sentences:  Although nominally part of the Ottoman Empire, Yemen and the "sahil" (including Zeila) came progressively under the control of Muhammad Ali, ruler of Egypt, between 1821 and 1841.After the Egyptians withdrew from the Yemeni seaboard in 1841, "Haj" Ali Shermerki, a successful and ambitious Somali merchant, purchased from them executive rights over Zeila.Shermerki's governorship had an instant effect on the city, as he manoeuvred to monopolize as much of the regional trade as possible, with his sights set as far as Harar and the Ogaden.