Colonel Ahmad Orabi Pash

This is the photo of Ahmad Orabi Pash with his son Mahmoud born to his wife whom he married in Ceylon.   I found this photo in a recent Egyptian Arabic magazine which published a series of article about Orabi Pasha and Orabi Revolt in Egypt about 125 years ago.

Arabic Caption under the photo says “This is unpublished rare photo of Orabi with his son Mahmoud born to his wife whom he married when he was in Ceylon”.  So this woman could be a Ceylonese.  If anyone has got any information about this historical fact or about the descendants of Orabi Pasha (if any) in Ceylon please share with me.

Ahmad Orabi Pasha was an Egyptian Army Colonel who revolted against the European Domination in Egypt in 1879.  He was captured by the then Colonial Rulers of Egypt and sentenced to death.  Later his sentence was commuted and he was exiled to Ceylon in 1882 along with some other leaders who took part in the revolt.  Orabi Pasha lived in Ceylon about 19 years until he returned to Egypt in 1901.   He passed away in 1911.

Orabi Pasha played a great role to promote Education among the Muslims of Ceylon at the latter part of the 19th Century along with  Siddi Lebbe and Wappichchi Marikkar.  Those three leaders were instrumental in founding Zahira College in Maradana.