During the Morean war he wrote to Nagib Efendi in Istanbul telling him “although I may be well versed in European mercantile affairs, I am ignorant when it comes to its political situation” (Bahr Barra 12/7, on 14 Ra 1243/6 October 1827). To contemplate that Britain might be agreeing with Russia on the partition of the Ottoman Empire shows that he was still as ignorant of the European “political situation” in 1839 as he had been fifteen years earlier.

Pays off: "Mehmed Ali's caution stemmed from conflicting European messages and ignorance."

Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed…, loc. 1633