An Egyptian historian, Ahmed Youssef, is a member of the Egyptian Scientific Institute, an institution that Napoleon Bonaparte founded in Cairo in 1798 on the model of the Institut de France. A leading expert on the French emperor and relations between the Arab world and France, he has written several of his works in French.
His latest book, Bonabarta. Napoléon, une passion arabe? ("Napoleon Bonaparte: An Arab Passion?") is devoted to the French military expedition led by General Bonaparte to Egypt – then under Ottoman domination – from 1798 to 1801, when the defeated French troops left the country after occupying it. It has been an opportunity for the historian to examine the encounter between Islam and the invading army led by the future emperor, an army that carried the ideas of the Revolution and was accompanied by numerous scientists.
Ahmed Youssef: Bonaparte was a curious man. He had long been interested in the Orient, and Egypt in particular. He had met travelers who had gone there, including the famous Volney [Constantin-François Chassebœuf de La Giraudais, known as Volney, 1757-1820], and had read a number of works. In 1798, on the ship that took him to Egypt, he surrounded himself with Orientalists to gain a better understanding of Egyptian society.
As a result, even before landing in Alexandria, Bonaparte had a fairly good knowledge of Islam. In this religion, two things caught his attention. The first was the figure of Muhammad. He was fascinated not by the prophet, but by the conqueror who, starting from nothing, succeeded in founding an empire. The second was the centrality of the Quran: He saw it as a text of law that helped structure a state.
From the founding of Islam to the Ottoman Empire, he understood that Muslim empires were essentially founded on this book, which established rules for the whole of society. He kept this in mind once in power. The Napoleonic Code – in other words, the civil code – was in a way Bonaparte's Quran!
No, not at all. Bonaparte was a man of the Enlightenment. He was frankly far removed from any form of faith. In his mind, therefore, there was never any question of him converting to Islam. However, he did authorize some of his officers to do so. This was notably the case for General Abdallah-Jacques de Menou (1750-1810), who took command of the Egyptian army in 1800-1801.
Bonaparte's approach to religion – whether Catholic or Islamic – was primarily political. In Egypt, his aim was essentially to avoid offending Egyptian beliefs, so as not to provoke a religious revolt against the French army. By conducting a genuine seduction campaign aimed at Egyptian Muslims, he succeeded in establishing generally peaceful relations with them.
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