Khedive Ismaʿil’s Imperialist Project in the Horn of Africa and Patronage for Christian Missionaries: The Case of Lazarist Catholics in the 1870s
Abstract
This study focuses on the cooperation between the Egyptian Khedivate under the rule of Ismaʿil and the Lazarists in opposition to Ethiopia during the 1870s. Initiated in 1871 and sustained by mutual need, this cooperation allowed Ismaʿil, a Muslim ruler acting as a protector of Catholic inhabitants and missionaries, to present himself as a generous and civilized ruler. This policy was a distinctive aspect of the Khedival imperialist program, which was based on a strategic blend of adopted and adapted nineteenth-century imperialist concepts.
Fields of Study & Subjects
African history and culture studies
African history and culture analysis
Christian Theology and Mission
Publication details
- Journal / source
- The Journal of the Middle East and Africa
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 77–100
- Publication date
- 2 January 2026
- Language
- EN