In the early 1880s, Britain was struggling with its Egyptian protectorate. Wilfrid Blunt was sent to notify Sir Edward Malet, the British agent, as to the Egyptian public opinion concerning the recent changes in government and development policies. In mid-December 1881, Blunt met with Ahmed 'Urabi, known as Arabi or "El Wahid" (the Only One) due to his popularity with the Egyptians. 'Urabi was impressed with Blunt's enthusiasm and appreciation of Egyptian culture. Their mutual respect created an environment in which 'Urabi could peacefully explain the reasoning behind his new nationalist movement, "Egypt for the Egyptians". Over the course of several days, Arabi explained the complicated background of the revolutionaries and their determination to rid themselves of the Ottoman oligarchy. Wilfrid Blunt was vital in the relay of this information to the British administration in Egypt, although this did not prevent tensions from flaring up into a conflict soon after.