ARABI, a-ra'be, Ahmed El (usually known as Arabi Pasha), an Egyptian national leader: b. in Lower Egypt about 1837; d. Cairo, 21 Sept. 1911. He was the son of a common peasant, and, entering the army, rose to the• rank of col one and became the head of a party desiring to replace Turkish officers by Egyptians. On 9 Sept. 1:1.1 he led the troops to the Khedive's palace and demanded the dismissal of the min istry, the convocation of a parliament and the increase of the army. The first two demands were granted, the third was referred to Con stantinople; but the military party, which was mistakenly regarded by foreign observers as a Nationalist and Home Rule party, gradually became dominant, and Arabi was made War Minister. Flushed with success, he acted as if head of the state and rashly undertook to over throw the Anglo-French control of the finances. In view of the situation a conference was held at Constantinople, and British and French fleets were sent to Alexandria; a massacre of Christians took place in that city (11 June 1882) and the British fleet, in the belief that the forts were preparing to fire, bombarded them, the French fleet withdrawing. Alex
andria was burnt by the Egyptian troops, and the British expedition to Egypt followed. Arabi gave himself up and was tried for treason; acting on advice he pleaded guilty, an under standing having previously been arrived at with the Marquis of Dufferin, then Special British Commissioner, that the sentence would be commuted to banishment for life. Khedive Tewfik's desire was to put Arabi out of the way for good, and was only induced with great difficulty to consent to the arrangement. Arabi was sent to Ceylon, where he lived as a political prisoner on a small pension, but in May 1901 the Khedive Abbas Hilmi pardoned him and he returned to Egypt. A new genera tion of nationalists had grown up, which neg lected him; observing the, remarkable progress of his country during the 19 years of his ex ile, Arabi became converted to approve of British rule.