The great powers (Britain, France, Austria, Russia,…

The great powers (Britain, France, Austria, Russia, and Prussia) ally themselves with the Ottoman government to drive the Egyptian forces out of Syria when Egyptian forces invade and occupy Syria and come within sight of Co9nstantinople.

A British fleet bombards Beirut in September 1840, and an Anglo-Turkish force lands, causing uprisings against the Egyptian forces.

Acre falls in November, and a British naval force anchors off Alexandria.

The Egyptian army is forced to retreat to Egypt, and Muhammad Ali is obliged to accede to British demands.

According to the Treaty of 1841, Muhammad Ali is stripped of all the conquered territory except Sudan but is granted the hereditary governorship of Egypt for life, with succession going to the eldest male in the family.

Muhammad Ali is also compelled to agree to the Anglo-Ottoman Convention of 1838, which had established "free trade" in Egypt.

This means that Muhammad Ali is forced to abandon his monopolies and establish new tariffs that are favorable to imports.

Thus, Egypt is unable to control the flood of cheap manufactured imports that decimate local industries.