Nubar Pasha facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nubar Pasha
نوبار باشا Նուպար Փաշա Nubar Paşa
1st Prime Minister of Egypt
In office 16 April 1894 – 12 November 1895
Monarch	Abbas Hilmi Pasha
Preceded by	Riaz Pasha
Succeeded by	Mostafa Fahmy Pasha
In office 10 January 1884 – 9 June 1888
Monarch	Mohamed Tewfik Pasha
Preceded by	Mohamed Sherif Pasha
Succeeded by	Riaz Pasha
In office 28 August 1878 – 23 February 1879
Monarch	Isma'il Pasha
Preceded by	Position Created
Succeeded by	Isma'il Pasha
Personal details
Born	January 1825 Smyrna, Ottoman Empire
Died	14 January 1899 (aged 74) Paris, France

Nubar Pasha (Arabic: نوبار باشا Armenian: Նուպար Փաշա; January 1825 – 14 January 1899) was an important Egyptian-Armenian politician. He became the very first Prime Minister of Egypt. He served as Prime Minister three different times during his career. His first time was from August 1878 to February 1879. His second time was from January 1884 to June 1888. His last time was from April 1894 to November 1895.

Early Life and Education

Nubar was born Nubar Nubarian in January 1825 in Smyrna, which was part of the Ottoman Empire then. His father, Mgrdich, was an Armenian merchant. Nubar's mother was related to Boghos Bey Yusufian, a powerful minister for Muhammad Ali, who ruled Egypt.

Boghos Bey promised to help Nubar in the future. He suggested that Nubar go to school in Europe. So, Nubar was sent to Vevey and then to Toulouse. He was taught by the Jesuits, where he learned to speak French very well.

Working for Egyptian Rulers (1843-1863)

Before he turned 18, Nubar moved to Egypt. For about 18 months, he trained as a secretary for Boghos Bey. Boghos Bey was then in charge of trade and foreign affairs. After this training, Nubar became the second secretary to Muhammad Ali, the ruler of Egypt.

In 1845, Nubar became the first secretary to Ibrahim Pasha, who was next in line to rule. Nubar traveled with Ibrahim Pasha on a special trip to Europe.

When Abbas Pasha became ruler in 1848, he kept Nubar in the same job. In 1850, Abbas sent Nubar to London. Nubar's job was to stop the Ottoman sultan from changing a treaty. This treaty made sure Egypt would stay under Muhammad Ali's family. Nubar did such a good job that he was given the title of bey. In 1853, he went to Vienna for a similar task and stayed there until Abbas died in 1854.

The next ruler, Said, fired Nubar at first. But two years later, Said hired him back as his main secretary. Later, Nubar was put in charge of the important transport service that went through Egypt to India. Nubar played a big part in finishing the railway line between Cairo and Suez. He showed great skill in organizing and solving problems.

After being fired again by Said, Nubar was sent to Vienna once more. He returned as Said's main secretary and held this job until Said died in 1863.

When Ismail Pasha became ruler, Nubar Bey was in the prime of his life. They were already friends. Ismail quickly saw how talented Nubar was. He sent Nubar to Constantinople (now Istanbul) to announce his new rule. Nubar also had to prepare the way for Ismail's big plans. These plans included finishing the Suez Canal, changing his title to khedive, and changing how the next ruler would be chosen.

Nubar was very successful with the Suez Canal part. The sultan agreed to the canal plans for a low price, thinking it was just a dream. Ismail was so pleased that he made Nubar a pasha. The sultan himself visited Cairo and confirmed this title, which was rarely given to a Christian. Nubar then went to Paris to finish the canal agreements and solve problems between Egypt and the Canal Company. This led to Egypt paying a large sum of money.

A Cabinet Minister (1864-1878)

When Nubar returned, he became Egypt's first minister of public works. He worked very hard to set up this new department. In 1866, he became the minister of foreign affairs. He went to Constantinople again and succeeded in getting the other two projects approved.

In June 1867, Ismail was officially declared the Khedive of Egypt. This meant his oldest son would inherit the rule. Nubar then faced an even tougher challenge. For centuries, foreign countries had special rights in the Ottoman Empire, called "capitulations." In Egypt, this meant 17 different countries had their own laws and courts for their citizens. For example, if you needed to sue a Frenchman, you had to go to the French court. This made things very confusing and unfair.

Nubar had a bold idea: he wanted these 17 countries to agree to give up their separate courts for civil cases. He wanted to create "Mixed International Courts" that would use one set of laws for everyone. Despite all the countries being protective of their own power, and despite opposition from the Ottoman government, Nubar succeeded. This achievement shows he was one of the top statesmen of his time.

First Time as Prime Minister (1878-1879)

Ismail's spending had caused Egypt to almost go bankrupt. When Ismail ignored court decisions, Great Britain and France had to step in. Ismail agreed to have a mixed government led by Nubar. Charles Rivers Wilson became the finance minister, and the Marquis de Blignières was in charge of public works.

Nubar, supported by Britain and France, tried to make Ismail act like a constitutional monarch, meaning he would rule according to laws. But Ismail cleverly used a situation where some soldiers were let go to cause a military uprising against Nubar's government. Britain and France did not support Nubar's government and allowed him to be dismissed. However, when Rivers Wilson and de Blignières were also dismissed, they realized the situation was serious. They managed to convince the sultan to remove Ismail from power and replace him with his son, Tawfiq, in 1879. Nubar did not hold office again until 1884.

Second Time as Prime Minister (1884-1888)

During the time Nubar was out of office, Britain had taken more control in Egypt. The Battle of Tel el-Kebir had happened, and Urabi Pasha had been sent away. Sir Evelyn Baring (later Lord Cromer) became a powerful British official in Egypt.

The British government, advised by Baring, insisted that Egypt leave the Sudan. When Muhammad Sharif Pasha resigned, Nubar was convinced to become prime minister again. He had to carry out policies he didn't agree with, but he felt Egypt had to accept them because of British control. At this time, he famously said, "I am not here to govern Egypt, but to administer the British government of Egypt. I am simply the greaser of the official wheels." This meant he saw himself as just making things run smoothly for the British.

Nubar and Lord Cromer had very different personalities, and they didn't always work well together. So, it wasn't a surprise when Nubar was removed from office in June 1888. This time, it was the Khedive Tawfiq who directly dismissed him, without asking for British advice.

Third Time as Prime Minister (1894-1895)

Riyad Pasha took over as prime minister and stayed in office until April 1894, when Nubar returned. By this time, Lord Cromer had even more control over Egypt's government. Nubar understood better the role an Egyptian minister had to play: Lord Cromer was the true ruler of Egypt. Also, Tawfiq's death in 1892 meant Britain had to show its authority more openly.

In November 1895, Nubar completed fifty years of public service. He received a pension and retired from his job. He lived for a little over three more years, spending his time between Cairo and Paris, where he passed away in January 1899.

Legacy

Nubarashen, a part of Yerevan (the capital of Armenia), was started in 1930. Boghos Nubar, Nubar Pasha's son, helped create it. The area is named after Nubar Pasha to honor him.

Images for kids

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  A bust (head and shoulders statue) of Nubar Pasha in Nubarashen, Armenia.

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  A statue of Nubar Pasha at the entrance of the Alexandria Opera House in Egypt.

See also

• Armenians in Egypt
• List of Prime Ministers of Egypt