Murad Bey

Murad Bey ( 1750 – 22 April 1801) was an Egyptian Mamluk chieftain (Bey), cavalry commander and joint ruler of Egypt with Ibrahim Bey. several others believe he was a Circassian. In 1768, he was sold to the (Circassian) Mamluk Abu al-Dhahab, regent of Ottoman Egypt.

After the death of his master in 1775, Murad Bey was in command of the Mamluk army, whereas Ibrahim Bey was in charge of the administrative duties of Egypt. They survived through the persistent Ottoman attempts at overthrowing the Mamluk regime and civil strifes.

In 1786, the Ottoman sultan Abdülhamid I sent Kapudan Pasha (grand admiral of the Ottoman Navy) Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha to drive out Ibrahim and Murad Bey. Hasan Pasha was fervent and thorough in his efforts and succeeded in the short term, reestablishing direct Ottoman Empire control over Egypt. At this time, Murad Bey served as the amir al-hajj (Commander of the Hajj), a position responsible for securing funds and provisions for the yearly Hajj pilgrimage and protecting it along the desert route to Mecca and Medina in the Hejaz.

Murad commanded the Mamluk cavalry and janissary infantry in the Battle of Shubra Khit on 13 July 1798, but he was defeated by the French army and withdrew from the fight. Eight days later, on 21 July, he commanded the Mamluk cavalry during the Battle of the Pyramids alongside Ibrahim Bey and was defeated by Napoleon. While Ibrahim Bey fled towards the Sinai Peninsula, Murad fled to Cairo and then Upper Egypt. He mounted a brief guerrilla warfare that staved off the armies of Louis Desaix for a year. In 1800, Murad made peace with Jean-Baptiste Kléber. He agreed to garrison Cairo., also stating that he married Abu al-Dahab's widow after his patron's death. The end of Vol.1 and beginning of Vol. 2 of the novel takes place amid civil war in Egypt as Murad-Bey and Ibrahim-Bey vie for power with rival Mamluk leaders.

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