The Arab League (properly the League of Arab States) is a group of Arab states formed in 1945 to promote economic and cultural links and to minimise conflicts between Arab states. It has its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, and official language of Arabic. Research Arab League
The dosah (treading) was a ceremony which used to be performed at Cairo on the return of the holy carpet from Mecca. The sheik of the Sa'di dervishes rode on horseback over the bodies of devotees, killing some, injuring others more or less severely; those who escaped unhurt were deemed to be specially honoured by god. The rite was suppressed by the Khedive in 1884. Research Dosah
Ali Bey was a ruler of Egypt. He was born in 1728 in the Caucasus and died in 1773. He was taken to Cairo and sold as a slave, but having entered the force of the Mamelukes, and attained the first dignity among them, he succeeded in making himself virtual governor of Egypt. He now refused the customary tribute to the Porte, and coined money in his own name. In 1769 he took advantage of a war in which the Porte was then engaged with Russia, to endeavour to add Syria and Palestine to his Egyptian dominion, and in this he had almost succeeded, when the defection of his own adopted son Mohammed Bey drove him from Egypt. Joining his ally Sheikh Daher in Syria, he still pursued his plans of conquest with remarkable success, until in 1773 he was induced to make the attempt to recover Egypt with insufficient means. In a battle near Cairo his army was completely defeated and he himself taken prisoner, dying a few days afterwards either of his wounds or by poison.
*Ali Pasha
Ali Pasha was an Albanian chief. He was born in 1741 and died in 1822. A bold and able, but ferocious and unscrupulous Albanian, he was the son of an Albanian chief, who was deprived of his territories by rapacious neighbours. Ali by his enterprise and success, and by his entire want of scruple, got possession of more than his father had lost, and made himself master of a large part of Albania, including Yanma, which the Porte sanctioned his holding, with the title of pasha. He now as a ruler displayed excellent qualities, putting an end to brigandage and anarchy, making roads, and encouraging commerce. He still farther extended his sway by subduing the brave Suliotes of Epirus, whom he conquered in 1803, after a three years' war. He had long been aiming at independent sovereignty, and had intrigued alternately with England, France, and Russia. Latterly he was almost independent of the Porte, which at length determined to put an end to his power; and in 1820 Sultan Mahmoud pronounced his deposition. Ali resisted several pashas who were sent to carry out this decision, only surrendering at last in 1822, on receiving assurances that his life and property should be granted him. Faith was not kept with him, however; he was killed, and his head was cut off and conveyed to Constantinople, while his treasures were seized by the Porte. Research Ali Bey
Claude Etienne Minie was a French gunsmith. He was born in 1814 at Paris and died in 1879. He served in the army in Africa, and in 1849 invented the Minierifle and bullet. In 1858 he retired from the army and directed the small-arms factory and the school of musketry at Cairo. Research Claude Minie
Sir David Baird was a British soldier. He was born in 1757 at Edinburghshire and died in 1829. He entered the army in 1772. Having been promoted to a lieutenancy in 1778 he
sailed for India, distinguished himself as a, captain in the war against Hyder Ali, was wounded and taken prisoner, and confined in the fortress of Seringapatam for nearly four years. He and his fellow-prisoners were treated with great barbarity, and many of them died or were put to death, but at last (in 1784) all that survived were set at liberty. After his release he received, in 1787, his majority, and in 1791 joined the army under Cornwallis as lieutenant-colonel, and was appointed to the command of a brigade in the war against Tippoo. After much hard service he received a colonelcy in 1795, went in 1797 to the Cape of Good Hope as brigadier-general, and in 1798, on his appointment as major-general, returned to India. In 1799 he commanded the storming party at the assault of Seringapatam, and, in requital, was presented with the state sword of Tippoo Saib. Being appointed in 1800 to command an expedition to Egypt, he landed at Kosseir in June, 1801, crossed the desert, and, embarking on the Nile, descended to Cairo, and thence to Alexandria, which he reached a few days before it surrendered to General Hutchinson. Next -year he returned to India, but being soon after superseded by Sir Arthur Wellesley (the Duke of Wellington), he sailed for Britain, where he was knighted and made K.C.B. With the rank of lieutenant-general he commanded an expedition in 1805 to the Cape of Good Hope, and in 1806, after defeating the Dutch, he received the surrender of the colony. He commanded a division at the siege of Copenhagen, and after a short period of service in Ireland sailed with 10,000 men for Corunna, where he formed a junction with Sir John Moore. He commanded the first division of Moore's army, and in the battle of Corunna lost his left arm. By the death of Sir John Moore Sir David succeeded to the chief command, receiving for the fourth time the thanks of Parliament, and a baronetcy. In 1814 he was made a general. Research David Baird
Etienne Geoffrey St Hilaire was a French naturalist. He was born in 1772 and died in 1844. He was educated at the colleges of Navarre and Lemoine, and became a favourite pupil of Hauy. At the age of twenty-one he obtained the chair of zoology in the Parisian Jardin des Plantes.
As a member of the Egyptian expedition in 1798 he founded the Institute of Cairo, and returned about the end of 1801 with a rich collection of zoological specimens. In 1807 he was made a member of the Institute, and in 1809 professor of zoology at the Faculty of Sciences.
He devoted himself especially to the philosophy of natural history. The fundamental idea brought conspicuously forward in all his works is, that in the organization of animals there is only one general plan, one original type, which is modified in particular points so as to present differences of genera. This view met with strong opposition from Cuvier.
Among his principal works are Sur le Principe de 1'Unite de Composition Organique; Philosophie Anatomique; Histoire Naturelle des Mammiferes, written in conjunction with Cuvier; Notions de Philosophie Naturelle (1838). Research Etienne Geoffrey St Hilaire
Farouk was the last king of Egypt. He was born in 1920 at Cairo and died in 1965. Educated in England, he became king in 1936 but was deposed in 1952 following Egypt's defeat by Israel in 1948 and unrest following continued British occupation. After abdicating he went into exile, living in Monaco. Research Farouk
The Fatimite Dynasty was a line of caliphs claiming descent from Fatima, the favourite daughter of Muhammed, and of Ali her cousin, to whom she was married. In the year 909 Abu-Muhammed Obeidalla, giving himself out as the grandson of Fatima, endeavoured to pass himself off as the Mahdi or Messiah predicted by the Koran. Denounced as an impostor by the reigning caliph of Bagdad he fled into Egypt, became caliph of Tunis, and soon conquered all Northern Africa from the Straits of Gibraltar to the borders of Egypt. His son wrested Egypt from the Abbasides in 970 and founded Cairo. The Fatimite dynasty was extinguished on the death of Adhed, the fourteenthcaliph, and a new line began with Saladin. Research Fatimite Dynasty
Frederick Temple Hamilton Blackwood, Marquis of Dufferin, was a British statesman and author. He was born in 1826 at Florence and died in 1902. The son of the fourth Baron Dufferin and a granddaughter of R B Sheridan he began his public services in 1855, when he was attached to Earl Russell's mission to Vienna. Subsequently he was sent as commissioner to Syria in connection with the massacre of the Christians in 1860; was under Indian secretary from 1864 to 66; under secretary for war in 1866; chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1868 to 1872; Governor-general of Canada from 1872 to 1878; ambassador at St. Petersburg from 1879 to 1881; at Constantinople in 1882; sent to Cairo to settle the affairs of the country after Arabi Pasha's rebellion from 1882 to 1883; Viceroy of India from 1884 to 1888; ambassador to Italy from 1889 to 1891; to France from 1891 to 1896. Besides being a noted diplomatist he was also a popular author. In 1847 he published Narrative of a Journey from Oxford to Skibbereen during the year of the Irish Famine; in 1860, Letters from High Latitudes; also various pamphlets on Irish questions. In 1888 he was made Marquis of Dufferin and Ava. Research Frederick Blackwood
Ibrahim Pasha was an adopted son of Mehemet Ali, viceroy of Egypt. He was born in 1789 and died in 1848. He first gave signal proofs of his courage and military talents in the war with the Wahabis of Arabia, whom he completely defeated, and in the subjugation of Sennaar and Darfur. In 1825 he invaded the Morea at the head of an Egyptian army, with the view of conquering Greece for his father;
but in 1828, in consequence of the interference of the great powers, was obliged to abandon the attempt. To effect his father's purpose of making Syria a bulwark to his new Egypto-Cretan kingdom he, in 1831, crossed the Egyptian frontiers with an army, overran Palestine, took St Jean d'Acre by storm, and made himself master of all Syria.
The campaign terminated by an arrangement in which the Porte ceded Syria, and conferred the pashalic of Adana, by a kind of lease, personally on Ibrahim. Soon war with the sultan again broke out, and resulted in a great defeat of the Turkish forces at Nizib in 1839. By the interference of the great powers Ibrahim was eventually obliged, after retiring from all his Syrian conquests, to return to Egypt, marching across the desert from Damascus with great loss and suffering. From this time he seldom appeared in public life, and employed himself chiefly in the improvement of his own estates. In 1846 he visited England and France. In 1848 Ibrahim, after his father had become superannuated, proceeded to Constantinople (Istanbul), and was nominated Viceroy of Egypt, but he died in the same year at Cairo, while Mehemet Ali was still alive. He was succeeded by Abbas Pasha, the favourite grandson of Mehemet Ali. Research Ibrahim Pasha
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Arab League
