Cromer Papers Abbas II

Author's name: Evelyn Baring

After his two terms as Consul General in Egypt under Khedive Ismail, and later as the first High Commissioner following the British occupation, Lord Cromer never ceased asking questions. Evelyn Baring arrived in Egypt this time, having played a key role in securing the throne for Prince Abbas Hilmi after the death of his father, Khedive Tawfiq. Cromer overcame the obstacle of age by resorting to the Islamic calendar, hoping to forge a successful partnership with the new Khedive. However, the crises brought about by the Great War, and Abbas's distinct personality compared to his father, led Lord Cromer to clash with the new Khedive on several occasions, sometimes through veiled warnings, until the British protectorate over Egypt was declared and the political landscape embarked on a new course.

Evelyn Baring, known in the Middle East as Lord Cromer, was the first Earl of Cromer, a town in the English countryside. Born in 1841 and died in 1917, he served as British Consul General in Egypt in 1879. He was among the international observers who monitored Egypt's financial situation in the late reign of Khedive Ismail in 1876, and later returned to Egypt as British Political Agent from 1883 to 1907. Baring played a significant role in shaping Egyptian political life for over three decades, witnessing the reigns of three of the most prominent rulers of the Muhammad Ali dynasty.