Discuss the reasons for the decline of Ottoman power in the Middle East and North Africa.

The question requires that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of the reasons why Ottoman power declined in the Middle East and North Africa. Causes may predate the timeframe of the section but they must be clearly linked to the issue raised in the question. Candidates may offer equal coverage of the Middle East and North Africa, or they may emphasize their discussion of one of them; however, both aspects will be a feature of the response. A comparative approach may or may not be used. Candidates may refer to the difficulties in governing a large and diverse empire, incursions of powerful European states, increasing desire for independence by ethnic groups, financial and political weakness of the Ottoman government, defeat in wars with various states, and developments in Egypt relating to growing autonomy under Muhammed Ali followed by British military occupation in the 19th century.