Isma'il Pasha of Egypt
Isma'il Pasha (Egyptian Arabic: إسماعيل باشا Ismā‘īl Bāshā; 12 January 1830 – 2 March 1895), also known as 'Ismail the Magnificent, was the Khedive of Egypt and ruler of Sudan from 1863 to 1879, when he was removed at the behest of Great Britain and France. Sharing the ambitious outlook of his grandfather, Muhammad Ali Pasha, he greatly modernized Egypt and Sudan during his reign, investing heavily in industrial and economic development, urbanization, and the expansion of the country's boundaries in Africa.
| Ismail Pasha Ismā‘īl Bāshā إسماعيل باشا | |
|---|---|
| Khedive of Egypt and Sudan | |
| Reign | 19 January 1863 – 26 June 1879 |
| Predecessor | Sa'id I (as Wāli (unrecognized Khedive) of Egypt) |
| Successor | Tewfik I |
| Born | 12 January 1830 Cairo, Egypt Eyalet, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | 2 March 1895 (aged 65) Istanbul, Ottoman Empire |
| Burial | |
| Spouse |
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| Issue | Tewfik I of Egypt Hussein Kamel I of Egypt Fuad I of Egypt Prince Ibrahim Ilhami Pasha Prince Ali Jamal Pasha Prince Hassan Ismail Pasha Prince Mahmud Hamdi Pasha Prince Reshid Ismail Bey Princess Tawhida Hanim Princess Fatima Hanim Princess Zainab Hanim Princess Jamila Fadila Hanim Princess Amina Hanim Princess Nimetullah Hanim Princess Amina Aziza Hanim |
| House | Alawiyya |
| Father | Ibrahim I |
| Mother | Hoshiyar Qadin |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
His philosophy can be glimpsed in a statement that he made in 1879: "My country is no longer only in Africa; we are now part of Europe, too. It is therefore natural for us to abandon our former ways and to adopt a new system adapted to our social conditions".
In 1867 he also secured Ottoman and international recognition for his title of Khedive (Viceroy) in preference to Wāli (Governor) which was previously used by his predecessors in the Eyalet of Egypt and Sudan (1517–1867). However, Isma'il's policies placed the Khedivate of Egypt and Sudan (1867–1914) in severe debt, leading to the sale of the country's shares in the Suez Canal Company to the British government, and his ultimate toppling from power in 1879 under British and French pressure.
The city of Ismailia is named in his honor.