In short, Mehmed Ali’s position vis-à-vis the Ottoman Sultan, on the one hand, and the fellah subjects, on the other, is very similar to that of a feudal lord. Above him loomed the authority of the Sultan, an authority that resembled that of a feudal overlord above that of his vassals and an authority that Mehmed Ali could, and did, challenge. Similarly, the Pasha viewed Egypt as his own personal fief.

XREF: Overlaps with the earlier claim at loc 1537 that 'Mehmed Ali's autonomy mirrored feudal vassalage toward the sultan'; this highlight extends the feudal analogy to encompass his relationship with fellah subjects as a personal fief. Builds on: "Great-power rivalry turned Egypt's crisis into a European-balance matter."

Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed…, loc. 1550