The Myth of the Traitor: the Christian Antun and His Role in Organizing the French Invasion of Egypt in 1798

Kobishchanov, Taras

doi:10.18254/S207987840023122-3

Home>Issue 11 (121)>The Myth of the Traitor: “the Christian Antun” and His Role in Organizing the French Invasion of Egypt in 1798

The Myth of the Traitor: “the Christian Antun” and His Role in Organizing the French Invasion of Egypt in 1798

Table of contents

Annotation Estimate Publication content

References Comments

The Myth of the Traitor: “the Christian Antun” and His Role in Organizing the French Invasion of Egypt in 1798

Annotation

PII

S207987840023122-3-1

DOI

10.18254/S207987840023122-3

Publication type

Article

Status

Published

Authors

Taras Kobishchanov Send message

ORCID: 0000-0001-8165-0897

Affiliation: Lomonosov Moscow State University
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow

Edition

Volume 13 Issue 11 (121)

Abstract

The presented article is based on a little-known text of the Ottoman chronicler ‘Izzet Efendi al-Darandali. The court chronicler of the Grand Vizier presents a conspiracy version of the events of the Great French Revolution and the origins of the Egyptian expedition of Napoleon Bonaparte, the main role in which belonged to a certain “Christian Antun” who fled from Egypt. Behind the archetypal image of the traitorous Copt lies not only a classic myth of traitor and betrayal but also a historical figure of the main tax collector of Egyptian customs Antun Cassis, who emigrated to Europe a few years before the overthrow of the French monarchy. The text allows a deeper understanding of the way of thinking of the elite of Ottoman society, the perception of the Turkish Ulema elite of the image of “others” and “strangers”, as well as the events that took place in Europe at that time. The story of ‘Izzet Efendi al-Darandali appears to be a strange mixture of traditional ideas of the Ottoman-Muslim society trying to adapt to the new realities of the reign of Sultan Selim III (1789—1807).

Keywords

the French expedition to Egypt, the Ottoman perception of the French Revolution, the history of betrayal, ‘Izzet Efendi al-Darandali, Antun Cassis

Received

13.10.2022

Publication date

15.12.2022

Number of characters

27559

Number of purchasers

Views

221

Readers community rating

0.0 (0 votes)

Cite Download pdf 200 RUB / 1.0 SU

To download PDF you should pay the subscribtion

GOST	Kobishchanov T. The Myth of the Traitor: “the Christian Antun” and His Role in Organizing the French Invasion of Egypt in 1798 // ISTORIYA. – 2022. – V. 13. – Issue 11 (121). URL: https://history.jes.su/s207987840023122-3-1/. DOI: 10.18254/S207987840023122-3
MLA	Kobishchanov, Taras "The Myth of the Traitor: “the Christian Antun” and His Role in Organizing the French Invasion of Egypt in 1798." ISTORIYA. 13.11 (121) (2022). DOI: 10.18254/S207987840023122-3
APA	Kobishchanov T. (2022). The Myth of the Traitor: “the Christian Antun” and His Role in Organizing the French Invasion of Egypt in 1798. ISTORIYA. vol. 13, no. 11 (121) DOI: 10.18254/S207987840023122-3

Full text is available to subscribers only

Subscribe right now

Only article and additional services

Subscription benefits

200 RUB / 1.0 SU

Whole issue and additional services

Subscription benefits

820 RUB / 10.0 SU

All issues and additional services for 2022

Subscription benefits

5000 RUB / 50.0 SU

References

1. Kobischanov T. Yu. Khristianskie obschiny v arabo-osmanskom mire. M., 2003.

2. Kobischanov T. Yu. Dzhikhad — neveruyuschim, soyuz — nevernym: Vysokaya Porta v pervye mesyatsy posle frantsuzskogo vtorzheniya v Egipet // Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Seriya 13. Vostokovedenie. 2010. № 2. S. 3—20.

3. Kobischanov T. Yu. Khristiane Blizhnego Vostoka i rol' ikh «zagovora» v Arkhipelagskoj ehkspeditsii rossijskogo flota 1769—1774 gg. // Vestnik Pravoslavnogo Svyato-Tikhonovskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya 3: Filologiya. 2018. № 57. S. 47—57.

4. Kobishchanov T. Overcoming Old Grievances: the Ottoman Way to the Signing of the Alliance Treaty with Russia in 1798 // ISTORIYA. 2020. Vol. 11. Is. 12 (98). P. I. URL: https://history.jes.su/s207987840010438-0-1/ DOI: 10.18254/S207987840010438-0

5. Crecelius D. Unratified Commercial Treaties between Egypt and England and France, 1773—1794 // Revue d’Histoire Maghrebine (Epoque moderne et contemporaine). 1985. No 37-38. P. 67—104.

6. Crecelius D. The Attempt by the Greek Catholics to Control Egypt’s Trade with Europe in the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century // La vie sociale dans les provinces arabes à l’époque ottomane. Tunis, 1988. Vol. 3. P. 121—132.

7. Hitzel F. Les relations franco-turques à la veille de l’expédition // La campagne d’Égypte, 1798—1801. Mythes et réalités. P., 1998. P. 43—57.

8. Lewis B. The Impact of the French Revolution on Turkey. Some Notes on the Transmission of Ideas // Cahiers d’histoire mondiale. 1953. Vol. I. Juillet. P. 105—125.

9. Lewis B. The Muslim Discovery of Europe. L., 1982.

10. Naff T. Reform and the Conduct of Ottoman Diplomacy at the Reign of Selim III // Journal of the American Oriental Society. 1963. N 83 (3). P. 295—315.

11. Philipp T. The Syrians in Egypt, 1725—1975. Stuttgart, 1985.

12. Raymond A. Artisans et commerçants au Caire au XVIIIe siècle. Vol. I-II. Damas, 1973.

13. Sajdi D. In Other Worlds? Mapping Out the Spatial Imaginaries of 18th Century Chroniclers from the Ottoman Levant (Bilād al-Shām) // Osmanlı Araştırmaları. The Journal of Ottoman Studies. 2014. XLIV. P. 357—392.

14. Shaw S. J. History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey. Cambridge, 1976. Vol. 1.

15. Yesil F. Looking at the French Revolution trough Ottoman eyes: Ebubekir Ratib Efendi’s Observations // Bulletin of SOAS. 2007. № 70 (2). P. 283—304.