Abbas Helmy (1 July 1812-13 July 1854) was the Wali of Egypt and Sudan from 10 November 1848 to 13 July 1854, succeeding Ibrahim Pasha and preceding Sa'id.
Biography[]
Abbas Helmy was born in Jeddah, Emirate of Diriyah in 1812, the son of Tusun Pasha and the grandson of Muhammad Ali. He served under his uncle Ibrahim Pasha during his campaigns in Syria before succeeding his uncle as ruler of Egypt and Sudan in 1848. He was known as a reactionary who undid hi sgrandfather's works, closing factories and schools and reducing the strength of the Egyptian Army, while also shutting down the Delta Dam's construction and opposing the construction of the Suez Canal. He was also hostile to the British, restricting corn exports out of Egyptian markets, but the British pressured him to allow the construction of a railway from Alexandria to Cairo. He also gave the Ottoman Empire a fleet of 12 warships, 19,000 troops, and 72 guns during the Crimean War; the army increased to between 40,000 and 55,000 troops by October 1853. Abbas acquired a reputation as a bigoted and sensual man, and he was murdered by two of his abused slaves in 1854.