# Coptic Legion > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Coptic_Legion > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Coptic_Legion.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coptic_Legion > Source revision: 1309676630 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) A soldier of the Coptic Legion. The **Coptic Legion** ([French](/source/French_language): *Légion Copte*) was a military unit organized by the [French](/source/France) army during the [Napoleonic conquest of Egypt](/source/French_invasion_of_Egypt_and_Syria). It was composed of ethnic native Egyptian [Copts](/source/Copts). It was the last local unit to be organized by [Napoleon](/source/Napoleon).[1] The Coptic Legion was formed out of the need of self-defense by the Coptic community against the [Mamluks](/source/Mamluk) and [Ottomans](/source/Ottoman_Empire), since they were always persecuted and accused of complicity with their [Christian](/source/Christianity) [European](/source/Europe) coreligionists.[2][3] The Legion was headed by a Coptic general, [General Yaqub](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=General_Yaqub&action=edit&redlink=1), based on a proposal by [Jean-Baptiste Kléber](/source/Jean-Baptiste_Kl%C3%A9ber) in September 1799 to defend the [Coptic community](/source/Copts) in [Egypt](/source/Egypt).[4] General Yaqub recruited young Copts from [Cairo](/source/Cairo) and [Upper Egypt](/source/Upper_Egypt) for the Legion. These were trained by officers from the French army. The Coptic Legion consisted of 2 battalions each with 5 companies, and numbered 896 men, including officers, in 1800.[5][6] However, some sources believe the number of recruited Copts in the Legion to have been as high as 2,000.[7][8] Together with the Greek Legion, the Coptic Legion formed the *[Bataillon des Chasseurs d'Orient](/source/Bataillon_des_Chasseurs_d'Orient)*.[9] The uniform of the Legion's soldiers was composed of a black hat, a green coat with red [epaulettes](/source/Epaulette), khaki trousers, and black boots. The Légion Copte is thought to have been the best of all the locally organized units in Egypt.[10] Many of its members also joined the ranks of the demi-brigades, in particular the 21st light demi-brigade.[11] The Coptic Legion was particularly successful in protecting Coptic Christians in Egypt against Muslim aggression. When the population of [Cairo](/source/Cairo) revolted against the French during the 1798 [Revolt of Cairo](/source/Revolt_of_Cairo), and the Ottomans tried to retake Egypt, the Coptic Legion under General Yaqub barricaded themselves in the fortress with towers and ramparts they built at the neighborhood of [Azbakeya](/source/Azbakeya) and successfully defended Copts there during a 20-day siege, while Copts in other parts of Cairo were looted and murdered by Muslim mob led by Hasan Bey al-Jiddawi.[12][13] After the defeat of the [Napoleonic conquest of Egypt](/source/French_invasion_of_Egypt_and_Syria) at the hand of the British, the French troops were forced to withdraw from Egypt. Under articles 12 and 13 of the treaty signed between [France](/source/France) and [Great Britain](/source/Great_Britain), protection for those who had helped the French was guaranteed.[14] Anyone who wished to leave for France was allowed to do so, and so many members of the Coptic Legion returned with the French army to [France](/source/France) in 1801, including [General Yaqub](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=General_Yaqub&action=edit&redlink=1).[15] Nonetheless, most of the members of the Coptic Legion chose to remain in Egypt, and were eventually murdered by the Ottomans.[16] Those who reached France continued to fight in its army, several of them achieving high ranks.[17] The Coptic Legion was finally disbanded on 29 September, 1814. The Egyptian writer [Rifa'a at-Tahtawi](/source/Rifa'a_at-Tahtawi) recounts in his book *Takhlis al-ibriz fi talkhis Bariz* about encountering some of the former members of the Legion during his visit to [Paris](/source/Paris) in 1826.[18] ## See also - [Bataillon des Chasseurs d'Orient](/source/Bataillon_des_Chasseurs_d'Orient) - [Copts](/source/Copts) - [Coptic identity](/source/Coptic_identity) - [Coptic nationalism](/source/Coptic_nationalism) - [General Yaqub](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=General_Yaqub&action=edit&redlink=1) - [Youhanna Chiftichi](/source/Youhanna_Chiftichi) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [https://insidegmt.com/napoleon-in-egypt-local-units-side-with-the-french](https://insidegmt.com/napoleon-in-egypt-local-units-side-with-the-french) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [https://copticliterature.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/the-excellent-article-on-general-yaqub-by-anwar-louca-in-the-coptic-encyclopedia/](https://copticliterature.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/the-excellent-article-on-general-yaqub-by-anwar-louca-in-the-coptic-encyclopedia/) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [https://insidegmt.com/napoleon-in-egypt-local-units-side-with-the-french](https://insidegmt.com/napoleon-in-egypt-local-units-side-with-the-french) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [https://insidegmt.com/napoleon-in-egypt-local-units-side-with-the-french](https://insidegmt.com/napoleon-in-egypt-local-units-side-with-the-french) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [https://copticliterature.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/the-excellent-article-on-general-yaqub-by-anwar-louca-in-the-coptic-encyclopedia/](https://copticliterature.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/the-excellent-article-on-general-yaqub-by-anwar-louca-in-the-coptic-encyclopedia/) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [https://insidegmt.com/napoleon-in-egypt-local-units-side-with-the-french/](https://insidegmt.com/napoleon-in-egypt-local-units-side-with-the-french/) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** George Haddad. A Project for the Independence of Egypt, 1801. Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 90, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1970), pp. 169-183 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Motherland Lost: The Egyptian And Coptic Quest For Modernity. By Samuel Tadros. pp. 64-67 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [https://insidegmt.com/napoleon-in-egypt-local-units-side-with-the-french](https://insidegmt.com/napoleon-in-egypt-local-units-side-with-the-french) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** [https://insidegmt.com/napoleon-in-egypt-local-units-side-with-the-french](https://insidegmt.com/napoleon-in-egypt-local-units-side-with-the-french) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [https://insidegmt.com/napoleon-in-egypt-local-units-side-with-the-french](https://insidegmt.com/napoleon-in-egypt-local-units-side-with-the-french) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [https://copticliterature.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/the-excellent-article-on-general-yaqub-by-anwar-louca-in-the-coptic-encyclopedia/](https://copticliterature.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/the-excellent-article-on-general-yaqub-by-anwar-louca-in-the-coptic-encyclopedia/) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Motherland Lost: The Egyptian And Coptic Quest For Modernity. By Samuel Tadros. pp. 64-67 1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Motherland Lost: The Egyptian And Coptic Quest For Modernity. By Samuel Tadros. pp. 64-67 1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** [https://insidegmt.com/napoleon-in-egypt-local-units-side-with-the-french](https://insidegmt.com/napoleon-in-egypt-local-units-side-with-the-french) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Motherland Lost: The Egyptian And Coptic Quest For Modernity. By Samuel Tadros. pp. 64-67 1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Motherland Lost: The Egyptian And Coptic Quest For Modernity. By Samuel Tadros. pp. 64-67 1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** Motherland Lost: The Egyptian And Coptic Quest For Modernity. By Samuel Tadros. pp. 64-67 v t e Foreign regiments of the French Imperial Army (1803–1815) Swiss units Helvétique Chasseurs à Cheval Swiss Legion Swiss Demi-Brigades 1st Swiss Regiment 2nd Swiss Regiment 3rd Swiss Regiment 4th Swiss Regiment Bataillon du Prince de Neuchâtel Bataillon Valaisan Artillerie Suisse German (and Austrian) units Franco-Hessian Legion Prussian Gendarmes Prussian Regiment Westphalian Regiment Régiment d'Isembourg Bataillon Allemand White Pioneers Hanoverian Legion Cavalry of the Hanoverian Legion Infantry of the Hanoverian Legion Polish/Lithuanian units 1st Polish Light Cavalry Regiment of the Imperial Guard (lancers from 1809) 3rd Light Cavalry Lancers of the Imperial Guard Lithuanian Tatars of the Imperial Guard Polish Honour Guards Polish Cossacks Regiment Legion of the Danube Legion of the North Bataillon Polonais Polish Demi-Brigades 1st Polish Demi-Brigade 2nd Polish Demi-Brigade 3rd Polish Demi-Brigade Legion of the Vistula 1st Lancers of the Vistula Legion 2nd Lancers of the Vistula Legion Lancers of the Vistula Legion 1st Regiment of the Vistula Legion 2nd Regiment of the Vistula Legion 3rd Regiment of the Vistula Legion 4th Regiment of the Vistula Legion Vistula Legion Combined Regiment Mediterranean units Maltese Legion Greek Legion Albanian Regiment Septinsular Battalion Ionian Chasseurs Ionian Sappers Italian units Turin and Florence Honour Guards Legion of the South Italian Legion Vélites of Turin and Florence Free Battalions of Elba Ligurian Battalions Tirailleurs du Po Iberian units (Spain/Portugal) Aragon Chasseurs à Cheval Portuguese Legion Aragon Gendarmes Catalonian Gendarmes Catalan Guides Régiment Joseph Napoléon Catalonian Regiment Aragon Fusiliers L'Ampurdan Chasseurs Catalonian Miquelets Cantabrian Volunteer Companies Spanish Sappers Spanish Pioneers Illyria/Croatia Croatian Hussars Illyrian Regiment 1st Provisional Croatian Regiment 2nd Provisional Croatian Regiment 3rd Provisional Croatian Regiment 4th Provisional Croatian Regiment 1st Illyrian Chasseurs 2nd Illyrian Chasseurs 3rd Illyrian Chasseurs 4th Illyrian Chasseurs 5th Illyrian Chasseurs 6th Illyrian Chasseurs Dalmatian Pandours Serezaners Dutch/Belgian Duke of Arenberg's Belgian Light Cavalry 3rd Foot Grenadier Regiment of the Imperial Guard Middle Eastern/Asian Omar Guides Coptic Legion Syrian Legion French Janissaries French Syrian Janissaries Middle Eastern Chasseurs Misc units Mamelukes of the Imperial Guard Polish-Italian Legion Polish Legion of Italy Volunteer Legions of the North Irish Legion, 3rd Foreign Regiment 1st Foreign Regiment (France) 2nd Foreign Regiment (France) 4th Foreign Regiment (France) Deserter Battalion 1st Colonial Battalion 2nd Colonial Battalion Foreign Deserter Companies Foreign Pioneers Black Pioneers Foreign Volunteer Pioneers Régiment de la Tour d'Auvergne – a French royalist unit with many foreign members --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Coptic Legion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coptic_Legion) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coptic_Legion?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.