For his part, Mehmed Ali was aware that his continued existence depended on British support. This support could have been secured if he had confined himself to Egypt; his expansionary policy, however, was necessarily harmful to Britain's interests. This he seems to have realized but it also appears that he had managed to fool himself into thinking that if he were allowed to annex Syria and Mesopotamia in addition to Egypt, he would then be able – together with Persia and the Sultan in Istanbul – to pose a united front that would repulse any Russian move against India.

Pays off: "The Egyptian ruler acknowledged no master throughout his career."

Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed…, loc. 1584