'''Amir al-Liwa''' Ismail Pasha Abu Jabal ({{langx, arz, إسماعيل باشا أبو جبل) (1234 AH – 17

Jumada al-Thani Jumada al-Thani (), also known as Jumada al-Akhirah (), Jumada al-Akhir (), or Jumada II, is the sixth month of the Islamic calendar. The word ''Jumda'' (), from which the name of the month is derived, is used to denote dry, parched land, a lan ...

1300 AH) was an

Egyptian ''Egyptian'' describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of year ...

military and political leader who lived in the nineteenth century. He participated as a brigade commander in the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

, which the

Egyptian army The Egyptian Army (), officially the Egyptian Ground Forces (), is the land warfare branch (and largest service branch) of the Egyptian Armed Forces. Until the declaration of the Republic and the abolishment of the monarchy on 18 June 1953, it w ...

fought alongside the

armies An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, and then the ''wāli'' of

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

Sa'id Pasha Mehmed Said Pasha (‎; 1838–1914), also known as Küçük Said Pasha (; "Said Pasha the Younger") or Şapur Çelebi or in his youth as Mabeyn Başkâtibi Said Bey, was an Ottoman Turkish monarchist, senator, statesman and editor of the ...

, assigned him - on

Muharram Al-Muharram () is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is banned. It precedes the month of Safar. The tenth of Muharram is known as Ashura, an important day of commemoration in ...

15, 1272 AH, corresponding to September 27, 1855 AD - to lead the Egyptian armies in the

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

after

Ahmad Pasha al-Munkali Lieutenant general Ahmad Pasha al-Munkali ({{langx, ar, أحمد باشا المنكلي) was one of the most famous Egyptians, Egyptian military leaders in the nineteenth century. He participated in the Egyptian–Ottoman War (1839–1841), Syr ...

was excused due to ill health.

Prince Omar Toussoun Prince Mohamed Omar Toussoun (1872–1944) was an Egyptian prince of the Muhammad Ali dynasty. He is one of the most admired princes of the Muhammad Ali family. He was famous for his excellence in many fields, his charitable works, his discoveri ...

, ''الجيش المصري في الحرب الروسية المعروفة بحرب القرم (1853-1855). سلسلة "صفحات من تاريخ مصر"'', second edition, Madbouly Library, Cairo, 1996

Upbringing

Ismail Haqqi bin Suleiman bin Bakir bin Ahmad was born in the year 1234 AH in the village of Muridi, in the state of Ma'amoura al-Aziz (

Elazığ Elazığ () is a city in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey, and the administrative centre of Elazığ Province and Elazığ District. Founded in and around the former city of Harput, it is located in the uppermost Euphrates valley. The plai ...

) in

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

, and his father was the ''

Kaymakam Kaymakam, also known by #Names, many other romanizations, was a title used by various officials of the Ottoman Empire, including acting grand viziers, governors of provincial sanjaks, and administrators of district kazas. The title has been reta ...

'' of his village. His father sent him to Egypt in the year 1248 AH, where he joined the Darsakhana School in the Citadel, where he mastered the Turkish and Persian languages speaking and writing. Then he moved to the military schools in Bujaq al-Nakhila (in Khanka).Abdul Masih, Ibrahim (1892). ''دليل وادي النيل لعامي 1891 و1892''. Cairo

Military career

On 4

Safar Safar (), also spelt as Safer in Turkish, is the second month of the lunar Islamic calendar. Most of the Islamic months were named according to ancient Sabean/Sabaic weather conditions; however, since the calendar is lunar, the months shift ...

1250 AH, he was attached to the 21st Infantry ''Alai'' (regiment) (21st Ji ''Alai Bayada'') with the position of ''Barinji Alamdar'', then he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant in Barinji ''Orta'' (battalion) 8 J Block, and was soon promoted to the rank of Yuzbashi Baranji Orta Barinji Block on 6

Dhu al-Qadah Dhu al-Qa'dah (, ', ), also spelled Dhu al-Qi'dah or Zu al-Qa'dah, is the eleventh month in the Islamic calendar. It could possibly mean "possessor or owner of the sitting and seating place" - the space occupied while sitting or the manner of t ...

. Then he traveled within the forces of Ibrahim Pasha to fight the

Wahhabis Wahhabism is an exonym for a Salafi revivalist movement within Sunni Islam named after the 18th-century Hanbali scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. It was initially established in the central Arabian region of Najd and later spread to other ...

, and there he was promoted to the rank of Barinji Saghul Aghasi, then he was promoted to the rank of 2nd G Bekbashi after he proved his worth in the battle of Jabal al-Diriyah, then he was promoted to the rank of Barinji Bekbashi (which is equivalent to the rank of Kaymakam) and was appointed commander of a group of soldiers that fought a decisive battle in which Ismail Pasha performed well. After Ismail Pasha returned from

Hejaz Hejaz is a Historical region, historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes the majority of the western region of Saudi Arabia, covering the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif and Al Bahah, Al-B ...

with the Egyptian expedition, he was granted the rank of Amiralai, and on the seventh of Jumada al-Thani in the year 1266 AH, he was promoted to the rank of Major General, and was entrusted with the command of Alai 3G and Alai 4G Bayada (infantry), then he was appointed Director of the General Directorates of

Qena Qena ( ' , locally: ) is a city in Upper Egypt, and the capital of the Qena Governorate. Situated on the east bank of the Nile, it was known in antiquity as Kaine (Greek Καινή, meaning "new (city)"; Latinized transliteration: Caene) and ...

and

Esna Esna ( , or ; ''Snē'' from ''tꜣ-snt''; ''Latópolis'' or (''Pólis Látōn'') or (''Lattōn''); Latin: ''Lato'') is a city of Egypt. It is located on the west bank of the Nile some south of Luxor. The city was formerly part of the ...

, then Hakmdar (governor) of

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

and a commander of its soldiers, then he returned to Egypt and was appointed general of Beringi Alai and 4G Alai Bayada. When the Crimean War broke out, the Ottoman Empire requested an Egyptian expedition to fight the Russians, so the Egyptian government prepared an army whose commander-in-chief was

, and Ismail Pasha Abu Jabal was appointed as a second commandant of three columns of Bayada soldiers, alai of Zarkh cavalry, and a section of Tobgia (artillery) instead of Major General Ahmad Pasha Shukri. Then al-Munkali Pasha was relieved of command of the expedition due to his ill health, so Sa'id Pasha relieved him on September 27, 1855, AD (Muharram 15, 1272 AH), and Ismail Pasha Abu Jabal took his place. Following Abu Jabal's return to Egypt in the year 1272 AH, he was appointed temporary president of the

Tanta Tanta ( ' ) is a city in Egypt. Tanta had a population of 658,798 in 2018, making it the fifth most populous city in Egypt. Tanta is located between Cairo and Alexandria: north of Cairo and southeast of Alexandria. The capital of Gharbia Gove ...

Council, then he was appointed general commander (commander-in-chief) of the infantry soldiers, during the reign of Sa'id Pasha, and he remained in this position until the ''Nizarat al-Jihadia'' (Ministry of War) order was issued to dispense with all brigades and assistants, so he resigned and was given Atyan. As a pensioner, however, he was soon returned to military service and appointed a major general in charge of the al-Ma'ia al-Sunnia soldiers, then he was appointed a member of the ruling council, then he was appointed “Sir Çeşmeh Ordi” in the Jihadia office instead of Ali Pasha Qulli, then he returned again to the ruling council, which he soon returned to. It was canceled by order of Sa'id Pasha, so Ismail Pasha was appointed commissioner to sell the Miri properties (government properties) to pay off the debts. Meanwhile, the Arabs of

Faiyum Faiyum ( ; , ) is a city in Middle Egypt. Located southwest of Cairo, in the Faiyum Oasis, it is the capital of the modern Faiyum Governorate. It is one of Egypt's oldest cities due to its strategic location. Name and etymology Originally f ...

and al-Wahat rebelled, so Ismail Pasha was appointed as an extraordinary military commander to put down their revolt. He succeeded in doing so, then he was appointed director of the Qena and Esna districts. At that time, the Crown Prince of

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

(King Leopold II later) came to visit

Upper Egypt Upper Egypt ( ', shortened to , , locally: ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the Nile River valley south of the delta and the 30th parallel North. It thus consists of the entire Nile River valley from Cairo south to Lake N ...

, and Ismail Pasha met him. He stayed with him for the duration of his stay, and when the Belgian prince returned to his country, the government of Belgium presented Abu Jabal with the

Order of Leopold Order of Leopold may refer to: * Order of Leopold (Austria), founded in 1808 by emperor Francis I of Austria and discontinued in 1918 * Order of Leopold (Belgium), founded in 1832 by king Leopold I of Belgium * Order of Leopold II, founded in Congo ...

, with the rank of Officer, accompanied by a letter of thanks received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dated July 12, 1863 AD. Then Abu Jabal was appointed head of the Military Council in Egypt, then director of Gharbia, then

Khedive Khedive ( ; ; ) was an honorific title of Classical Persian origin used for the sultans and grand viziers of the Ottoman Empire, but most famously for the Khedive of Egypt, viceroy of Egypt from 1805 to 1914.Adam Mestyan"Khedive" ''Encyclopaedi ...

Ismail In the biblical Book of Genesis, Ishmael (; ; ; ) is the first son of Abraham. His mother was Hagar, the handmaiden of Abraham's wife Sarah. He died at the age of 137. Traditionally, he is seen as the ancestor of the Arabs. Within Islam, Ish ...

granted him the rank of lieutenant general, then he was appointed a member of the Council of Rules until that council was abolished. In the year 1283 AH, Abu Jabal assumed the position of ''Ma'moor 'Omoom al-Malahat'', then the mission of the improvements of the

Ibrahimiya Canal The Ibrahimiyah Canal is an irrigation canal in Egypt built in 1873 during the reign of Ismail Pasha as Khedive of Egypt, the most important public work executed under the new Ministry of Public Works. It was commissioned by Bahgat Pasha, minis ...

in Dairut was added to his responsibilities. He was then appointed governor of

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

while the first mission remained in his charge. Then he was separated from it and appointed as a warden for collections of late funds in Upper Egypt. In the year 1291 AH, he was appointed a member of the Judgments Council, and in the following year he was appointed deputy of that council. Then in the following year he assumed the position of Secretary-General of the Egyptian Treasury, and on April 10, 1879, he was appointed President of the Judgments Council, and he remained in this position until he was retired on September 15. 1879. When the

Urabi Revolt The ʻUrabi revolt, also known as the ʻUrabi Revolution (), was a nationalist uprising in the Khedivate of Egypt from 1879 to 1882. It was led by and named for Colonel Ahmed Urabi and sought to depose the khedive, Tewfik Pasha, and end Imperia ...

broke out, Abu Jabal was one of its major opponents, and he accompanied Khedive Tawfiq to

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

, and after the attack on Alexandria, he accompanied Tawfiq to the Ras el-Tin Palace, but his health soon deteriorated after his return to Cairo, where he died on Jumada al-Thani 17, 1300 AH.

Nickname

Abu Jabal was given this title in honor of his good performance in one of the battles of the Wahhabi wars. In one incident, the force he was leading was trapped in the mountain, and the enemy surrounded them from every direction. Ismail Pasha drew his sword and led his soldiers in a counterattack. Ibrahim Pasha was watching the fighting from a distance. Ismail Pasha was seriously injured in this battle, but it has been proven that with his soldiers until he was finally victorious, Ibrahim Pasha summoned him and thanked him for his valor and ordered his personal doctor to treat his wounds, and from that time he was nicknamed Abu Jabal.

Honors

Order of the Medjidie Order of the Medjidie (, August 29, 1852 – 1922) was a military and civilian order of the Ottoman Empire. The order was instituted in 1851 by Sultan Abdulmejid I. History Instituted in 1851, the order was awarded in five classes, with the Firs ...

, second class (Ottoman Empire) * Medal of Excellence (Ottoman Empire) *

Turkish Crimea Medal The Turkish Crimean War Medal () is a campaign medal issued by Sultan Abdulmejid I of the Ottoman Empire to allied military personnel involved in the Crimean War of 1854–56. It was only awarded to those who survived the war and not to next of ...

(Ottoman Empire) *

Order of Glory The Order of Glory () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union established by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on November 8, 1943. It was awarded to soldiers and non-commissioned officers of the Red Army as well as to aviation ...

(Ottoman Empire) *

(Belgium)

References

Egyptian generals Recipients of the Order of the Medjidie, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of Leopold II Egyptian people of Turkish descent Egyptian pashas 19th-century Egyptian politicians 19th-century Muslims Egyptian people of the Crimean War People from Elazığ Governors of Qena Governors of Gharbia Governors of Cairo People of the Urabi revolt