Egyptian pasha, the son of a notable in the district of Ibian, Gharbia Province. He was educated at the village school and afterwards at the university of El Azhar, in Cairo. When he had completed his prescribed course of studies, he was, in 1880, appointed editor of the Official Journal. Later he was nominated a Moawin under the Ministry of the Interior and eventually became Chief of the Contencieux for the province of Giza. Involved in the Arabi revolt, he was one of the many notables detained on the occupation of Egypt by British troops in 1882. On his release he ceased to hold office and in 1884, when the native tribunals were instituted, he began to practise at the bar. In 1892 he was appointed counsellor of the native court of appeal. Having become proficient in the French language and in the science of law, he obtained his diploma in law. He became Minister of Education in 1906, and under his “enlightened administration” it was said by Lord Cromer (Modern Egypt, vol. ii., p. 535) that “education in Egypt made rapid strides in advance.” A change of the Ministry during Lord Kitchener’s tenure of the Cairo Agency resulted in Zaghlul’s ceasing to hold the portfolio for Education, but he was appointed vice-president of the Legislative Assembly and he took a special interest in its deliberations until the outbreak of the World War, when the sittings of that body were temporarily suspended.
On the signing of the Armistice Zaghlul, who had for long been considered the principal spokesman of the Nationalist party, appealed to the Residency in Cairo for the recognition of Egyptian independence, basing his demand on President Wilson’s self-determination policy to which effect had been given by the British Government’s issue of a Proclamation defining the status of the other countries liberated from Turkish rule by the war. When his proposal that he and some representative Nationalists should visit London to press their views was refused by the Government, he became discontented, and his attitude was so hostile that he and three others were arrested and deported to Malta. This was the signal for a murderous outbreak in Egypt in which British officers and others were killed, and the country became much disturbed. Zaghlul and his friends were later released, and freedom of travel, which war measures had hitherto restricted, was permitted to all. A special Mission under the chairmanship of Visct. Milner was sent to Egypt in November 1919 to enquire into matters and make representations. Zaghlul eventually came to London and discussions between him, Adly Pasha and Lord Milner took place, the results of which were published in the “Milner Report.” Zaghlul returned to Egypt early in 1921, where he represented the extreme Nationalist party in opposition to the more moderate ministry under the presidency of Adly Pasha. At the end of the year, when trouble again broke out in Egypt, Zaghlul was arrested once more and deported to Ceylon.
