Chapter Twenty-Two In the Sultanate of Sultan Abd al-Majid Khan, son of Sultan Mahmud Khan After Sultan Mahmud Khan, his son Sultan Abd al-Majid ascended to the throne. He was pledged allegiance on the day his father died, the sixteenth of Rabi' al-Awwal in the year 1254 AH, which is the year 1839 AD. He took over while sedition was rampant, the fires of war were blazing, and affairs were in disarray. The European powers were advancing and consolidating. The Tsar of Russia did not cease in demanding the implementation of the Treaty of Hunkar Iskelesi, which he had contracted with Sultan Mahmud for the defense and protection of all the state's lands and the occupation of whatever could be occupied from them if necessary. His demand increased after the surrender of all the Sultan's warships to Muhammad Ali Pasha and the annihilation of most of the Ottoman armies in the ongoing war with the rebels. The French and English states disliked this from the Tsar of Russia and did not wish for him to have any precedence over them, fearing that behind this treaty lay the Russian occupation of Constantinople, which would be a great catastrophe for all of Europe. Thus, the ambassadors of France, England, Austria, and Prussia worked to win over the Russian state to their side. They continued until the Tsar instructed his ambassador in the Sublime Porte accordingly. They met with Khosrew Pasha, the Grand Vizier at the time, and discussed what could be made the basis for a treaty with Muhammad Ali Pasha and an end to the fighting. The ambassadors of Austria and England suggested returning all the lands in Syria that Muhammad Ali Pasha had conquered to the state, and that only Egypt should be given to him. The ambassadors of France and Russia opposed this, saying that he should be given the kingdom of Egypt and the four vilayets of Syria. The debate continued, and they kept going back and forth until the ambassador of Prussia agreed with the ambassadors of Austria and England and supported their opinion. Thus, the opinion of the ambassadors of France and Russia was rejected, and the basis was agreed upon among them that only the lands of Egypt would be given to Muhammad Ali Pasha, and all that he had conquered from the state's lands would be taken from him. Then, the ambassador of Austria suggested holding an international conference, either in the capital of Austria or in the capital of England, to finalize what remained concerning Egypt. His suggestion was not accepted, and the ambassadors of France and England, as well as the ambassador of Russia, opposed it. They said that His Majesty the Tsar would not accept an international conference having the right to renew the political relationship of his kingdom with the Sublime Porte of the Ottoman Empire, and that he would not relinquish the implementation of what the Treaty of Hunkar Iskelesi permitted him, which was the defense and protection of all the Ottoman state's possessions, with the armies and warships prepared by the Tsar, and the occupation of most of the state's vilayets, if Prince Ibrahim did not cease fighting and penetrating the heart of the state's lands. The ambassadors of France and England were horrified by this demand and feared its dire consequences. They asked the Grand Vizier to prepare English and French warships to pass through the Dardanelles to repel the raids of the Russians and Egyptians from the state's lands when necessary. The English state sent one of its warships, named