigneur's authority, which they still disregard? They follow only their own whims. Three times happy are those who stand with us! Their wealth and standing will prosper. Happy are those who stay neutral! They will have time to come to know us, and they will come over to our side. But woe, three times woe, to those who take up arms for the Mamluks and fight us! There will be no hope for them: they will die. ARTICLE 1. — Every village within three leagues of any place the army passes through shall send a delegation to tell the general commanding the troops that it obeys and to notify him that it has raised the army's blue, white, and red flag. ART. 2. — Every village that takes up arms against the army shall be burned. ART. 3. — Every village that has submitted to the army shall fly the army's flag alongside the flag of the Grand Seigneur, our friend. ART. 4. — The sheikhs shall have seals placed on the goods, houses, and property belonging to the Mamluks and shall see that nothing is taken away improperly. ART. 5. — The sheikhs, cadis, and imams shall carry on with the duties of their posts. Every inhabitant shall stay at home, and prayers shall go on as usual. Everyone shall thank God for the destruction of the Mamluks and cry out: Glory to the Sultan! Glory to the French army, his friend! A curse on the Mamluks, and happiness to the peoples of Egypt! BONAPARTE.