By the mid-1830s the Pasha had carved a small empire for himself at the expense of the Sultan's own dominions. After firmly entrenching himself in Egypt he extended his control to Syria, the Hijaz, the Sudan, Crete and most of Yemen and Eastern Arabia, that is, most of the Sultan's Arabic-speaking lands and some of his wealthiest provinces. Having wiped out two huge armies that the Sultan had mustered to confront him with, his forces then penetrated the heartland of the Ottoman Empire, Anatolia, and threatened the capital itself.

Builds on: "Muhammad Ali's army briefly extended Egyptian control across the eastern Mediterranean."

Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed…, loc. 187