Ahmed Orabi

Colonel Ahmed Orabi or Ahmed Urabi (Egyptian Arabic: unicode|ʻorābi; IPA2|ˈʕoɾɑːˌbi) (April 1, 1841 - September 21, 1911), (Arabic: أحمد عرابي; also known as Orabi Pasha, Urabi Pasha and Ahmed Pasha Urabi el-Masri; his name was also transliterated Ahmad Arabi in older sources) was an Egyptian army officer and later an army general who revolted against the khedive and European domination of Egypt in 1879 in what has become known as the Urabi Revolt.

Early life

He was born in 1841 in the village of Hreyya Razna near Zagazig in the Sharqia Governorate, approximately 80 kilometres to the north of Cairo. [ [http://www.egypttoday.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=2483 'Far and Away'] by Egypt Today] Orabi was the son of a village leader and one of the wealthier members of the community, which allowed him to get a decent education. After completing elementary education in his home village, he enrolled at Al-Azhar University, to complete his schooling in 1849. He entered the army and moved up quickly through the ranks of the army, reaching Lieutenant Colonel by age 20.

Protest against Khedive

He was a galvanizing speaker. Because of his native peasant origins he was at the time, and is still often today, viewed as an authentic voice of the Egyptian people. When Khedive Tawfiq issued a new law preventing peasants from becoming officers, Urabi lead the group protesting the preference shown to Turkish officers. Orabi and his followers, which included most of the army, were successful and the law was repealed.

He and his allies in the army joined with the reformers and with the support of the peasants launched a broader effort to try to wrest Egypt from foreign control, and also to end the absolutist regime of the Khedive. The revolt spread to express resentment of the undue influence of foreigners, including the Turko-Circassian aristocracy.

Plans for parliament

He was first promoted, then made under-secretary of war, and ultimately a member of the cabinet. Plans were begun to create a parliamentary assembly. During the last months of the revolt (July to September 1882), it was claimed that Urabi held the office of prime minister.

Feeling threatened, Khedive Tawfiq called on the sultan to quell the revolt, but the Sublime Porte hesitated.

British intervention

The British were especially concerned that Urabi would default on Egypt's massive debt and that he might try to gain control of the Suez Canal. Thus when anti-European riots broke out in Alexandria in 1882 the British fleet opened fire on the city's forts. In September of that year a British army landed in Alexandria but failed to reach Cairo after being defeated in Kafr-el-Dawwar battle. Another army landed in the Canal Zone and on September 13, 1882 they defeated Urabi's army at the Battle of Tel el-Kebir.

Exile and return

After Orabi was captured, the khedive and his cabinet sentenced him to death. But under pressure from Lord Dufferin, the British ambassador at Constantinople, who had been sent to Egypt as high commissioner, the sentence was commuted and Orabi and Mahmoud Sami el-Baroudi were exiled to the British colony of Ceylon. They left Egypt on December 28, 1882. Orabi returned on October 1st, 1901, and stayed until his death on September 21, 1911. [ [http://www2.sis.gov.eg/Functions/S_Print.asp?ArtId=2000000000000000000097&lg=En Egypt state information] ]

While British intervention was meant to be short term, Egypt was officially made a British protectorate until independence was officially granted in 1922, following the 1919 revolution. Orabi's revolt also had a long lasting significance as the first instance of Egyptian anti-colonial nationalism, which would later play a very important role in Egyptian history. Especially under Nasser, Orabi would be regarded as an Egyptian patriot, and a national hero.

Legacy

* One of the Cairo metro under ground stations in the downtown area of Cairo was named after Orabi.
* A large square was named after him in Alexandria.
* Zagazig University Has his picture in its logo.

Notes

* The earliest published work of Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory - later to embrace Irish Nationalism and have an important role in the cultural life of Ireland - was "Arabi and His Household" (1882), a pamphlet (originally a letter to "The Times" newspaper) in support of Ahmed Urabi ("Arabi" being an archaic mistransliteration not uncommon in English at the time).

References