Ali Shamsi Pasha

Ali Shamsi Pasha (also spelled Shamsy, Shemsi, or Chamsi) was an Egyptian statesman.

Life

He was born in Egypt in 1885 the scion of senior members of the Tufenkjians, an Ottoman mounted military corps dating back to the 17th century when Egypt was ruled by walis or governors appointed by the sultan in Istanbul.

Family

Among Ali's ancestors we find the five Tufenkjian brothers who were exiled to the

In addition to being a leading industrialist and head of the

Role in Politics

As Amin Pasha exits the scene, Ali Shamsi Pasha takes over his father's seat at the legislature in 1914. His mission was to define the concept of a distinct Egyptian people blended from an ethnic mix of Copts, Fellahs, Bedouins, Circassians, Turks, Balkans, Levantine, Kurds and Nubians.

Exile

He was subsequently exiled to Europe for his political convictions he returns triumphantly several years later to cofound with Saad Zaghloul Pasha the nationalist Wafd Party. Ali Shamsi MP became in turn minister of finance and later education and was a sometime candidate to the post of prime minister. He was also Egypt's first representative to the League of Nations. He would later head the National Bank of Egypt (functioned as a Central bank at the time) which heretofore was traditionally chaired by a Briton.

Having spent most of his student and

Death

Ali Shamsi died in February 1962.

Political relations

To be noted three of Ali Shamsi's nephews spent time in jail for their political beliefs.

• Tufenkjians

References

• Privileged for Three Centuries: The House of Chamsi Pasha, Elias Press Cairo, 2011
• Family, Power and Politics in Egypt, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1982
• Merveilles Biographiques et Historiques ou Chroniques, al-Djabarti, Abdel Rahman, Imprimerie Nationale, Le Caire, 1889
• Egypt for the Egyptians, Ithaca Press, London, 1981
• Ali Shamsi and league of nations
• Ali Sabri Egyptian prime minister
• Hassanein Heikal on Ali Shamsy Pasha