What if the Coptic Christians of Egypt successfully managed to found their own kingdom in the 10th century?
- Thread starter Just Another Guy
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A point of divergence could be the Bashmurian revolts gaining more support and spreading further.
As suggested by Ogrelord, does this arise from the Bashmurian revolts? How much of Egypt do they control? I cant imagine the surrounding Muslim powers would just let it exist, not sure if foreign Christians would be willing to support them either due to doctrinal differences.
They Byzantines might help them on the principle of giving the Arabs a target not named Byzantium.
Does the Kingdom of Makuria/Alodia conquering Upper Egypt count?
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Well yes, but there was resentment of Copts against Byzantines due to theological differences, probably initially they would accept the help, but sooner or later the Byzantines would want Vassalize this Egyptian kingdom and the Copts won't want to return to Byzantine suzerainty.
A stronger Nubian kingdom would be interesting because it would be the closest ally the Copts would have.
kholieken
Banned
Fatimid is heretical Shia regimes that disliked by egyptian and surrounding Sunni Muslims, but they managed to survive.
Coptic Kingdom would have many challenges, but they could also reinvigorates native Oriental Orthodox Christianity in region. And Christian regime would be amenable trade partner/ military ally despite doctrinal differences. Crusade had cooperation with Byzantine and Armenian after all, doctrine not all important.
Biggest effect would be collapse of Muslim naval partner in East Med. It entirely possible western muslims would be cut off and develop differently than Muslims in Asia. Christian regime would cause democratic change in Egypt and Sudan, bolstering christian number and reducing Muslims.
Coptic Kingdom would have many challenges, but they could also reinvigorates native Oriental Orthodox Christianity in region. And Christian regime would be amenable trade partner/ military ally despite doctrinal differences. Crusade had cooperation with Byzantine and Armenian after all, doctrine not all important.
Biggest effect would be collapse of Muslim naval partner in East Med. It entirely possible western muslims would be cut off and develop differently than Muslims in Asia. Christian regime would cause democratic change in Egypt and Sudan, bolstering christian number and reducing Muslims.
I had this crazy idea once that Mongols take Egypt and torch Cairo and raid up and down the Nile, massacring large part of the Muslim population. The Copts instead offer no resistance and become subjects, which lands them as favored servants in the Egyptian Khanate (advisors, etc). Later on, the Mongols gradually convert to Coptic themselves and a weird Asian-Coptic hybrid kingdom is born.
The Byzantines can be pragmatic when they want to, and Egypt would be just distant enough to be a valuable partner, yet an impossible tributary or conquest.
they did not do in the OTL and franly unless Nikephoros does conquer Bulgaria that could lead to an intervention in 832 revolt , since the wars with bulgaria, the revolt of thomas the slav and the arab capture of crete really prevented any support to the copts.
I think your best bet is having a makurian conquest of Egypt in the 9th or early 10th century- they probably end up trying as hard as possible to mimic the Byzantine court, with probably a large number of greek words entering their language, but depending on when the conquest happens might use Coptic or Arabic as official languages.
Yes it does, In the alternate timeline they would control all of the Nile up till Nubia, their major allies would be the Byzantines and the Nubians