This series is devoted to the men and women throughout history who have made a significant contribution to the political, intellectual and religious landscape of the Muslim world. Each title combines first-rate scholarship with a strong emphasis on readability, and will serve as a perfect introduction for general readers and academics alike.

Kavalali Mehmed Ali Pasha (c. 1770¿1849), often dubbed "the founder of modern Egypt", was one of the most important figures in the history of the Ottoman Empire. Born in what is now Greece, and seemingly headed for an everyday existence as a tobacco trader, he joined the Ottoman army at the age of thirty, and went on to become both the leader of Egypt for nearly fifty years and the founder of a dynasty that ruled for a century after his death.

In this insightful and well-constructed biography, Khaled Fahmy assesses the renowned ruler¿s life, and his significant contribution to Egyptian, Ottoman, and Islamic history. Examining the unprecedented economic, military, and social policies that he introduced in Egypt, as well as Mehmed Ali¿s intricate relationship with his family, Fahmy provides a fresh assessment of this towering nineteenth-century personality.

Khaled Fahmy is Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at New York University. He is the author of All the Pasha's Men: Mehmed Ali, His Army and the Making of Modern Egypt.