Since the beginning of the conquest of Algeria in 1830, France had maintained a close interest in the affairs of the Regency, and successive Beys had sought to avoid giving France or any other power reason to intervene further. However the Batto Sfez Affair in 1857 did give France an excuse to put more pressure on Muhammad Bey, and a naval squadron of nine ships and seven hundred cannon was sent to La Goulette to insist that he promptly adopt a series of reforms modelled on the Ottoman Tanzimat. As a result, Muhammad Bey agreed to the Fundamental Pact () ("" or Pledge of Security). The Pact guaranteed equality of taxation (thus implicitly abolishing the discriminatory "jizya" tax imposed on non-Muslims). It also permitted foreigners to own land, participate in all types of businesses and set up separate commercial courts. A number of concessions were quickly granted to French firms, for example to construct telegraph lines and renovate the Zaghouan aqueduct. The Fundamental Pact thus further undermined the shaky finances of the Regency by abolishing traditional taxes, and opened the door to commercial penetration of the country by foreign business. Both issues were to become points of grievance in the Mejba Revolt.