Napoleon in Egypt the Two

Napoleon in Egypt

The two discussions of Napoleon's invasion of Egypt differ widely in terms of tone and details. These differences derive from differences in structure, cultural perspective, and with respect to which side of the conflict they were on (winner or loser). Thus, the information in one narrative seldom supports the information in the other.

Juan Cole writes for a European point-of-view. Immediately, he begins by telling a story, outlining the education and personal background of his subject. This is done to provide context to his narrative. The characters are portrayed as potent but flawed, and are imbued with a sense of history. Al-Jabarti's sense of context is limited, in particular with respect to the actors. The history of the individuals is given short shrift.

Indeed, al-Jabarti's narrative is tied exclusively to a myopic Muslim worldview. His narrative is laced with criticisms that have little bearing on the events. He expounds about the immorality of the French, illustrating that in his worldview this morality is relevant to the legitimacy of French power. In Cole's narrative, we see a similar argument on the side of the French, who enter the conflict with a morality that derives from their republican viewpoints. Neither author expends much energy questioning their worldview or the impact that it has on his interpretation of the events.

The level of historical and personal detail that Cole lends greater legitimacy to his work. Al-Jabarti, for example, criticizes the grammar in the text that Napoleon sent to the Egyptians. Not only is this irrelevant, but there is significant irony in a person criticizing grammatical ignorance being unaware that Napoleon's translators are Maltese and therefore speak a substantially different dialect of Arabic than that of the Al-Jabarti's Egyptian.

Interesting is the treatment the two authors give to the descriptions of battle. Al-Jabarti describes battles in the brief, stark terms typically of Muslim authors (i.e. The Baburnama). He is far more matter-of-fact about the events. Success or failure in battle is viewed as success of failure of the individual leaders. Morality is ascribed to their choices in a consequential matter. Cole, conversely, describes battles in a more detached, complex manner. Success of failure is ascribed to tactics and logistics rather than personal traits. This difference reflects the different manner in which Europeans and Arabs conducted battles at the time. Indeed, it is interesting that although morality is a component of righteousness in al-Jabarti's worldview, he takes pains to denigrate French morality when he dissects Napoleon's letter. Yet he fails to draw the conclusion that the reason the immoral foe won the battle was precisely because of tactics and logistics, rather than because of any personal attributes.

Another area where these two authors differ significantly is with respect to their views as conqueror and conquered. Cole illustrates the French point-of-view upon entering Alexandria as one of profound disappointment. The people's worth, for the French, was measured by the shabbiness of the city. The French then felt a noble duty to make the situation better for these people. Al-Jabarti, not surprisingly, takes umbrage with this. The righteous outrage embodied in his criticism of Napoleon's letter may seem over the top, harping on points of grammar, but it illustrates effectively the outrage at the French pompousness. Al-Jabarti does not accept the right of the French to rule Egypt, nor does he accept any of their half-baked arguments for the invasion. His outrage taints much of his narrative, but it is hardly unreasonable. He demonstrates contempt towards the French for being unlike Muslims; but the French are clearly demonstrating contempt towards the Alexandrians for not being Europeans, or at least ancient Alexandrians.

While these two often disagree, there are instances where the information that they provide supports one another. They both noted the righteousness of the French. They both documented the manner in which the Egyptians fled their homes, taking everything with them as an act of defiance, and how those same individuals were robbed by the Bedouins. Cole even uses al-Jabarti has a source when discussing the impact of the French soldiers on commerce in Egypt, noting that the French were willing to pay European prices for staple goods, much more than the going rate in Egypt. They also both agreed that the French had difficulties once established in Egypt. They attempted to rebuild Cairo only to find it was more difficult than intended. The French had hoped for support among the merchant class, but had trouble mustering such support.