Political History of Egypt Examining the History

Political History Of Egypt

Examining the History of an Ancient Land:

The country of Egypt has been ever developing. The reason why it is so important and interesting to study this country now is in light of the recent political events that the country has undergone. Needless to say, Egypt has always been a fodder for change. Without wasting too much time, thus, this paper will undertake one of the changing aspects of the country, namely, its political arena. The paper will begin by examining the development of politics in Egypt, and will continue this political history through to the present, including the recent and important events that have taken place in Egypt as part of the Arab Spring.

Egypt History

In order to truly understand a country and how it functions and develops, it is necessary to examine its history. For this reason, this section is of vital importance and will be expanded accordingly. According to the CIA World Factbook (2011), and to begin, one must state that Egypt has been a wonderful place since ancient times, and is considered by many to be the birthplace of humanity. The "regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation," asserts this source, "provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development" of this country, and for the development of a fantastic civilization.

The first unified kingdom in what is now known as Egypt rose around 3200 B.C., which only proves the advancement of this early political civilization. During the period from 3200 B.C. To the beginning of the modern era, Egypt was ruled by many dynasties.

It was during this ancient period that Egypt developed so many architectural wonders, and even its own language and writings. These facets contributed without a doubt to the political culture present in Egypt ever since, and also helped with development of mankind in general, and this cannot be discounted. However, to return to Egypt's political history, it is important to mention here that last dynasty fell to the conquering Persians in 341 B.C., and eventually Egypt was slowly but surely replaced by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and other conquerors.

Eventually, as Arabs took over, they introduced the country to the Arabic language and the Islamic religion, and it was from the 7th century onward that these facets would overtake all other cultural history aspects in this country, as well as deeply affects politics.

Egypt Politics

To turn now to the modern era, one must note that Egypt was eventually occupied by the Ottomans in 1517 and then by the British in the late 1800's, though these occupations ended by 1922, when the country became partially independent, with full sovereignty being attained in 1952.

Due to its fantastic location and its sovereignty over the Suez Canal, Egypt has been more of an ally of the West, especially also in light of the aid given. Yet despite these alignments with the West, Egypt has seen various period of political control.

After its independence, Egypt soon completed the Aswan High Dam (1971), which provided for better crop growth and other needs that the country was facing. Yet, in the light of a growing population (Egypt is now the largest Arab country in the world), the government struggled to provide for all. Soon, some opposed the new government, who had vowed to instill change, yet no results were seen, much like in the years prior to the most recent revolution.

It was in these circumstances that Hosni Mubarak took power, after the assassination of Anwar Sadat, the country's previous president. Until recently, Mubarak held the longest-serving rule in Egypt. Mubarak's fifth term, which commenced after rigged elections in 2005, only showed the kind of despotism ruling the country, which was suffering more and more under unequal and wealthy, crony-favoritist policies.

Recent Events

Though Egypt has undergone decades of military rule and has suffered at the hands of a poor leader, opposition groups inspired by Tunisian events rose in Egypt with a force rivaling that of the most famous protests in the world throughout history. These youth not only demanded a fair government, but demanded their country back and bread on the table.

The current political structure in Egypt is still a republic, but the country is in democratic transition. According to some source, Egypt is still facing tough challenges, and many fear that the progress achieved by the Arab Spring may be overturned by the indecisiveness of some of the current leaders. Mohammed Tantawi, the current leader of the military council, for instance, has achieved some progress, such as a timeline for the country to return to civilian rule, as well as set elections for November 28. Though some critics still state that this is too little time for a political party to organize, all await the results of these elections.

Conclusion

From this short history of Egypt, one can see how the country, from an ancient civilization, has survived numerous occupations and political rules, and has emerged, post-colonialism, as a dictatorship and military ruled country to, hopefully, a democracy soon. One can only sit and wait, but we must have faith in the Egyptian people.