Ryad Pasha was the only political celebrity that had not yet formed a Cabinet since the British occupation of Egypt.  He expressed to Khedive Tawfik his willingness to form a Cabinet and, unlike his predecessor, Nubar Pasha, his readiness to work in close collaboration with Sir Evelyn Baring (Lord Cromer).  The Khedive accepted his offer and instructed him to form a new Cabinet on June 9, 1888.
 

The circumstances then prevailing in Egypt were favorable to the Ryad Cabinet.  The financial situation of the country was much better than it was during the Nubar and Cherif Cabinets, and, Ryad ‘s reputation as a good Moslem enhanced his popularity.  Furthermore he had a good working relationship with the British which he demonstrated during his different Ministerial posts in the previous two Cabinets.  All the indications pointed at a long and fruitful Nizarat.

Beside the Premiership Ryad Pasha kept for himself the two important Ministries of Finance and Interior and he authorized the British Advisers to attend all the Cabinet meetings. 

The Cabinet top priority was the continual amelioration of the county ‘s economy and the maintenance of security within its borders.  The situation in the Sudan was the last on the list of its agenda.  To reduce the Government ‘s expenditure, the Cabinet froze the salaries of the Public Sector employees and reduced the number of the high learning students confining it to the need of the Administration.  It reduced to two the yearly number of students sent on studying mission overseas!!  On the other hand, the Cabinet embarked on a mission to improve the primary, secondary and technical education.  It increased the number of schools and accorded a bonus of ten Pounds to each technical school graduate.  To improve the health situation, it encouraged the Medical Studies by granting a two Pounds monthly salary to each medical student who reached the fifth year.  At the request of Ali Moubarak Pasha, the Minister of Education, the Cabinet discussed the unfairness of appointing the graduates of the Egyptian Law School to lowly positions at the Ministry Of Justice while the Foreign Law Schools graduates were given the higher positions.  As a remedy to that unfair situation, it was decided to treat equally all Law graduates and to limit their employment to only those who were proficient in the Arabic language and Islamic Laws (Al Shariia Al Islamya).

In spite of his good will and his close collaboration with the occupying authorities, RyadPasha found it more and more difficult to submit to Baring‘s demand, particularly when it came to appointing Foreign Judges, Tribunal ‘s President and Adviser to the Ministry of justice.  He tried to get Khedive Tawfik ‘s support but, like the two previous Cabinets, he failed in his attempt and, claiming health problems, he submitted the resignation of his Cabinet on May 12, 1891. 
 
 
 

At the request of the Financial Advisor, the Cabinet allocated the yearly amount of eighty-five thousands Pounds to cover the expenses of the British Troops stationed in Egypt.  Another twenty five thousands Pounds were voted to finance the British Army ‘s campaign in the Egyptian Western Desert to subdue a religious and nationalistic upheaval of Bedouin Tribes affiliated to the Senoussi Religious Sect.  The Cabinet also allocated the yearly amount of five hundred pounds to Fahmi Pasha to cover his public relations expenses, on the basis that the Prime Minister was not as wealthy as his predecessors!!

Thus the British took over complete control of Egypt until the death of Khedive Tawfik on January 7, 1892.  His oldest son, Khedive Abbas Helmi the Second, replaced him.  The death of Khedive Tawfik ended the chapter of complete British dominance of the Country and a new dawn seemed to glow at its horizon.

Mustafa Fahmi Pasha was born in the island of Crete, then part of the Ottoman Empire, in 1840 to a Turkish family. His father was a Colonel in the Ottoman Army who died in the Crimean War.  His uncle, Mohammad Zaki, then Director of the Egyptian Public Works, adopted the orphaned boy.  He joined the Egyptian Military Academy and rose in the Egyptian Army attaining the rank of “Fariq” (Lieutenant General).  He served as Governor of the Provinces of Menufya and Port Said before serving in the Khedivial Palace.  In 1876 he was appointed as Chief of the Cairo Police.  In the period between 1878 and his appointment as Prime Minister, in 1891, he served as Minister of Public Works, Foreign Affairs, Justice, Finances, Interior (three times) and War and Marine (twice).  He was appointed as Prime Minister 1891 to 1892, 1892 to 1893 and from 1895 to 1908.  His last Premiership has been considered as the longest in the history of Modern Egypt.  The best service he ever rendered to Egypt, his country of adoption, is that he fathered a remarkable daughter, Safya Hanem, “Um Al Misryeene” (Mother of the Egyptians) who married Saad Zaghloul Pasha, in 1896, but that is another story. 
 
 
 

 (To be continued) 

Kamal K. Katba

(1) On September 19, 1882, that is to say, six days after the battle of Tel-el-Kebir had been fought, the following laconic Decree, inspired by the Bristish new occupier, appeared in the Official Journal :  The Disbandment of the Egyptian army  "Nous, khédive d'Egypte, considérant la rébellion militaire: Décrétons: Article. I. L'armée Egyptienne est dissoute (signé Mehmet Tewfik)    TO VIEW  THE AMAZING PARALLEL EVENTS BETWEEN THE BRITISH OCCUPATION OF EGYPT IN 1882 AND THE US OCCUPATION OF IRAQ IN 2003 CLICK ON THE ICON BELOW: THE SAGA OF 'THE MAN WITH THE BLUE GLASSES" (ABUW AL-NAZZARAH AL-ZARQA')