Being a Turk, that is, speaking Turkish and having one's origins in Anatolia, Istanbul, Albania, or other parts of the Ottoman world, was therefore enough for a man to be considered a candidate for a senior position in Mehmed Ali's army31 even if he had originally been caught as a POW! After the defeat of the Ottoman army in the various battles in Syria, a considerable number of officers and soldiers were taken prisoner. They were given three choices: either to agree to go back to their countries (but via Alexandria so as not to join the Ottoman army again), to join the Egyptian army by enlisting at the HQ in Acre, or to be sent to join one of the schools in Cairo. Eventually an entire regiment was formed from prisoners captured after the Ottoman army was defeated. More significantly, a number of the men taken prisoner were appointed as officers in the Egyptian army. Aref Bey, one of the officers in the Ottoman army, for example, was taken prisoner at the battle of Konia and was appointed as colonel to a newly formed regiment, created out of Turkish prisoners captured in the same battle. Other prisoners were appointed as lieutenants and captains over the soldiers who had captured them: the main criterion qualifying them for these positions was their Turkish identity. This caused much resentment among the soldiers who complained, “Why do we sacrifice our lives and put ourselves in danger to capture these men only to find them appointed as our officers ruling over us?” Neither Mehmed Ali nor Ibrahim found any problems with this practice, although Ibrahim, being closer to the soldiers and more sensitive to their sentiments, might have been more apprehensive than his father about it. As far as both men were concerned, these were evlad-ɩ Türk who were more entitled and capable than “Arabs” to be appointed as officers.

QUESTION: How did soldiers' resentment about prisoner-officers shape internal discipline or future revolt? Builds on: "Ethnic quotas barred Egyptians from senior military ranks."

Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed…, loc. 1329