Irrigation in Upper Egypt in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century (1867-1912 AD)

Research Abstract

Thesis Summary in English Thesis Title: Irrigation in Upper Egypt in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century (1867-1912 AD) Prepared by: Ahmed Mohamed Rashad Sayed Supervision: Prof. Dr. Ahmed El-Sherbini Elsayed, Professor of Modern and Contemporary History and former dean of the Faculty of Arts at Cairo University. Degree: Master's Exact Major: Modern and Contemporary History Grade: Excellent The present study is concerned with tracking and analyzing the irrigation system in Upper Egypt in the second half of the nineteenth century. It is an important era that witnessed the decline of the role of the Egyptian state as for the management of economy. It also witnessed the emergence of the foreign capital to carry out this task, and to succeed in resolving the issue of integrating the Egyptian economy into the global capitalist economy by transforming it to a dependent economy that produces first class cash crops. Since the climate of Upper Egypt was more suitable for these crops that needed the generalization of the summer irrigation, this era witnessed an interest in the implementation of projects in such a direction. These projects changed a lot in the irrigation system in Upper Egypt, and they also affected its social and economic conditions. The study is divided into an introduction, five chapters, and a conclusion. The first chapter is entitled: the projects of irrigation in Upper Egypt and their obstacles. It presented the strategy of irrigation in Upper Egypt in the second half of the nineteenth century, and the most important projects that were carried out to serve such a strategy, such as digging and extending canals, constructing barrages; automated irrigation through irrigation pumps and their stations, and drainage projects in Upper Egypt. Then, the chapter showed the most important obstacles that faced these projects and how to overcome them. The second chapter is entitled: the mechanism of implementing irrigation projects. It presented the mechanism through which the projects were carried out, the mechanism of digging canals, building barrages and dams, the responsible members for carrying out these projects, and how such projects were implemented and funded. The third chapter is entitled: the management of irrigation projects. It tackled the way of managing irrigation projects; the administrative divisions of irrigation inspections in Upper Egypt, the way of managing irrigation shifts, and the role of public work supervisors to protect the irrigation infrastructure represented in canals, bridges, barrages, culverts, and locks. The fourth chapter is entitled: the economic effects of irrigation projects. It presented the impact of irrigation projects that were implemented in Upper Egypt, during the study's era, on the crop and agricultural area. It also showed the effect of these projects on the type of crop structure in Upper Egypt and their impact to increase the agricultural investment in Upper Egypt. The chapter also presented the formation of land companies, the relation between irrigation projects and issuing the expropriation laws for public benefits, and the impact of such projects on the agricultural properties in Upper Egypt. The fifth chapter is entitled: the social effects of irrigation projects. It tackled the impact of irrigation projects on public health, the spread of diseases and epidemics in Upper Egypt, and the role of the state in enacting legislations to preserve public health. It also showed some aspects of job exploitation, the mismanaging of irrigation during the implementation of these projects, the social effects of forced labor (Covrée) in Upper Egypt irrigation projects, and the effect of such projects in the region of Nubia. Finally, the conclusion included a number of study findings, such as the carrying out of projects, by Mohamed Ali, supporting the irrigation system represented in digging canals and constructing bridges and barrages aiming at increasing the area of the agricultural land. The Upper Egypt witnessed a number of permanent irrigation projects in the era of Mohamed Ali and his successors. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the irrigation strategy was based on two major factors. The first was digging, clearing, and lengthening canals, and the second was constructing barrages as they were first built on the canals then they were directly constructed on the Nile at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. This era witnessed the use of automated irrigation and the interest in the drainage system as well, as a result of the use of permanent irrigation. It is worth mentioning that the majority of irrigation projects were carried out through the contracting system. Additionally, there was an interest in the system of irrigation shifts and their organization. These projects affected the condition of the agricultural land and its quality. The findings also included the increase of agricultural investments, the redistribution of the pyramid of the agricultural properties, and the spread of a lot of diseases, along with a number of social and economic effects which were presented throughout the study.

Research Keywords

Upper Egypt, Irrigation, Barrages, Canals, Crop and Agricultural area, Crop Structure, Aswan Dam, Ibrahimiya Canal, Asuit Barrages, Esna Barrages, Irrigation Shifts, Forced Labor (Covreé), Nubia.