The Ottoman era of the Egyptian history is traditionally subdivided into three periods: a period of strong Ottoman power (the 16<sup>th</sup> century), a period of weakening of this power and positions of the Ottoman administration (the 17<sup>th</sup> century), and a period of transition to the mamluks' control over Egypt (the 18<sup>th</sup> century). However, the historical dynamics of Egypt may be also analyzed as a series of oscillations and fluctuations in the evolution of its political and social system. In particular, in the 16<sup>th</sup> century, as a result of systematic transformation of Egypt's socio-political system conducted by Suleiman I, the political-administrative system of Egypt became substantially stronger and more effective. In the 17<sup>th</sup> century and the first half of the 18<sup>th</sup> century the Ottoman state order weakened; on the other hand, this was accompanied be the formation of a rather peculiar political system - the beilicate - within which the leading