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Egypt Social Change in the Nineteenth Century
During the nineteenth century, the socioeconomic and
political foundations of the modern Egyptian state were laid. The
transformation of Egypt began with the integration of the economy
into the world capitalist system with the result that by the end
of the century Egypt had become an exporter of raw materials to
Europe and an importer of European manufactured goods. The
transformation of Egypt led to the emergence of a ruling elite
composed of large landowners of Turco-Circassian origin and the
creation of a class of medium-sized landowners of Egyptian origin
who played an increasingly important role in the political and
economic life of the country. In the countryside, peasants were
dispossessed because of debt, and many landless peasants migrated
to the cities where they joined the swelling ranks of the underand unemployed. In the cities, a professional middle class
emerged composed of civil servants, lawyers, teachers, and
technicians. Finally, Western ideas and cultural forms were
introduced into the country.
Data as of December 1990
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