EGYPT 



All through April the unrest con- 

 tinued. On the 9th a new ministry 

 under Hussein Rushdi Pasha was 

 formed, while about the same time 

 the four arrested nationalists were 

 released on Allenby's order, and an 

 inquiry into the causes of the dis- 

 turbances instituted. Up to July 21 

 the casualties in the various riots 

 were 800 killed and 1,500 wounded. 



The autumn of 1919 saw a re- 

 crudescence of rioting. On Oct. 25 

 a serious outbreak occurred in the 

 native maritime quarters of Alex- 

 andria, when troops had to fire on 

 the rioters. In both Cairo and 

 Alexandria outbreaks occurred on 

 Nov. 15. In Dec. excitement was 

 caused by the El Azhar incident. 

 British soldiers, irritated by being 

 stoned by students from within 

 the El Azhar University, Cairo, 

 followed their assailants inside. 

 The authorities of the university 

 regarded this as a grave insult 

 and protested strongly to Allenby, 

 who replied there had been no in- 

 tention to pollute the sanctity of 

 the mosque, and expressed regret 

 for the incident. During this time 

 it had been found impossible to 

 form a stable ministry, one after 

 another having resigned in despair. 



Realizing that reforms were 

 imperative, the British Govern- 

 ment at the end of 1919 sent out 

 a mission under the colonial 

 secretary, Viscount Milner, to in- 

 quire into the matter. This 

 reached Alexandria in Dec. and 

 was in the country about six 

 months. On its return certain 



groposals^were laid before the 

 abinet, while the nationalist 



2827 



leader, Said Zaghlul, arrived in 

 London in June, 1920, to discuss 

 the question of the future of 

 Egypt with Lord Milner and his 

 colleagues. 



In Oct., 1920, although the result 

 of the negotiations between the 

 Egyptian nationalist delegation in 

 London and Lord Milner's com- 

 mission had not been officially 

 announced, an outline of the agree- 

 ment was published in the press. 

 It was stated that the new consti- 

 tutional reforms would go a long 

 way towards meeting the griev- 

 ances of the people of Egypt. 

 These negotiations were continued 

 early in 1922 and the British 

 government on Feb. 28th, 1922, 

 declared Egypt an independent 

 state. The Sultan Ahmed Fuad 

 Pasha was proclaimed king as 

 Fuad I on Mar. 16th, and his first 

 cabinet took office with Sarwat 

 Pasha as premier. 



Egyptian Independence 



The fundamental points in the 

 agreement were : Great Britain 

 was to recognize the independence 

 of Egypt, and guarantee its integ- 

 rity against outside aggression, in 

 return for which Egypt was to 

 recognize Great Britain's privileged 

 position in the valley of the Nile ; 

 Great Britain was to maintain a 

 garrison only in the canal zone ; 

 Egypt was to have control of her 

 foreign affairs, provided she did 

 not make treaties at variance with 

 British policy ; the capitulations 

 were to be done away with and the 

 veto on legislation affecting foreign- 

 ers to be vested in the high com- 

 missioner : two British officers were 



EGYPT 



to look after the public debt com- 

 mission and legislation affecting 

 foreigners. The final agreement 

 was to be submitted for confirma- 

 tion to the British parliament and 

 the Egyptian national assembly 

 It amounted to a grant of inde- 

 pendence to Egypt, subject to 

 British control over its foreign 

 policy, with provisions for safe- 

 guarding British and other interests 

 in the country's debt and in the 

 Suez Canal. 



CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT. 

 Before 1913 the affairs of Egypt 

 were controlled by two public 

 bodies known as the legislative 

 council and the general assembly. 

 These bodies dated from 1882 

 and were in the main consultative 

 only, legislation being in the hands 

 of the khedive and his ministers. 

 In 1913 important constitutional 

 changes were introduced. The 

 council and assembly were re- 

 placed by a new body called the 

 legislative assembly. This con- 

 sisted of 66 members elected by the 

 people, but by an indirect vote, 

 the ministers and 17 nominated 

 members. Early in 1923 a new 

 constitution providing for a re- 

 formed electoral system, including 

 cabinet responsibility to Parlia- 

 ment, was drawn up. It was signed 

 by King Fuad on April 19th, 1923. 

 It substituted a democratic for an 

 autocratic government and abol- 

 ished the legislative assembly 

 in favour of two chambers of 

 parliament. 



JUSTICE AND EDUCATION. One 

 of the main foundations of justice in 

 Eoypt is the capitulations. They 



Egypt. Restoration of the great temple of Amen-Ra or Ammon at Karnak, Thebes, viewed from within and showing the 

 vast pyramidal towers which served defensive purposes 



