ABBAS II. (1874— ), khedive of Egypt. Abbas Hilmi Pasha, great-great-grandson of Mohammed Ali, born on July 14, 1874, succeeded his father, Tewfik Pasha, as khedive of Egypt on Jan. 8, 1892. He was still studying in Vienna when the sudden death of his father raised him to the khedivate; and he was barely of age according to the Turkish law of succession. For some time he did not co-operate very cordially with Great Britain. He vis ited England in I goo, when he declared himself ready to co-oper ate with the British officials administering Egyptian affairs. He interested himself in the establishment of a sound system of native justice, the great remission of taxation, the reconquest of the Sudan, the inauguration of the irrigation works at Aswan, the increase of education and especially in farming and stock-raising. On Dec. 18, 1914, a British protectorate over Egypt was declared, and on Dec. 19 Abbas Hilmi was deposed in favour of Hussein K5,mil (1854-1917). By the rescript of April 13, 1922, establish ing the law of succession the ex-khedive was definitely excluded from the succession, though without prejudice to any rights of his direct and lawful male descendants.
See Lord Cromer, Abbas II. (1915).