Background
Hilmi Pasha Abbas II was born on July 16, 1874, in Cairo, Egypt, and succeeded his father, Tawfik Pasha, on January 8, 1892, as khedive. He was a member of the Mehemet Ali dynasty, and a great-great-grandson of Mehemet Ali.
Hilmi Pasha Abbas II was born on July 16, 1874, in Cairo, Egypt, and succeeded his father, Tawfik Pasha, on January 8, 1892, as khedive. He was a member of the Mehemet Ali dynasty, and a great-great-grandson of Mehemet Ali.
He studied at Lausanne and Vienna, and spoke Turkish, Arabic, English, French, and German.
Surrounded by intriguers, and at first very suspicious of the British policy in Egypt, he rid himself of the pro-British officials, without consulting the British consul general, Evelyn Baring, first Earl of Cromer. Abbas interfered in the government, attempting on several occasions to by-pass Cromer's measures, and by failing, suffered a considerable loss of prestige. Unfortunately for Abbas, in these conflicts with the British he found no strong popular backing. After his second visit to England, in 1900, he became somewhat more amenable to British interests, ceased interfering in the government and restricted himself to the administration of his own estates. Abbas supported the establishment of a system of native justice, tax reform, and improvements in education and agriculture. He likewise encouraged the development of irrigation works at Aswan and the reconquest of the Sudan. On July 24, 1913, a constitution was proclaimed which provided for a parliament of 81 members, of which 66 were elected and 15 appointed by the government. The constitution replaced the Organic Law introduced by Frederick Blackwood, Lord Dufferin and Ava (May 1, 1883). At the outbreak of World War I, the khedive was in Constantinople, the guest of the Sultan of Turkey, convalescing from wounds suffered several months previously in an attempted assassination. Great Britain declared war on Turkey, Nov. 5, 1914. Because Abbas II did not return to Cairo on the declaration of war, he was accused of deserting his country. In addition, he was believed to be plotting against British rule in Egypt. In order to protect its own interests, Great Britain, on Dec. 18, 1914, declared a British protectorate over the country. On December 19, Abbas was deposed in favor of Hussein Kamil (1854 - 1917), the eldest living descendant of the family of Mehemet Ali. The title of khedive was abolished for that of sultan, which in turn gave way to the title of king. When Hussein Kamil died on Oct. 5, 1917, he was succeeded by Prince Ahmed Fuad. By rescript of April 13, 1922, the ex-khedive, Abbas II, was excluded from the succession, although without prejudice to the rights of any of his direct male descendants. Abbas II died in Geneva, Switzerland, on December 21, 1944.
