Egyptian RenaissanceLiterature and Ahmad Shawki

Abstract

The 70s of the 19th century (the years of Khadiv Ismail's reign), the period of economic and cultural development in Egypt, can be considered the beginning of the stage of prosperity for the country. Since the beginning of the 19th century, Egypt has sought to break out of the remnants of the Middle Ages, open its doors to Europe, and head towards the West, three centuries ahead of the Arab East in terms of cultural development. It was during these years that researchers of Muslim modernism appeared and the Arab national movement was revived. The large-scale, social, and political innovations of that time also affected Egyptian literature as a whole. The political situation in Egypt and the changing social environment led to the development of Arabic literature. Ahmed Shawki had an exceptional contribution to the development of modern Egyptian literature in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
The article provides a brief overview of the history of modern Egypt, the process of the literary renaissance, and the role of Ahmed Shawki in this process.