Currency - Egypt - 20 Pounds - Year 2013

Item code: 129/EG-3

Year	2013
Obverse	Muhammed Ali Mosque (Citadel) in Cairo
Reverse	Pharaonic war chariot; Relief pharaonic drawings (frieze) on one of the pillars of the Temple of Sesostris I at Karnak
Size	156 x 70 mm

Obverse Description:

Muhammed Ali Pasha

Muhammed Ali

Muhammad Ali Pasha al-Mas'ud ibn Agha (Arabic: محمد علي باشا‎‎; 4 March 1769 – 2 August 1849) was an Ottoman Albanian commander in the Ottoman army, who rose to the rank of Pasha, and became Wāli, and self-declared Khedive of Egypt and Sudan with the Ottomans' temporary approval. Though not a modern nationalist, he is regarded as the founder of modern Egypt because of the dramatic reforms in the military, economic and cultural spheres that he instituted. He also ruled Levantine territories outside Egypt. The dynasty that he established would rule Egypt and Sudan until the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 led by Muhammad Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser.

Muhammed Ali Mosque, Cairo

Muhammed Ali was born in the Ottoman Empire, in the area which is now the Greek province of Macedonia. His parents were Albanian, and their language was the only one he spoke well. He also spoke some Turkish, but not Arabic. 

Muhammad Ali’s goal was to establish a powerful, European-style state. To do that, he had to reorganize Egyptian society, streamline the economy, train a professional bureaucracy, and build a modern military.

In practice, Muhammad Ali’s land reform amounted to a monopoly on trade in Egypt. He required all producers to sell their goods to the state. The state in turn resold Egyptian goods, and kept the surplus. This was very profitable for Egypt, especially with their cotton, which was of high quality. The new-found profits also extended down to the individual farmers, as the average wage increased fourfold.

Beyond building a more modern economy, Muhammad Ali started to train a professional military and bureaucracy. He sent promising men to Europe to study. Students were sent to study European languages, primarily French, so they could translate military manuals into Arabic. He then used both educated Egyptians and imported European experts to establish schools and hospitals in Egypt. European education also provided talented Egyptians with social mobility. Bright boys from poor families could work their way up, and become successful.

Muhammad Ali of Egypt with his officials in Cairo.

A byproduct of Muhammad Ali’s training program was the establishment of a Civil service. Establishing an efficient central bureaucracy was needed for Muhammad Ali’s other reforms. In the process of destroying the Mamluks, the Wāli had to fill the posts that the Mamluks had previously filled. He divided Egypt into ten provinces, each leader responsible for collecting taxes and maintaining order. Muhammad Ali installed his sons in most key positions; however, his reforms did offer Egyptians opportunities beyond agriculture and industry.

Reverse Description:

The Age of Chariot Warfare (Egypt)

Chariots were a crucial tool of warfare for centuries. The Mesopotamian's were the first people known to use chariots, which were of a very simply design with solid wheels and pulled by mules. The Hykso's were apparently the first to use horses to pull their chariots, and it was they who introduced both the horse and chariot to Egypt when they invaded circa 1800 BC. The Egyptians were quick to learn the advantages of chariots, utilizing their hard level ground. When the Hykso's withdrew, Egypt became a military power, proving the superiority of war chariots. They also dramatically improved the horse stock by cross breeding their horses with those from the coast of Phoenicia. The chariot also became a sign of status to the Egyptians, and for the most part only Pharaohs and aristocrats used them for war and hunting purposes. 

The chariot soon became much more sophisticated. It became heavier, requiring teams of horses as well as adopting spiked wheels. Repairs were carefully applied, and skilled carpenters were required on all military campaigns. Chariots ceased to act individually, becoming a ferocious unit armed with bows and javelins, coupled with protective armor, mobility and speed. 

The horses pulling the chariots were most likely cross-breeds, with definite Arabian influence. These hot-blooded horses can be traced back to the time in which Arabia was a fertile land. The people of these lands worshiped the sun, moon, stars and the horse idol Ya'uk. It is easy to see how important horses were to these people as they appear on the temple walls throughout Egypt. 

In the wars against the Hittites, the superiority of the Egyptians was crucial to their victories. By the time of Rameses II in 1288 BC, the military strength if Egypt had declined and waves of migrating people were moving into their lands. However, Rameses was determined to restore Egypt to its former military glory, and at the battle of Kadesh, although severely outnumbered, he emerged victorious over the Hittite leader, largely due to his powerful powerful chariots. 

Egypt then began its slow decline, threatened by the Assyrians, an aggressive mounted force using crude but successful tactics and weaponry. The availability of quality horses also determined the use of chariots, and as Egypt, the main supplier of horses, declined so did the use of the chariot.

Senusret I Kheperkare

Senusret I Kheperkare (also known as Sesostris I and Senwosret I) was the second Pharaoh of the Twelfth Dynasty (Middle Kingdom) of Ancient Egypt. The Turin Canon confirms that he ruled Egypt for forty-five years. He was the son of Amenemhat I and his wife Nefertitanen and it is generally considered that Amenemhat I made Senusret his co-regent (possibly around the twentieth year of his reign). 

Senusret constructed an alabaster kiosk for the cult statue of Amun at Karnak, known as the White Chapel. Despite its diminutive size, it is distinguished by the artistry of its decoration. He refurbished the temple of Re at Heliopolis establishing two huge granite obelisks (one of which still stands) for the celebration of his Sed festival. He rebuilt the temple of Osiris Khentiamentiu at Abydos and the celebration of his resurrection of reached new heights as his officials placed numerous stele along the route of the annual procession.

Small Chappel on North West Corner of the Great Temple of Karnak in Luxor

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