Hasib Ydlibi (born 1866) was a rubber merchant and political advisor of

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

n and Circassian origins, probably born in 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 ...

, who held significant roles in

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

during the early twentieth century.Aethiopica: International Journal of Ethiopian Studies. Germany, Harrassowitz Verlag, 2008.

Early life

According to a biography of Ydlibi by his daughter, he was born to a Syrian father and a Circassian mother who took him to

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, when he was aged six months. Other sources say he was born in Manchester. However, in the

1911 United Kingdom census The United Kingdom Census 1911 of 2 April 1911 was the 12th nationwide census conducted in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The total population of the United Kingdom was approximately 45,221,000, with 36,070,000 recorded in England ...

, Ydlibi gave his place of birth as

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

, then part of the

Oakfield, Malden Road, New Malden
ancestry.com, accessed 20 October 2021 Only two Ydlibi births were in fact registered in England in the 19th century: Zenab (1863, in

Altrincham Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester, southwest of Sale, Greater Manchester, Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2021 United Kingdom ce ...

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...

), and Ali Abdoullah (1871, in Chorlton,

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

). There were also two Ydlibi marriages: in 1847, Abdoullah Ydlibi or Ydlibe married Amelia James, in Chorlton, and her death is recorded in 1850; and in 1870 Ali Ydlibi was married in

Salford Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...

. In 1848, an Ali Ydlibi, son of Abdoullah and Amelia, said to have been born in 1847, was baptized in

Hulme Hulme () is an inner city area and electoral ward of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England, immediately south of Manchester city centre. It has a significant industrial heritage. Historically in Lancashire, the name Hulme is derived from ...

. In 1911, the brothers Azaat and Abdulgani Ydlibi, shippers of textile goods both born in

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

, and reported to be Turkish, were recorded as living in

Moss Side Moss Side is an Inner city, inner-city area of Manchester, England, south of the Manchester city centre, city centre. It had a population of 20,745 at the United Kingdom Census 2021, 2021 census. Moss Side is bounded by Hulme to the north, Cho ...

. All of these places are in and around Manchester.

32, Claremont Road, Moss Side, Manchester
ancestry.com, accessed 20 October 2021

Career

In 1897 Ydlibi was employed as an interpreter in the service of the British Expeditionary Force in

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 ...

. After leaving the Force, he began trading gum in

Kordofan Kordofan ( ') is a former province of central Sudan. In 1994 it was divided into three new federal states: North Kordofan, South Kordofan and West Kordofan. In August 2005, West Kordofan State was abolished and its territory divided between N ...

, part of the newly acquired

Anglo-Egyptian Sudan Anglo-Egyptian Sudan ( ') was a condominium (international law), condominium of the United Kingdom and Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt between 1899 and 1956, corresponding mostly to the territory of present-day South Sudan and Sudan. Legally, sovereig ...

. In 1905 he visited

as a representative of the Kordofan Trading Company, and during this trip he found rubber trees in the south of the country. The Emperor Menelik II subsequently granted him monopoly rights for the trading of the gum. In April 1911, Ydlibi was living in

New Malden New Malden is a suburban area in southwest London, England. It is within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and the London Borough of Merton, and is from Charing Cross. Neighbouring localities include Kingston upon Thames, Kingston, Norb ...

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, and gave his occupation as “General merchant in Abyssinia and Sudan”. He had a wife, Julia, to whom he had been married for seventeen years, and three surviving children. Ydlibi became a favoured confidante of ''Lij'' Iyasu, the effective ruler of Ethiopia from 1911 to 1916, and played a prominent role in helping Iyasu to implement administrative reforms in the country.Éloi Ficquet, Wolbert G. C. Smidt, eds., ''The Life and Times of Lïj Iyasu of Ethiopia: New Insights'' (Berlin: Lit Verlag, 2014, ) Appointed as governor of Gambella and as Negadras of

Dire Dawa Dire Dawa (; , meaning"where the Dir (clan), Dir hit his spear into the ground" or "The true Dir", , Harari language, Harari: ድሬዳዋ, lit. "Plain of Medicine"; ) is a city in eastern Ethiopia near the Somali Region and Oromia, Oromo borde ...

and

Harar Harar (; Harari language, Harari: ሀረር / ; ; ; ), known historically by the indigenous as Harar-Gey or simply Gey (Harari: ጌይ, ݘٛىيْ, ''Gēy'', ), is a List of cities with defensive walls, walled city in eastern Ethiopia. It is al ...

, he was given free rein to reform both cities and charged with making Dire Dawa a model for all of Ethiopia.

Bahru Zewde Bahru Zewde (born 1947 in Addis Ababa) is an Ethiopian historian and author. He writes extensively about modern Ethiopian history (1855 to the present) and is now an emeritus professor at Addis Ababa University where he once served as the Head of th ...

, ''Pioneers of Change in Ethiopia: The Reformist Intellectuals of the Early Twentieth Century'' (Oxford: James Currey, 2002) In particular, ''Lij'' Iyasu hoped to use Ydlibi's skills to introduce a system of government similar to that which the British had adopted in Cyprus, where Ydlibi had earlier worked. Following the coup against ''Lij'' Iyasu in 1916, Ydlibi escaped to

Djibouti Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area ...

. Out of favour with the new Ethiopian regime, he was refused re-entry to the country. With the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

ongoing, the British later arrested Ydlibi in Djibouti on suspicion of being a Turkish agent, due to his role as a foreign policy advisor to ''Lij'' Iyasu earlier during the war. With his family, Ydlibi was detained in Djibouti and was later held in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ydlibi, Hasib 1866 births People from Manchester Year of death missing Emigrants from the Ottoman Empire British businesspeople Anglo-Egyptian Sudan people Expatriates in Ethiopia